It’s disappointing that the sport and books about dog sledding aren’t more popular than they are. Or perhaps, I’m just disappointed because I think they are some of the greatest stories ever told. In the past I put together a list for the best dog books and best sled dog movies. Now I’m going to put together a list for the best sled dog books.
How the Books were Ranked
While I have read most of the books on this list, these aren’t my personal rankings. Instead I’ve taken a combination of Amazon and Goodreads reviews and ratings to come up with a new rating system.
Faith In Every Footstep
Top 25 Dog Sled Books
| Rank | Cover | Title | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ![]() | Call Of The Wild | Fiction |
| 2 |
| Stone Fox | Fiction |
| 3 |
| The Cruelest Miles | Non-fiction |
| 4 | ![]() | Hope In Every Raindrop | Fiction |
| 5 | ![]() | Winterdance | Non-fiction |
| 6 | ![]() | Woodsong | Fiction |
| 7 |
| Sled Dog School | Fiction |
| 8 |
| Denali | Non-fiction |
| 9 |
| Fast Into the Night | Non-fiction |
| 10 |
| Race Across Alaska | Non-fiction |
| 11 | ![]() | Faith In Every Footstep | Fiction |
| 12 |
| The Adventures of Balto | Non-fiction |
| 13 |
| Born to Pull | Non-fiction |
| 14 |
| Four Thousand Paws | Non-fiction |
| 15 |
| Sled Dog Gun | |
| 16 |
| The Great Serum Race | Non-fiction |
| 17 |
| Iditarod: The Great Race to Nome | Non-fiction |
| 18 |
| By Dog Sled for Byrd: 1600 Miles Across Antarctic Ice | Non-fiction |
| 19 |
| The Husky Howls | Non-fiction |
| 20 |
| Riding the Wild Side of Denali | Non-fiction |
| 21 |
| Yukon Quest: The Story of the World's Toughest Sled Dog | Non-fiction |
| 22 |
| Iditarod: One Thousand Miles Across Alaska by Dog Team | Non-fiction |
| 23 |
| Big-Enough Anna: The Little Sled Dog Who Braved the Arctic | Non-fiction |
| 24 |
| Born to Run | Non-fiction |
| 25 |
| Alaskan Sled Dog Tales | Non-fiction |
My Personal Favorites
- Call of the Wild. This is one of favorite books of all-time, so I’m super happy to see that other readers agree.
- Stone Fox. Growing up this was actually my favorite movie. The book is incredible too.
- Faith In Every Footstep. I know I probably shouldn’t put my own book on this list, but in truth it is my favorite book I’ve written.
Did I miss any?
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts about the last. Are there any books you’ve read that you think should be on the list?
If so, leave a comment below and I’ll try to get it added on the next update!






Thanks for the list Wesley! I am still working on your list for ‘best dog books of all time’ and I appreciate another challenge. I have only read 12 of the 25 you have here and some of the best are in this list. At least 7 books were new to me. I went and ordered Sled Dog Gun: Aviemore Dreaming by J. T. Bryde as I don’t know of any other books on dogsledding in the UK.
Do you have other lists like this on other types of dog books besided your ‘100 best’ one?
I’m reading Winterdance, Gary Paulson. So exciting. Will read his other two. Thank you for the list. Will definitely be my summer reading and l imagine well into winter.