Race to the South Pole: A Two--Sided Story

Alexandra Stewart

Book cover for Race to the South Pole: A Two--Sided Story
Image for variant 9780500653555
Book cover for Race to the South Pole: A Two--Sided Story
Image for variant 9780500653555

Race to the South Pole: A Two--Sided Story

Race to the South Pole: A Two--Sided Story

Alexandra Stewart

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Description

In this uniquely designed, two-sided book, readers will find themselves on both sides of the world-famous race to the South Pole. Follow the stories of polar explorers Robert F. Scott and Roald Amundsen as they each lead their teams on a daring and gripping adventure to Antarctica.

In 1910, Captain Robert Falcon Scott and the team of the Terra Nova embarked on an intrepid journey to Antarctica. Their mission: to explore uncharted lands, carry out important scientific work, and become the first people to reach the South Pole. There was just one problem--Scott wasn't the only one with his sights on the Pole!

Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen had spent his whole life dreaming of polar adventure. After narrowly missing the chance to be the first person to the North Pole, he was determined to win the race to the South.

In this two-sided story, readers will follow one team's journey before flipping the book to see things from the other side. This novel approach to storytelling encourages young readers to look at historic events from different perspectives, and to develop empathy and critical thinking as they face both triumph and tragedy in this remarkable true story.

Children's author Alexandra Stewart expertly weaves together history, natural history, and STEM into an engaging narrative-driven tale, brought to life with beautiful artwork by illustrator Sarah Wilkins. The result is a suspenseful true story that continues to resonate today.

Critical Reviews

With this account of two early-20th-century teams attempting to be the first to reach the South Pole, Stewart plays up the dramatic contrast between Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen's arduous but successful expedition and the heroic but tragic saga of British Royal Navy officer Robert Falcon Scott, whose failure proved fatal to him and his team... Stewart's narrative is vivid, fast-paced, and informative, while Wilkins' artwork is clear, detailed, realistic, and engrossing, with labeled bird's-eye and cross-section perspectives and maps that immerse readers in the surroundings... A visually arresting account of contending expeditions.-- "Kirkus Reviews" (9/15/2025 12:00:00 AM)

The text describes the many challenges faced by both parties, providing enough description to give readers a sense of what it was like... The mixed-media illustrations bring life to the details of the story and will help keep readers engaged. The colors and movement in the art help to personify the teams' struggles in the storms and their treacherous journeys... Young readers interested in exploration will enjoy learning of these intense expeditions that occurred without modern winter gear and technologies.-- "School Library Journal"

Publishing Information

Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Pub date: 2025-10-14
Length: 72 pages

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