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Dog Diaries #4
Togo
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!
176 pages, Library Binding
First published December 7, 2013
98 people are currently reading
446 people want to read
About the author
Kate Klimo
55 books139 followersKate Klimo spent her early years amidst the cornfields of Iowa where the winters were prodigious. Often, when the snows flash-thawed in the spring, she would find her backyard filled with the flapping, resurrected bodies of fish her ice-fishing father had stored in the snowdrifts. Thus sprang into her young head the unshakable notion that, all winter long, fish escaped from the rivers and magically swum through the snow banks of Mount Vernon, Iowa.
When she moved to the little town of Sea Cliff, on Long Island Sound, she met her best friend Justine in the Stenson Memorial Library at the main desk, where they often checked out the same fantasy writers. Together, they read C.S. Lewis, E. Nesbit, Edward Eager, and George MacDonald and embarked on a tireless search for portals to magical worlds, extending from abandoned Victorian mansions to the decrepit local five-and-dime to the sandy cliffs sweeping down to the Sound.
With her propensity for magical thinking and long-standing love of fantasy, does it come as any surprise that Kate grew up to be in the book business? But after over 25 years of heading up Random House Children’s Books, with the publication of The Dragon in the Sock Drawer in March 2008, Kate began to ease over to the author’s side of the desk.
Now a full-time author, in addition to numerous one-off titles, she has written the middle-grade series The Dragon Keepers series and the Dog Diaries as well the Centauriad for young adults. Under the pen name Bonnie Worth, she has penned over a dozen books in the best-selling Cat in the Hat Learning Library. She lives in New Paltz, New York with her husband and two horses.
When she moved to the little town of Sea Cliff, on Long Island Sound, she met her best friend Justine in the Stenson Memorial Library at the main desk, where they often checked out the same fantasy writers. Together, they read C.S. Lewis, E. Nesbit, Edward Eager, and George MacDonald and embarked on a tireless search for portals to magical worlds, extending from abandoned Victorian mansions to the decrepit local five-and-dime to the sandy cliffs sweeping down to the Sound.
With her propensity for magical thinking and long-standing love of fantasy, does it come as any surprise that Kate grew up to be in the book business? But after over 25 years of heading up Random House Children’s Books, with the publication of The Dragon in the Sock Drawer in March 2008, Kate began to ease over to the author’s side of the desk.
Now a full-time author, in addition to numerous one-off titles, she has written the middle-grade series The Dragon Keepers series and the Dog Diaries as well the Centauriad for young adults. Under the pen name Bonnie Worth, she has penned over a dozen books in the best-selling Cat in the Hat Learning Library. She lives in New Paltz, New York with her husband and two horses.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
April 3, 2020
My daughter and I have enjoyed several of the Dog Diaries as read alouds, but I think this book is one of our favorites! It's a wonderful story of the brave dog Togo, who helped bring medicine to sick children in Alaska in the early 1900's.
October 11, 2022
I am putting this in my category of 'dogs-favorite-books' as one of my favorites in the youth category. Dogsledding stories are my favorite category of dog books so that helped me elevate it to that shelf. The book moved along well and would hold the interest of a young reader. What impressed me was the level of detail of Togo's life. These details at times felt a bit embellished with some details but I felt the author did not add outside of factual events.
Other books on Togo that I have read are Togo by Robert J. Blake which was another good youth orientated book. I remember it having great drawings and a story that really helped you feel the danger moments. I don' remember it having the same level of detail so I would give them a tie on which is better. I have also read Togo and Leonhard by Pam Flowers which I remember being good but as I recollect didn't capture the excitement of the story. Lastly I would want to mention The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic by Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury. That is a great book on all aspects of that first (and 2nd) serum run which is a great book for all aspects and is one of my top favorite dog books. It is details from that book that helped me get a feel for how factual the details were in this Dog Diaries book.
What made Togo Dog Diaries #4 different than those others is that it is written from Togo's point of view. I am a tough audience for dog books told from a dog's point of view. When the dog thoughts are way beyond what I think dogs would think and describe I generally don't like it. Dogs live in the here and now and wouldn't be complaining or discussing things outside of the present. There was some of that that grated me a bit, but in spite of that it was well told. Here is an example with it supposed to be the dog's thoughts:
"Everywhere I went, it was Balto this and Balto that. Truth to tell, I knew Balto well enough. He was in my kennel. He was owned, bred, raised, and trained by Sepp, same as I was. Sepp called Balto nothing but a scrub freight dog. Don't get me wrong, he was a nice-enough fellow. But he was no racer. And he didn't have a whole lot going on upstairs. What he had was luck. It was luck, pure and simple, that he happened to be leading the team that made the last leg of the Serum Run."
