Black Star, Bright Dawn
by
Scott O'Dell
by
Scott O'Dell
Bright Dawn is an eighteen year old Eskimo girl whose life changes when she leaves her hometown of Womengo, Alaska. After her dad almost drowns trying to seal hunt, he immediately goes into shock and he and his family are forced to move to Ikuma, a town away from the coast. Bright Dawn is then introduced to a white school and changes from Eskimo beliefs to white beliefs. She loves her new school, but her Eskimo dad does not. Bright Dawn has many more opportunities at her new and bigger school than at her old smaller school. When the winter gets whiter, her teachers also introduce her to dogsled racing. Every chance Bright Dawn got she would participate in a town race and lucky for her she would win! Soon she won every race and became very popular. Bright Dawn's dad, Bartok, also raced in the town races and his boss got an idea. Bartok's boss happened to be in the racing business and entered Bartok in the vast and dangerous Iditarod. The Iditarod is a dogsled race that starts in Anchorage and ends at Nome. Once again Bartok gets injured and it's up to Bright Dawn to enter the Iditarod all by herself, along with a pack of fourteen sled dogs. During the race she changes in a normal but different way, from immature and childish to mature and grown up.
