Race to the Bottom of the Earth: Surviving Antarctica

by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Overview

Equal parts adventure and STEM, Rebecca E. F. Barone's Race to the Bottom of the Earth: Surviving Antarctica is a thrilling nonfiction book for young readers chronicling two treacherous, groundbreaking expeditions to the South Pole—and includes eye-catching photos of the Antarctic landscape.

"Riveting! I raced to the end of this book!" —Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee

In 1910, Captain Robert Scott prepared his crew for a trip that no one had ever completed: a journey to the South Pole. He vowed to get there any way he could, even if it meant looking death in the eye. Then, not long before he set out, another intrepid explorer, Roald Amundsen, set his sights on the same goal. Suddenly two teams were vying to be the first to make history—what was to be an expedition had become a perilous race.

In 2018, Captain Louis Rudd readied himself for a similarly grueling task: the first unaided, unsupported solo crossing of treacherous Antarctica. But little did he know that athlete Colin O’Brady was training for the same trek—and he was determined to beat Louis to the finish line. For fans of Michael Tougias’ The Finest Hours, this gripping account of two history-making moments of exploration and competition is perfect for budding scientists, survivalists, and thrill seekers.

"A nail-biting tale of adventure, tragedy, and superhuman determination—and also a luminous example of how our present lives are shaped by our immeasurably deep connection to our past." —Elizabeth Wein, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Verity

"A huge treat for adventure story fans—not one, but two incredible races across the fearsome and fascinating Antarctic!" —Steve Sheinkin, New York Times bestselling author of Bomb and Undefeated

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250257802
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	01/05/2021
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	681,164
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	940L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Rebecca E. F. Barone holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Bucknell University along with multiple graduate degrees in mechanical engineering. Her technical projects include injury analysis for the National Football League, and her short-form STEM writing has been published in the award-winning Muse magazine. She is passionate about serving and mentoring underrepresented populations in STEM and has continued to mentor in the kidlit arena with her participation in the #kidsneedmentors program. She enjoys rock climbing, marathon running, and creating amazing (sometimes tasty!) messes with her husband, son, and daughter.

Table of Contents

Part 1 The Setup 1

Chapter 1 The Race, Amundsen/Scott: 1903-1910 3

Chapter 2 The Race, O'Brady/Rudd: 2007-2018 19

Chapter 3 The Beginning, Amundsen/Scott: 1890-1909 35

Chapter 4 The Beginning, O'Brady/Rudd: Spring-Fall 2018 49

Chapter 5 The Setup, Amundsen/Scott: December 1, 1910-April 1911 63

Chapter 6 The Setup, O'Brady/Rudd: October 2018 81

Part 2 The Race 95

Chapter 7 The Journey, Amundsen/Scott: May 1911-December 1911 97

Chapter 8 The Journey, O'Brady/Rudd: November 3, 2018-November 18, 2018 117

Chapter 9 The Pole, Amundsen/Scott: November 1911-February 1912 133

Chapter 10 The Pole, O'Brady/Rudd: November 19, 2018-December 14, 2018 151

Chapter 11 The Return, Amundsen/Scott: January 1912-March 1912 169

Chapter 12 The Return, O'Brady/Rudd: December 13, 2018-December 28, 2018 187

Epilogue-The Reaction, Amundsen/Scott: January 1912-1928 203

Epilogue-The Reaction, O'Brady/Rudd: December 28, 2018-November 2019 215

Acknowledgments 227

Bibliography 229

Endnotes 239

Index 253

Editorial Reviews

01/25/2021

In two parts, “The Set-Up” and “The Race,” and in six pairs of parallel chapters, Barone offers a captivating juxtaposition of two momentous Antarctic races: the 1911–1912 polar quests of English Capt. Robert Falcon Scott and Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, to be the first to reach the South Pole; and the 2018 “alone, unsupported, and unassisted” continent crossings by American professional endurance athlete Colin O’Brady and British Army Capt. Louis “Lou” Rudd. Chapters alternate between the past and present, describing each of the white men, their preparations, their motivations, and the reactions to their journeys in accessible prose (“Roald Amundsen was destined to explore the frozen, dark desert”; “Colin had found the key to success: what counts in the voice you choose to listen to, which mantras you take as your own”). Though some readers may find that the parallel structure disrupts each race’s suspense, myriad multimedia additions—including maps, photos, and direct quotes from the explorers, sourced from letters, journals, and social media posts—enliven this well-researched narrative nonfiction book centering intrepid antarctic expeditions. Back matter includes a bibliography and ample endnotes. Ages 8–12. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 05/01/2021

Gr 4–8—In 1911, teams led by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and English naval officer Robert Falcon Scott raced one another to be first to the South Pole. More than a century later, American endurance athlete Colin O'Brady and another Englishman, army officer Louis Rudd, scrambled for the honor of finishing the first solo traverse of the Antarctic continent, unsupported and unassisted. In alternating chapters, engineer and STEM advocate Barone traces each of the campaigns, examining the personalities, training and preparation, often brutal challenges, and successes and failures of the men. Facing total whiteout conditions and temperatures sometimes exceeding -50 degrees Fahrenheit, all of the explorers confronted the limits of endurance, with Scott and two surviving colleagues ultimately succumbing to cold and starvation on the slog back from the pole, only 11 miles from a resupply depot. Blocks of text are unbroken except by embedded illustrations and the layout is plain, without any offsets or sidebar texts, making the book more appropriate for stronger readers. Plentiful photos vividly illustrate the striking polar desert terrain, as well as showcase the explorers and some of the gear required for enduring such an extreme climate. The volume concludes with a 10-page bibliography, including numerous books, articles, and websites, and more than 300 endnotes with source references. VERDICT A compelling narrative focused on science and technology, embedded in a cluster of thrilling adventure stories, this will be an easy sell for middle schoolers and many older elementary students. Highly recommended.—Bob Hassett, Luther Jackson M.S., Falls Church, VA

School Library Journal

FOUR starred reviews, The Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books 2021 Blue Ribbons List selection, Booklist Top 10 Sci-Tech Books for Youth, National Science Teachers Association with Children’s Book Council 2022 Best STEM Books

"Riveting! I raced to the end of this book!" —Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee

"A nail-biting tale of adventure, tragedy, and superhuman determination—and also a luminous example of how our present lives are shaped by our immeasurably deep connection to our past." —Elizabeth Wein, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Verity

"A huge treat for adventure story fans—not one, but two incredible races across the fearsome and fascinating Antarctic!" —Steve Sheinkin, New York Times bestselling author of Bomb and Undefeated

"Race to the Bottom of the Earth is absorbing, compelling, and truly touching. Because of Barone's attention to detail, I felt the explorers' cold, hunger, fear, despair, motivation, and elation. Kids will love this book!" —Deborah Heiligman, author of the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award-winning Vincent and Theo

* "A riveting tribute to epic tests of men against the elements." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Readers will be caught up in the real-time action sequences and should end up rooting for everybody as these determined individuals face unimaginable physical and mental hardships." —Booklist, starred review

* "Exemplary organization . . . keeps the narratives gliding effortlessly." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB), starred review

* "A compelling narrative focused on science and technology, embedded in a cluster of thrilling adventure stories . . . Highly ­recommended." —School Library Journal, starred review

"A captivating juxtaposition of two momentous Antarctic races." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher