Onward (bk 1) (64 pgs)

Onward by: Dolores Johnson

Johnson, Dolores. Onward. National Geographic Society: Washington D.C. 2006.

Summary:
Onward recounts the true story of Matthew Henson, the first African-Amercian to reach the North Pole. In vived detail, Dolores Johnson gives credit that is overdue to the one man who helped explore the North Pole. Henson risked his life in the late 1800s and early 1900s and his story is just getting told. Johnson tells of the hardships the men faced, the relationships they developed with the Inuit people, and the elation that melted into devastation with their return to the States.

Grades: 4-8
Author: Dolores Johnson
Illustrations: Media-pictures taken from the trips to the North Pole
Access Features: Acknowledgments, Foreward, Timeline, Bibliography, Index
Curriculum: Social Studies
Classroom Use: This book could be used during a discussion about exploration, geography of the Arctic, or historical figures, especially during Black History Month to celebrate those African-Americans that aren't in the history books.
Credibility: The author has a bibliography outlining all of her sources and she has also written many children's books. However, this is her first for National Geographic. She also acknowledges those who helped her throughout her research and reviewed the book for her.
Awards: Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2007
Standards: Social Studies: Standard 3-People, Places, and Environments; Standard 8-Science, Technology, and Society
Related Text: Into the Ice: the Story of Arctic Exploration by: Lynn Curlee

Response:
This book is an accurate account of the expeditions forged to the North Pole but it is not all that interesting. I enjoyed reading the book but it seems like it would not be an easy, interesting read for young students. They could understand the language used, but I don't believe it is something they would just pick out to read. I know I wouldn't pick it up off the shelf and think it looked interesting after glancing through the pages.