Her name was Bright Dawn, a teenage Eskimo girl. He was Black Star, part husky but mostly wolf, with ice-blue eyes. Together, they were a team--about to begin the famous Iditarod dogsled race through the cold wilds of Alaska. Bright Dawn couldn't believe it when her father asked her to take his place in the race. She didn't think she could do it; the trail was one thousand miles long, with unforeseen hazards along the entire route. Bright Dawn knew that Black Star would lead her to the finish line. But neither she nor her dog expected a cold, blinding white-out, a belligerent bull moose, ice that could crack and splinter at any time, and all the other dangers they encountered. Soon Bright Dawn was depending on Black Star not only for the race, but for her life as well.

From the reviews:

"A fine novel, exciting, with a sensitive portrayal of Eskimo culture."

Horn Book

"A splendid, vividly written adventure."

Kirkus Reviews

"...the excitement and drama of the Iditarod fairly burst from the pages of Black Star, Bright Dawn. The 1,100-mile sled dog race hardly seems like ideal young-adult-novel fodder, but O'Dell has turned it into a gripping story that actually shouldn't be limited just to pre-teen readers."

Anchorage Daily News

Black Star, Bright Dawn's awards:

Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award Nominee. 1989/90
Washington Irving Children's Choice Book Award Nominee. 1989
Woodward Park Book Award. 1989
William Allen White Award Nominee. 1990/91