Review

Arctic Hero

By Catherine Johnson

Published by

American explorer Matthew Henson was one of the first men to reach the North Pole in 1909. However, his place in history wasn’t formally acknowledged for many years, due to the colour of his skin. As a black man, Matt was regarded as a second-class citizen and despite his extreme bravery as an explorer, he had to take on menial jobs once home in America. Finally in 2000, Matthew’s talent was recognised and he was awarded the Hubbard Medal, one of the highest honours the US government can give.