A passage I did like was one relating to ice sense which I don't remember discussed in other books, but of course in Togo's story and others books dealing with sled dogs centers on a critical danger:
"I put my nose down and sniffed the ice thoughtfully. Sepp knew I had good ice sense. Having ice sense meant I could smell the water beneath the ice. If the smell was too strong, I knew that the ice was thin and probably not strong enough to hold us. Quite ice was solid and steady. but if it groaned or hissed, that meant it was breaking apart and dangerous. It was talking to me. It was saying, Watch out, little dog! Stay away! I could also feel the ice beneath my paw pads. I knew that if it was damp, it was probably not frozen through."
So I liked the book in spite of it being told from the dogs point of view. If you are an adult and what the full story of the serum run that includes Togo, I would recommend the book 'The Cruelest Miles.' But if you want a good story book at the youth level that tell the stories well, you will like this book.
Last thing is the book has pictures of Togo and Seppala in the end of the book. Togo just looks like an average dog to me, which is fine, as it makes me think how wonderful every dog is.
Other books on Togo that I have read are Togo by Robert J. Blake which was another good youth orientated book. I remember it having great drawings and a story that really helped you feel the danger moments. I don' remember it having the same level of detail so I would give them a tie on which is better. I have also read Togo and Leonhard by Pam Flowers which I remember being good but as I recollect didn't capture the excitement of the story. Lastly I would want to mention The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic by Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury. That is a great book on all aspects of that first (and 2nd) serum run which is a great book for all aspects and is one of my top favorite dog books. It is details from that book that helped me get a feel for how factual the details were in this Dog Diaries book.
What made Togo Dog Diaries #4 different than those others is that it is written from Togo's point of view. I am a tough audience for dog books told from a dog's point of view. When the dog thoughts are way beyond what I think dogs would think and describe I generally don't like it. Dogs live in the here and now and wouldn't be complaining or discussing things outside of the present. There was some of that that grated me a bit, but in spite of that it was well told. Here is an example with it supposed to be the dog's thoughts:
"Everywhere I went, it was Balto this and Balto that. Truth to tell, I knew Balto well enough. He was in my kennel. He was owned, bred, raised, and trained by Sepp, same as I was. Sepp called Balto nothing but a scrub freight dog. Don't get me wrong, he was a nice-enough fellow. But he was no racer. And he didn't have a whole lot going on upstairs. What he had was luck. It was luck, pure and simple, that he happened to be leading the team that made the last leg of the Serum Run."
A passage I did like was one relating to ice sense which I don't remember discussed in other books, but of course in Togo's story and others books dealing with sled dogs centers on a critical danger:
"I put my nose down and sniffed the ice thoughtfully. Sepp knew I had good ice sense. Having ice sense meant I could smell the water beneath the ice. If the smell was too strong, I knew that the ice was thin and probably not strong enough to hold us. Quite ice was solid and steady. but if it groaned or hissed, that meant it was breaking apart and dangerous. It was talking to me. It was saying, Watch out, little dog! Stay away! I could also feel the ice beneath my paw pads. I knew that if it was damp, it was probably not frozen through."
So I liked the book in spite of it being told from the dogs point of view. If you are an adult and what the full story of the serum run that includes Togo, I would recommend the book 'The Cruelest Miles.' But if you want a good story book at the youth level that tell the stories well, you will like this book.
Last thing is the book has pictures of Togo and Seppala in the end of the book. Togo just looks like an average dog to me, which is fine, as it makes me think how wonderful every dog is.
June 26, 2021
I used to think Balto was the one who saved the sick kids' lives. But I was wrong. Togo has ran thousands of miles during his life. He might of even ran millions. Balto ran only 64 miles in the race I think, I forgot. And Togo ran around 260 miles. And if you look at the cover and look at Togo's ears, the one on the left has a piece that isn't there because a rude malamute bit it off.
Togo used to be a bad dog when he was little. He even jumped out of a window and it wasn't even open! But then, one day he became the lead dog and got to run in the front. And if you like wolves like me, you can get a husky if you can!
Togo used to be a bad dog when he was little. He even jumped out of a window and it wasn't even open! But then, one day he became the lead dog and got to run in the front. And if you like wolves like me, you can get a husky if you can!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2024
As an adult? I love this book. It's simple and lovable. I had taken this book from by classroom by 'accident' and never brought it back. Shhhh!
March 11, 2024
It was neat to learn about the real hero of Alaska. This dog(Togo) did more running to get the serum to Balto's team. Togo and his team ran a total of 260 miles. Balto's team only ran 53. However, Balto and his team got the credit for what Togo and his team did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2023
This might be my daughter’s favorite story yet. She’s all ready to move to Alaska and raise some huskies!
