Antarctica Nonfiction

If you plan to visit one of the coldest, windiest places in the world, you’ll need to be prepared! Antarctica's roads are covered with packed snow and ice, requiring special vehicles and snowmobiles to drive on this slippery land. A bus named ‘Ivan the Terra’ carries 56 people and has tires big enough to keep the ground from sinking! Learn about other vehicles that transport cargo and people.

Cute and cuddly yet powerful and fierce, polar bears are loved by people around the world. But the great bear of the north is in trouble. Its habitat is disappearing, and its food supply is dwindling. Learn more about these amazing animals, their Arctic homes, what the eat, and what you can do to help.

Whaling in the Arctic waters off Alaska’s coast was as dangerous as it was lucrative in 1897. In that particular year, winter came early, bringing with it storms and ice packs that caught eight American whale ships and about three hundred sailors off guard. The ships were imprisoned in ice with no hope of escape. With limited provisions on board the ships that hadn’t been crushed by the ice, there was little hope that these men could survive until warmer temperatures arrived at least 10 months later. Martin Sandler tells the incredible true adventure story of three men who were ordered by President McKinley to carry out an overland rescue in the dead of winter.

Balto has a quiet life as a sled dog - until tragedy strikes. Dozens of children in Nome become sick with diphtheria. Without antitoxin serum, they will perish - and the closest supply is 650 miles away! The only way to get the serum to Nome is by sled, but can the dogs deliver it in time? Heading bravely into a brutal blizzard, Balto leads the race for life.

It might seem lonely at the top of the world, but the North Pole is teeming with life! Polar bears, walruses, and arctic seals make their home on sea ice that can be nine feet thick while the Inuit and other indigenous peoples continue their traditions and means for survival in this harsh climate.

You might know that emperor penguins are the largest penguin species, but there’s so much more to learn about this flightless bird. Listen to discover what makes them undertake epic journeys every year, and how scientists have spotted their poop from space! Filled with simple science and plenty of animal facts, this book also explains what makes emperor penguins such great ocean swimmers, and how their cute chicks manage to stay warm in freezing Antarctic conditions.

How do animals survive in planet Earth's most extreme regions? Snow, ice, and subzero temps make the North and South Poles nearly impossible places to live. But several animals from musk oxen to penguins call these regions home. Find out how their amazing behaviors and body parts have adapted to these harsh conditions.

Would you rather face a leopard seal or brave a snowstorm in an igloo? This fun-filled nonfiction title explores the depths of a frozen landscape. Young adventurers will sharpen their decision-making skills with more than a dozen thought-provoking questions about Antarctica.

It is early spring and Polar Bear and her two cubs are growing hungry after spending the cold winter months in their den. Will Polar Bear be able to find and protect her hungry cubs? Find out as this exciting story unfolds! Reviewed by the Smithsonian Institution for accuracy, Polar Bear Horizon

Fluffy emperor penguin chicks. Playful Arctic fox kits. Learn how polar babies survive frigid temperatures and how many of them change color to blend in with their snowy environments.

As winter comes to an end, a pod of narwhals begins a treacherous journey north. Along the way, they must find fish to eat, avoid a hungry polar bear, and navigate a maze of sea ice. Will their sensitive long spiral tusks and clicking calls be enough to keep them safe and help them find their way to their summer resting grounds? Discover the mysteries of these amazing toothed whales and their Arctic home in this suspenseful narrative about the majestic unicorns of the sea.

Travel north - beyond the Arctic Circle - to Barrow, Alaska, and meet the proud Iñupiaq people. For thousands of years they have hunted whales on the open sea, but now global climate change threatens their way of life. The whale hunt is about to begin, and you're invited to come along! Just as soon as the ice covering the ocean cracks apart, the whales will appear. Set out with the Iñupiaqs in their bearded-sealskin boats to hunt bowhead whales, and witness a tradition that has been followed for 3,000 years.