1 Paperback (160 pages)

Book

0.0

Aladdin

10/1/2002

4/11/2006

Gary Paulsen

0689852509

9780689852503

$5.99

Book Description

Gary Paulsen, Newbery Honor author of Hatchet and Dogsong, is no stranger to adventure. He has flown off the back of a dogsled and down a frozen waterfall to near disaster, and waited for a giant bear to seal his fate with one slap of a claw. He has led a team of sled dogs toward the Alaskan Mountain Range in an Iditarod -- a 1,180-mile dogsled race -- hallucinating from lack of sleep, but determined to finish.

Here, in vivid detail, Paulsen recounts several of the remarkable experiences that shaped his life and inspired his writing.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=mediaman08-20%26link_code=xm2%26camp=2025%26creative=165953%26path=http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html%253fASIN=0689852509%2526tag=mediaman08-20%2526lcode=xm2%2526cID=2025%2526ccmID=165953%2526location=/o/ASIN/0689852509%25253FSubscriptionId=19N8ASR5JTVVE953BSR2

4.0

83

• Wilderness Adventures (5)
  Gary Paulsen. "Paulsen is the best man-against-nature adventures writing today" according to Publisher Weekly. He lives with his wife Ruth in Minnesota. In "Wood Song" Gary talks about his like in the woods with his dogs. The book is about how unforgiving the wild can be and how he had to learn to deal with death in a hole new way. In just the first few chapters he talks about how on one of his first runs with a sled team he encounters a pack of wolfs chasing a deer. Also he learns that he knows very little about running a dog sled team in the begging, but once he starts running with the team more and more he starts to understand them and why they like to run. The book talks about how close Gary gets to his first led dog Storm. The book then talks about when he ran the Iditarod in Alaska. How he had to survive against the elements with only his dogs as company. In the book Gary talks about where he has been and what he has done.
  Basically the book is all about action and adventure. Which is why I like Gary's books so much. One of the reasons I like his books so much is because there is not that many dry spots in the book. There isn't any really low parts, there is always something going on in the story. The great thing is that he makes you feel like you are right where he is.
  I think that if you enjoy the wilderness then you will love this book or any of Gary Paulsen's books.
  
  
  
• This is VERY informational (4)
  I really enjoyed this book because it talks alot about his life. The book is a little gorey in the first few chapters but it really talks about Gary Paulsen's life. Some quotes that I thought that were meaningful were the parts where he talked about The Doe, I thought that part was interesting to me becuase it talked about life or death which was always a mystery to me.
  
  My favorite theme from the book is the sense of survival. I think this was a good book overall but for some people it is a little to adavanced. If you're a young adult and would like to know about Gary Paulsen I would highly recommend this book.
  
  -Evan E.
  4/4/06
• Woodsong (4)
  Synopsis: The book is divided into two parts. Woodsong is Gary Paulsen's adventure with training sled dogs and completing the Iditarod in Alaska. The first half of the book is his orientation with sled dogs and nature. Chapter one starts with an eyewitness account of the slaughter of a deer by a wolf pack. Throughout various chapters he describes his encounters with training his dogs and Mother Nature at her best. He recalls incidents of not trusting his dog's instincts. They survived but his dogs weren't too happy. He describes his run in with a bear that he threw a stick at and angered. Paulsen stated that he learned to appreciate and respect nature in it's' entirety.
  
  Part two is all about the Iditarod race, he gives daily accounts of the race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. This 17 day journey which focuses on his personal battles with hallucinations, the conditions of the terrain, his own personal weariness and sometimes unwise decisions; that put him and his dogs in precarious situations.
  
  Evaluation: This book is a narrative about a man following his dream despite the obstacles before him. This is Paulsen personal story of lessons learn, some the hard way. His images are clear and graphic, while others are humorous. This is a tale of determination and will. Students will enjoy the action which starts immediately in chapter one detailing the conquest of predators vs. prey. There is a map of the Iditarod with a listing of the checkpoints, which gives the reader a visual sense of the race. This book has a real sense of escapism. Who wouldn't want to shuck the daily grind of everyday life and be free to experience nature at another level? It is something that everyone has probably thought of at one time or another, only Paulsen acted on his. This book will be enjoyed by all who live vicariously through others.
  
• A. D. Tarbox, Freelance Reviewer for the Midwest Book Review (5)
  I chose this book because I was writing a novel with a sled dog race scene and I wanted an experienced musher's and writer's perspective about what it was like to do the Iditarod. Paulsen is a terrific writer. I was blown away by the images of blood he created in my mind with his choice of words. I could see the wolves, the deer, the guts of the hunt as if I was there beside him. That had an effect on me and I really liked how it had an effect on Paulsen. Like a character in a novel you could see Paulsen grow in depth as a person in this non-fiction story of dogs, sledding and the wild. He transformed from hunter to no longer being able to hunt because he learned a lot about the intelligence of animals. I was moved by the chapter of how one of his sled dogs was showing a sense of humor and intelligence by teasing another dog. I loved how Paulsen came up with the idea that if that dog could do that then he knew other creatures could do it too. After that incident he couldn't hunt any more. The book is for 12 and older and as an adult I loved it.
  A. D. Tarbox, author of ALREADY ASLEEP (Oct. 2006)
• WORST BOOK EVER!!!! (1)
  I did not like this book at all! It was gross and sooo not worth taking the time to read! It was ridiculous. Our teacher read this to us and we did nt like it at all. We all groaned when he said to take it out and read it. I hated it! I do not like Gary Paulsens writing at all!