Ice Breaker!
An Epic Antarctic Adventure
Teachers' resources & links
Ice Breaker!
An Epic Antarctic Adventure
The day war broke out on 8 August 1914, Endurance slipped its mooring and sailed for South America. The crew were about to make history – traversing the Antarctic continent for the very first time. But instead, their ship became stuck in the ice and later sunk. The expedition had become a fight for survival.
This is the true nailbiting story of how the exceptional sailing and navigation skills of New Zealander Captain Frank Worsley and the legendary leadership skills of Sir Ernest Shackleton guided the crew along icebergs across wild and dangerous seas to two sub-Antarctic islands.
This captivating survival story combines Maria Gill’s action-packed writing with Alistair Hughes’ stunning watercolour illustrations in this epic polar adventure.
Watch the trailer
Gallery
Reviews
This book shows the depth of character these men had and their resilience and determination to stay alive. The illustrator captures this determination in the faces of the men. The bitter cold and harsh reality of their situation is also wonderfully captured in the illustrations. A great record by author and illustrator of one of New Zealand’s true heroes. Read more … (Desna, Book Trailers4Kids)
Maria Gill is one of the leaders in the current blossoming of creative non-fiction for children in New Zealand – she was the winner of the Storylines Margaret Mahy Medal for 2020 – and her skills are on show here. She quickly gets the reader into Worsley’s viewpoint, beginning with his dream of icebergs in London streets and then cutting efficiently to the adventure on page two. Read more … (Raymond, The Sapling)
