Ice Dogs by Terry Lynn Johnson

Vicky lives in Alaska and loves racing her sled dogs. She used to help her father train the dogs until he drowned last year. She heads out through the woods with her dog team and plans to return before nightfall. She gets lost but discovers an unconscious boy who crashed his snowmobile. The city boy knows nothing about surviving in the wilderness, so it's up to Vicky to keep them both alive. She has a plan to find a familiar trail, but she honestly has no idea which way to go. Mother Nature decides to throw all kinds of dangers at the kids: blizzard, wolf, moose, cold, hunger, thirst, etc. It will take all of Vicky's survival skills, and some luck, for the kids to make it back alive.

This book reminds me of some old Gary Paulsen books about sled dogs, and it describes the special connection between drivers and their teams. Obviously, surviving in Alaska during the winter creates suspense, but the dogs are the real heroes in this story. The author gives each dog a personality, and they become characters in the plot, not just pets. Readers who enjoy stories about dogs or survival will love this book.