Dog Diaries #4: Togo

Kate Klimo

Jan 2014 · Dog Diaries Book 4 · Sold by Random House Books for Young Readers

About this ebook

Small, feisty Siberian husky Togo—the overlooked sled-dog hero of the 1925 serum run to Nome—sets the record straight in Dog Diaries #4! When a diptheria epidemic breaks out in isolated Nome, Alaska, in January 1925, the only way to get life-saving serum to the town is by using dog-sled relay teams. Twenty teams participate, and the dog who inevitably gets credit for saving the town is Balto, lead dog on the final team which delivered the serum. But few people have ever heard of 12-year-old Togo and his musher Leonard Seppala, who carried the serum for almost double the length of any other team, and twice violated warnings to avoid perilous Norton Sound and instead ran straight over the frozen ice! With realistic black-and-white illustrations by Tim Jessell—plus an appendix with information about Siberian huskies, sled dogs, mushers, and more—Togo's tale is perfect for middle-grade readers who love a spunky underdog!

Ratings and reviews

Read this since I was in 6th grade. What an amazing story Togo has! The author tells the story as if Togo were narrating it which really helps the reader connect with the story and characters. I even made a school project dedicated to this good boy! It's really sad to see that Balto became the main icon or star of the 1925 Serum Run without the acknowledgment of Togo, and the 19+ other teams that participated. It really blows. And the 1995 animated Balto film certainly didn't help, as it completely recreated the entire story to the point where it's almost fictional. Balto is not a "fraud", and Togo isn't a "ripoff of Balto or the 'real' hero". Balto is just as much a good boy as Togo! They're both heroes, and ALL of them are good boys and girls who deserve to be remembered forever. Lots of love, from someone who read about this event for years! ❤

if you're looking for Balto then screw off because this was the real hero. this didn't rip Balto off! also "Blato" lol you cant even spell something so easy to spell. don't hate me but I feel like universal took this story but they made it Balto instead. if that's the case then that's really not ok. if you compare this to the movie you'll see how similar they are. before complaining that this is "fake" there's statues of Togo and a stuffed version of him in a museum. also why would you write a book about a true story and not make it accurate? It's not like universal took the story of Togo and gave it to Balto.

It was awesome and i love huskies!

About the author

KATE KLIMO is the author of many books for young readers, including The Dragon Keepers and all the books in the Dog Dairies series. She lives in New Paltz with her husband and two horses, Harry and Fancy. Over the years, she has served as companion to eight dogs: Pal, Beauregard, Fred, Kelly, Bear, Rascal, Dobey, and George W. Currently, she is searching for a furever friend who gets along well with horses. To learn more about her and her work, visit www.kateklimo.com.

TIM JESSELL is an award-winning illustrator whose work has appeared in numerous children's books. He is the illustrator of all the books in the Dog Diaries series. Check out his work at timjessell.com.