Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. From Jack London to Jon Krakauer, the snowy state of Alaska has served as an inspiration to writers for decades, especially for authors with a taste for adventure. Why does Alaska lend itself to a writer’s inspiration?

Teaching Suggestion: With its harsh yet beautiful landscapes, the state of Alaska has been an inspiration to many writers over time, particularly those who, like Paulsen, see Nature as Challenger and Comforter. Before addressing the question, students first might brainstorm a list of sensory images (e.g., sights and sounds) that come to mind when thinking about Alaska. This prompt will prepare students to engage with Winterdance by considering the setting as well as other works they may have read in the adventure genre. These and similar resources may provide additional context.

• The Guardian’s “Top 10 Books about Alaska” is a list of contributor Brian Payton’s favorite books about, as he calls it, “the land of big dreams and harsh realities.”
• The Iditarod sled dog race has come to symbolize the challenges of the Alaskan wilderness. The Iditarod’s site includes information about the race and “Iditarod Race History.” The US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management offers details about trail management and history on the informational site “Iditarod National Historic Trail.” 

2. Gary Paulsen, who passed away in 2021, was a prolific author of children’s and YA fiction, writing more than 200 books over the course of his career. What are some popular themes and/or motifs of his work? What have his books contributed to children’s and YA literature as a whole?

Teaching Suggestion: Paulsen is often recognized as a great modern writer of adventure and wilderness stories for children and young adults. In considering Paulsen’s legacy, students might meet briefly in pairs or small groups to brainstorm titles with which they are familiar or read one of the many articles honoring Paulsen upon his passing in 2021. Paulsen was awarded the ALA Margaret A. Edwards Award in 1997, which recognizes one writer and their body of work for a “significant contribution to young adult literature.” For that award, the ALA cited his contribution to the canon of young adult literature and noted his ability to grab the reader’s attention with arresting writing, his intense love of the outdoors, and his “courage born of adversity.”

•  “Gary Paulsen, Author of Young Adult Adventures, Dies at 82” is an obituary from The New York Times that discusses Paulsen’s influence on many generations of young readers. (Free account registration may be required to view.)
• Minneapolis network KARE 11 interviews librarians about Paulsen’s impact on children’s and YA literature in the 3-minute clip “The Legacy of Author Gary Paulsen.”

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

Many people find their relationships with animals to be life-changing in some ways. What is a special connection you have shared with an animal? How did it make you feel, and in what ways did this connection enhance or affect your life?

Teaching Suggestion: One of the core themes in Winterdance deals with Paulsen’s bond with his sled dogs and how Cross-Species Relationships can be life-changing. This prompt will encourage students to consider their relationships with animals. Those students with family pets will likely have an immediate answer to this question; students with little to no pet experience might write about ways in which even passing connections with animals (for example, an animal encountered at the zoo or observed in the backyard) are meaningful.  

• The National Institute of Health’s “The Power of Pets: Health Benefits of Human-Animal Interactions” is a science-driven exploration on the benefits of pets.
• Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine offers information on “The Human-Animal Bond Throughout Time,” a historical briefing on the evolution of relationships between humans and animals.