Mystery in the Frozen Lands

by Martyn Godfrey

introduction by Ken McGoogan

The thrilling tale of a fictional 14-year-old's quest aboard a real 19th century ship in search of the missing Franklin expedition

It's 1857, and teenager Peter Griffin joins a sea mission to solve a world-famous mystery: what really happened to arctic explorer Sir John Franklin. Franklin and his crew of 128 men had sailed from England twelve years earlier in search of the Northwest Passage, a sea route through the Arctic between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Mysteriously, the entire Franklin expedition disappeared without a trace.

Based on true events and real people, Peter's fictional first-person account brings this Arctic adventure to new life. His journal details the long, dark days cooped up on board the ship, the ever-present dangers lurking in the forbidding, icy landscape, and the sadness that he and his shipmates experience as they come closer to realizing the ultimate end of Franklin and his men.

In his introduction, Ken McGoogan provides readers with background on the dramatic 2014 discovery of the wreck of Franklin's HMS Erebus and connects these events to the story of the 1857 expedition.

[Fry reading level - 2.7

About the Authors

MARTYN GODFREY was one of Canada's most popular writers of fiction for young people. He wrote over forty books, including the Lorimer Sports Stories title Baseball Crazy and Plan B Is Total Panic, also published by Lorimer.
KEN MCGOOGAN is the internationally published, award-winning author of eleven books and is well known for his biographical narratives centred on Arctic exploration. His books have won numerous literary awards, including the Writers' Trust of Canada Biography Prize, the Canadian Authors' Association History Award, the UBC Medal for Canadian Biography, and the Pierre Berton Award for Popular History.

Reviews

"Martyn Godfrey first published this book in 1988 and it has stood the test of time well. A fine introductory essays by Ken McGoogan explains some of the developments that have taken place in the twenty-seven years between the earlier publication and this later edition. Rated E, excellent."
Joan Givner,, Resource Links
"Mystery in the Frozen Lands is just too good a novel to leave in the classroom library. Within the theme of Arctic exploration lie rich undercurrents dealing with social justice, hierarchical social systems, aboriginal values, women's issues, gender equality, history of medicine and nutrition. Used in a small group novel study or whole class discussion, these themes can be isolated, dissected, then explored in greater detail. [A] must-have for any teacher looking for a book that could
Canadian Teacher Magazine

Awards

Resource Links The Year's Best - Fiction Grades 7-12
2015

Subjects (BISAC)

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