Race to the Bottom of the Earth: Surviving Antarctica

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.)