In a quote from Following My Father's Dreams Chris writes "....On a side note, just about everyone I meet wants to know when I am going to run this crazy ra ce (Iditarod). You only need to read the last couple entries I have made to realize why I am hesitant about doing it. Even Ed (Stielstra), with his injured leg, said I should do it. His advice is to find someone to beat the hell out of you with a hockey stick, that way you know what to expect." Continuing his coverage during the race hitchhiking by bush plane, Chris follows his father to many of the remote checkpoints along the trail to the finish in Nome. Interspersed are photos and emails from friends and supporters. Jim finished Iditarod 2004 in 13 days, and he is registered for another Iditarod run in 2006. Following My Father's Dreams was published by BookSurge Publishing (January 19, 2006) and is available in paperback online at Amazon.com for $13.99.

    Jan Sabin's pictorial book, Riding the Runners: the Annual Heartbeat of Marquette, Michigan tells the colorful story of a now classic winter run – The U.P. 200 Sled Dog Championship Race – in the spirit of its historic years. Marquette teacher-author Jan Sabin packs her snow-crisp writing with vivid details including everything from frolicking huskies and fire lit checkpoints to the crunch of sled runners and twinkling lights of downtown holiday-dressed Marquette, Michigan. “Mushers tell us it’s the most enchanting night time start they have ever experienced ” (Sabin 14).

    Fascinating color photos on every page bring words to life as eyes and imagination follow the 200 plus mile ra ce considered by many to be a homegrown version of the Alaskan Iditarod, through three nights and days of snowy Northwood trails and quaint backwoods towns along the frozen shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. The book includes a map of old and new trails plus a listing of winners’ names and time records. What a delightful way to learn to speak musher with such inside lingo as tuglines, bib numbers, dog booties, vet checks, swing dogs, and wheel dogs. The book also proudly thanks and praises the more than 300 volunteers who annually bring their down-home race to life. Riding the Runners is published by Oak River Publishing, P.O. Box 894 , Marquette , Michigan 49855 . It is available at local book and gift stores. It may also be purchased through the U.P 200 web site – www.up200.org. The book is priced at $15.00.

    Musher Jackie Winkowski wrote Miki's Challenge, an "almost entirely true story" about a special dog named Miki (pronoun ce d "Mickey"), for Marquette Area Public Schools' students. She has presented the story, described as short, sweet, funny, and inspirational, to various groups of children in the Marquette area and at the Engadine Schools, where it has been well received.

    Jackie Winkowski's enthusiasm as a U.P. 200 and Midnight Run spectator and fan turned quickly to reality and establishment of her own dog sledding ventures. She and her husband Jim, both natives from Michigan 's Upper Peninsula , have owned the Snowy Plains Kennel in Sands Township Michigan since 1994. They offer dogsled rides and skijoring lessons and have mentored others interested in the sport. Jackie enjoys writing about and photographing her dogs and is constantly inspired by them. "Regardless of how many dogs a person may come to know in a lifetime, no two are the same," Winkowski said.

    Jackie, Vice President of the Jack Pine Mushers Association, is a veteran of several sled dog races, including the Jack Pine 30, Dog Days of Winter, and St. Ignace Enduro. She has served as a skijoring instructor at the DNR's annual Becoming an Outdoor Woman winter program and as a dog sledding and skijoring instructor through the Marquette Community Schools. She is employed full-time as an administrative assistant at the Marquette Area Public Schools. Miki's Challenge, a 48-page soft-cover picture book retails for $10 and is available online at www.up200.org.

    Copies of the authors' books will be available at the book signings, scheduled to coincide with race weekend, Feb 16th, 2006. According to Aileen Todd , Sled Dog Race HQ Coordinator, “the book signings will coincide with our Silent Auction. These events allow visitors to stop in at the Holiday Inn Headquarters and meet mushers, bid on quality one-of-a-kind items, and buy books for themselves and their children or grandchildren.”