Dog Driven by Terry Lynn Johnson is an adventure story featuring a teenage female protagonist, McKenna Barney, who is a dogsled musher suffering from a degenerative disease that is causing her to lose her eyesight. Despite her condition, McKenna decides to take on the dangerous job of leading her dog sled team over the Ontario mail route, facing various dangers and fears along the way. The novel is filled with drama, action, humor, and friendship, making it a great read for both kids and adults. The author, Terry Lynn Johnson, who has firsthand experience in dog racing, provides fine details in a conversational tone, immersing the reader in McKenna's journey through the Canadian wilderness.
McKenna's struggles with her vision impairment, her risky decisions, and the dynamics within her family form the core conflicts of the story. The plot unfolds with McKenna hiding her condition from her parents and friends, leading to a series of critical errors in judgment that put herself, her dog team, and her relationships at risk. The book explores themes of bravery, independence, friendship, and the challenges of dealing with a degenerative disease while pursuing one's passions.
From The Publisher:
From the author of Ice Dogs comes a riveting adventure about a musher who sets out to prove her impaired vision won't hold her back from competing in a rigorous sled race through the Canadian wilderness. Perfect for fans of Gary Paulsen.
McKenna Barney is trying to hide her worsening eyesight and has been isolating herself for the last year. But at the request of her little sister, she signs up for a commemorative mail run race in the Canadian wilderness-a race she doesn't know if she can even see to run.
Winning would mean getting her disease-and her sister's-national media coverage, but it would also pit McKenna and her team of eight sled dogs against racers from across the globe for three days of shifting lake ice, sudden owl attacks, snow squalls, and bitterly cold nights.
A page-turning adventure about living with disability and surviving the wilderness, Dog Driven is the story of one girl's self-determination and the courage it takes to trust in others.
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