June 17, 2017
Very nice book, it really shows the true hero of the serum run.
July 19, 2017
Judith and I loved this story of a brave dog saving children. It's told from the perspective of the dog, and it's a gripping story, well told. We're looking forward to the Iditarod in a couple of weeks, and wanted to know more about the history.
March 4, 2018
My son had to read this book with me for his third grade class. It is very well written, and very engaging. We both enjoyed reading about Togo and his adventures with his musher Sepp and the rest of the team of sled dogs on his team.
This story is written in Togo’s point of view, which I find very enduring. Togo starts off as too high-strung to be part of the team. He is very persistent, and wins over Sepp’s heart quite early in the story. He turns out to be a very good lead dog after all.
By the very end of the story, I was crying and my son put his arm around me to comfort me. I have such a compassionate boy. Great story and great bonding time to share.
This story is written in Togo’s point of view, which I find very enduring. Togo starts off as too high-strung to be part of the team. He is very persistent, and wins over Sepp’s heart quite early in the story. He turns out to be a very good lead dog after all.
By the very end of the story, I was crying and my son put his arm around me to comfort me. I have such a compassionate boy. Great story and great bonding time to share.
February 26, 2016
This book I read in one day, it was for people a lot younger then me, but that is okay. I love these books because of the dog point-of-view, and things like that. I have read almost all of them. From the moment I saw the cover for ''Buddy'' and saw it was based on a true story, I thought they should do one on Balto, the hero dog. When I saw this I knew about Togo, and that he was also a hero. While I enjoyed the book I thought there were problems.
The plot was pretty much like a lot of books; a small feisty character who becomes a hero. I would have enjoyed the book more if it was a bit less like a lot of other books. Even though it was based on a true story and got a lot of facts right, of course a lot of stuff was made up and I am fine with this. But I think the made-up part of the plot should been less like other books are.
It also said a lot of bad things about Balto, this was the main thing I disliked. All dogs and humans who helped bring the medicine where it needed to be were heroes, but the truth is Balto and his team are very special. I view them as the biggest heroes, and Balto is a great lead dog. Togo and his team are heroes as well, but this book seemed to say Balto wasn't a hero.
Without him, a lot of kids would have died. He is a hero, as much as Togo. It was annoying that this book was saying Balto was no hero, he was. And that got me really mad. I would have given this book four stars if it had said Balto was a hero as well.
I also do not think Togo is overlooked. I had known about him for a long time before I read this book, their is information about him online...and a lot of it. There is a statue of him, and his body is mounted in The Iditarod Trail Headquarters Museum. He is not as well-known as Balto, but he is well known.
The plot was pretty much like a lot of books; a small feisty character who becomes a hero. I would have enjoyed the book more if it was a bit less like a lot of other books. Even though it was based on a true story and got a lot of facts right, of course a lot of stuff was made up and I am fine with this. But I think the made-up part of the plot should been less like other books are.
It also said a lot of bad things about Balto, this was the main thing I disliked. All dogs and humans who helped bring the medicine where it needed to be were heroes, but the truth is Balto and his team are very special. I view them as the biggest heroes, and Balto is a great lead dog. Togo and his team are heroes as well, but this book seemed to say Balto wasn't a hero.
Without him, a lot of kids would have died. He is a hero, as much as Togo. It was annoying that this book was saying Balto was no hero, he was. And that got me really mad. I would have given this book four stars if it had said Balto was a hero as well.
I also do not think Togo is overlooked. I had known about him for a long time before I read this book, their is information about him online...and a lot of it. There is a statue of him, and his body is mounted in The Iditarod Trail Headquarters Museum. He is not as well-known as Balto, but he is well known.
July 19, 2016
As much as I usually groan when I read animal stories that often feel so formulaic, this series feels like animal stories "grown up" a bit. I'm loving them. Klimo does a great job weaving in history and breed facts so that I can't help but learn something while I'm being entertained by a great story, all told from the point of view of the title dog.
Togo's story overlaps with Balto, one of the sled dogs that saved Alaskan children's lives delivering medicine during a diptheria epidemic. Togo is revealed as an unsung hero and gives lively details about sled dogs both in racing and the everyday lives in 1920s Alaska. This book was actually what attracted me to the whole series. I had a student that really wanted to read more about Balto, but couldn't find a book at his reading level that would challenge him a bit. Most of the Balto books we found were beginning readers or picture books. I hope he will enjoy Togo's tale as much as I did.
