Into the Unknown

by Matthew A. Henson, Jacob Bull, Bernadine Bailey

They had all gone on before, and I was standing and pushing at the upstanders of my sledge, when the block of ice I was using as a support slipped from underneath my feet, and before I knew it, the sledge was out of my grasp, and I was floundering in the water. I did the best I could. I tore my hood from off my head and struggled frantically. My hands were gloved, and I could not take hold of the ice. The adventures of three Arctic explorers—Fridtjof Nansen, Robert Edwin Peary, and Matthew A. Henson—are told in this compilation of biographical and autobiographical stories. These fascinating and inspiring accounts are packed with excitement and educational value. Why will the explorers die if they eat the snow when they are thirsty? Why was it sometimes necessary to blow up the ice to save their lives? What explorer lost all of his toes except for one due to frostbite?

Genres: School, Read For School, Nonfiction, Adventure

147 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2018

About the author

American explorer Matthew Alexander Henson accompanied Robert Edwin Peary on seven Arctic expeditions, including the first expedition to reach the North Pole in 1909.

Reviews

[Lexi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I originally rated this three stars because I wanted to be nice. I decided that I couldn't keep my rating like that.
This book was really boring and very difficult to get through. I had a lot of trouble staying focused while I was reading. I read it for school and I had such high hopes for it because the last book I read through that curriculum was so good. I was incredibly disappointed.
The book is clean, it's just a really dull, dry read.
I don't recommend this book.

[Joy A. · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of the worst books I have ever read. The only reason I finished it was because it was required for school. NEVER AGAIN will I read this book.

[Chloe M. · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s finally over!!!! 🥹🥹

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me preface this by saying that I love boring non-fiction stories.

I thought this was a great book! It gave interesting details into the lives and travels of some of the first people to ever explore the Artic Circle, most of it in their own words. Yes some of it was a bit dry, but it also has plenty of humorous anecdotes about the people they traveled with.

Don't think of it as a boring novel. Read it as a history book, and you'll be more satisfied. The language isn't easy to get through, but I think kids as young as 10-12 could appreciate the adventure that takes place in this book.

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting some boring biography. . .but this book was actually fast-paced and engaging! This book included very cool parts of history that a lot of people probably overlook. I definitely recommend.

[Kenna English · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is so boring.....that is all I’m going to say

[Cami · Rating 2 out of 5]

My daughter was struggling to get into this book for her English homeschool course, so I read it aloud to her. I generally prefer nonfiction over fiction, but exploring the North Pole is not particularly interesting to me, so this was just okay. It seems a strange task to wander in the bitter arctic wilderness for months/years just to see what's there and say you did it. To each his own.

[Alexa Tweedt · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book. I had to read it for school and it was not captivating and quite boring. In the first half there were random stories about two paragraphs each, but they were all combined within the chapter and so choppily transitioned. The second half had longer stories, but still not interesting(I kind of wanted to barf). Not to mention the fact that they always used Nordic words like you’re supposed to know what they mean!

Also, I read other people’s reviews, and I’m pretty sure no one is reading this book for fun. We are all forced to through our English curriculum G&B. It is punishment. This is not usually my attitude towards school reading assignments btw People Who Think I Just Don’t Like Work.

[Ethan Chappell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a required read for my Language Arts class so I didn't delve into it as much as I should have. This book talked about the exploration of the north pole and the people that helped get to that goal. The first chapter was really interesting because it talked about the Nansen and the character traits he had that allowed his to cross Greenland on a sledge. I was pretty inspired by the awesome man he was. The last two chapters were mostly a log of what happened during the trip so it was a little boring and had some difficult language. Overall I learned more about what life is like in the artic circle and how people deal with extreme cold.

[Elle Lorenz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gross ew

[R2 Ireland · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'd give this book a hearty -12 star rating.
It was sooooooo boring.
Usually school books are boring, but this thing took that to the max.
We hunted seals. We walked over the snow. We were cold. We walked some more.
I've read some boring books, but this one definitely takes first.

[Wes Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow but powerful.

[Jessica]

DNF. Maybe I'll try again at another time in my life.

[Sydney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was not a fan of this book. If you enjoy reads that are very literal and not much action this book may be a better read for you. Although I would say over all it’s a pretty dry read.

[Elizabeth Conk · Rating 1 out of 5]

hard to read. had to read for school. don't want to read again lol

[Sydney · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a really hard read if you're not into ice, Antarctica, and ice.

[Ella · Rating 2 out of 5]

They ate the doggies and that was a bully move.

Also, insanely boring