AUBURN — The Auburn Public Library will show a series of adventure movies on sled dogs Tuesday afternoons in February during the lead-up to the iconic Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race that starts March 7.

The library will also have a reading challenge for adults, with all completed entries eligible to win an official Iditarod 2020 program.

The library will kick off the series at 1 p.m. Feb. 4, with the film “Iron Will.” In 1917, Will Stoneman’s (Mackenzie Astin) father was killed in a mushing accident, leaving Will to care for his family. Needing money for college and to save the family farm, Will decides to take part in an international dog-sled race. After a month of rigorous physical, mental and spiritual training, Will travels to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to enter a race for his family’s survival.

The second film, “Snow Dogs,” will be shown at 1 p.m. Feb. 11. When Miami dentist Ted Brooks (Cuba Gooding Jr.) finds out that he’s been named in a will, he travels to Alaska to claim his inheritance. Once he gets there, however, his dreams turn to mush: he discovers he’s been left a mischievous team of sled dogs that have got it in for him. Making matters worse is the crusty mountain man, Thunder Jack (James Coburn), who’s also got it in for the city slicker.

The series concludes at 1 p.m. Feb. 18 with “Eight Below.” The frozen wasteland of Antarctica serves as the background for a tale about the bonds of friendship and loyalty. Three members of a scientific expedition, Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker), his friend Cooper (Jason Biggs) and an American geologist (Bruce Greenwood) must leave their beloved sled dogs behind after a devastating accident, but vow to return to get them. Will the dogs survive the harsh Antarctic winter alone?

The 1,000-mile Iditarod pits man and animal against nature, against wild Alaska and as each mile is covered, it is a tribute to Alaska’s history and the role the sled dogs played.

The Iditarod Trail, now a National Historic Trail, had its beginnings as a mail and supply route from the coastal towns of Seward and Knik to the interior mining camps at Flat, Ophir, Ruby and beyond to the west coast communities of Unalakleet, Elim, Golovin, White Mountain and Nome. Mail and supplies went in, gold came out, all via dog sled. Heroes were made, legends were born. In 1925, part of the Iditarod Trail became a life-saving highway for epidemic-stricken Nome.

For more information, call the library at 207-333-664.