Togo's story overlaps with Balto, one of the sled dogs that saved Alaskan children's lives delivering medicine during a diptheria epidemic. Togo is revealed as an unsung hero and gives lively details about sled dogs both in racing and the everyday lives in 1920s Alaska. This book was actually what attracted me to the whole series. I had a student that really wanted to read more about Balto, but couldn't find a book at his reading level that would challenge him a bit. Most of the Balto books we found were beginning readers or picture books. I hope he will enjoy Togo's tale as much as I did.
March 10, 2014
Very funny book about a dog who always gives his best. Togo is a very determined pup who longs to pull sleds with the big dogs. I enjoyed this book very much.
Read
December 4, 2018Small, feisty Siberian husky Togo—the overlooked sled-dog hero of the 1925 serum run to Nome—sets the record straight in Dog Diaries #4! Alaska, in January 1925, the only way to get the 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!
August 12, 2020
This is my first book of the series, a fun, easy read with well done sketches throughout. It gives a very complete life story of the dog, in which the Serum Run is a rather short part. Overall I like how well the author paints the year round life of a sled dog and challenges of the time. I do dislike how they bash Balto. While I am aware Seppala was upset about the credit given to the dog, the book makes some comments from Togo’s perspective bashing him as well rather than highlighting that it was a group effort to get the serum to Nome.
June 17, 2023
This book: BALTO WAS A SCRUB, TOGO IS THE REAL HERO OF THE SERUM RUN
...
I mean, I guess it's cute, if taking more than a few liberties with the actual life of the actual Togo (and Balto)... tagging "nonfiction" more as "well, it's almost nonfiction?" than not, I don't know. I do know that I'm super glad I don't live where it's stupid cold year round and at risk of not getting proper medicines, among other things. Guess dogs need a job too, though!
...
I mean, I guess it's cute, if taking more than a few liberties with the actual life of the actual Togo (and Balto)... tagging "nonfiction" more as "well, it's almost nonfiction?" than not, I don't know. I do know that I'm super glad I don't live where it's stupid cold year round and at risk of not getting proper medicines, among other things. Guess dogs need a job too, though!
January 23, 2024
It was wonderful to read about Togo and I enjoyed the illustrations, but the author's writing style was negative at times and too folksy in a way that was QUITE annoying. There was also a VERY DEPRESSING part at the end about some of the dogs being neglected and abused. It gave the ending a very sad, downer vibe that I didn't like. I wouldn't read anything by this author again. The historical essays at the end were very interesting to read though.
April 12, 2022
This book brings to life the underappreciated life and accomplishments of Togo. I had some very basic knowledge of Togo and his role in the serum run in Alaska, but it was fascinating to learn more about him and Leonhard Seppala. The dog diaries focusing on dogs in history are quite interesting not only for my kids, but also for me. After reading these children's books, and I very much look forward to finding some more reading material on these incredible dogs.
June 15, 2018
This is exactly the kind of book I would've liked as a child. A true story about a dog, told from the dog's perspective, where I learnt about different breeds and dog sledding. As an adult, I appreciate the story for its quiz night fodder.
October 14, 2018
My love for a husky
I have this book a five.
It was very exciting, and at times very sad. If you enjoy stories about dogs then you will love this book. I would recommend this book to anyone.
I have this book a five.
It was very exciting, and at times very sad. If you enjoy stories about dogs then you will love this book. I would recommend this book to anyone.
November 21, 2018
Another dog story from history gets the dog diaries treatment in book four of this engaging series about different stories recreated from the perspective of the dog. A well done book in a well done series.
March 25, 2020
This book set the record straight for me, after watching all the movies made about Balto. This inspiring true story was fascinating to read and find out what actually happened. I'm very happy to see that Disney has now made a movie about it.
June 7, 2022
This is a great book for those who want to know the story of Togo. I would recommend this to any dog lover. I own two huskies and I love learning more about the bred. I actually too run my husky but through using a bike. It was a good read for a trip or a sit down type of reading.
March 8, 2024
Read with the kids for school, based on a true story. I enjoyed it- I think kids got lost a little bit but it was a great story of determination, strength, and history of the Siberian sled dogs. I learned quite a bit!
July 28, 2024
Historical account of Togo, the true hero dog of the serum run from Nenana to Nome to save children dying of diphtheria. Interesting, fun, and told from a dog’s point of view. Good resources for more learning in the appendices.
April 19, 2025
I read this book for the first time as a child, and it has stuck with me ever since. All of the Dog Diaries books were so influential in fueling my desire to learn, and I would highly recommend any of these books to young readers with an interest in animals!
August 14, 2017
I liked this book except for the fact that they say Balto isn't a hero. He is.
November 8, 2017
So good! This is the real story and it is soooo cool and exciting! I couldn't set it down!
December 21, 2017
I actually learned something new from this book, despite its point of view being that of a dog.
April 27, 2018
Good book
April 27, 2018
i looooooovve togo
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews