Most Popular Books by Gary Paulsen

Haunted by his parents'' divorce and the secret that caused it, young Brian Robeson, the sole survivor of a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness, must draw on untested skills and strength to survive.

Three-time Newbery Honor author Gary Paulsen recounts the remarkable experiences that shaped his life and inspired his award-winning novels in this vividly detailed nonfiction middle grade book. Gary Paulsen 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—the grueling, 1,180-mile dogsled race—hallucinating from lack of sleep but determined to finish. Discover the true stories behind his thrilling books in this incredible book.

Brian returns to the wilderness to discover where he truly belongs in this follow-up to the award-winning classic Hatchet from three-time Newbery Honor-winning author Gary Paulsen! As millions of readers of Hatchet, The River, and Brian''s Winter know, Brian Robeson survived alone in the wilderness by finding solutions to extraordinary challenges. But now that''s he''s back to ordinary life, he can''t make sense of high school life. He feels disconnected, more isolated than he did alone in the north woods. How can Brian discover his true path in life, and where he belongs? The answer is to return. Gay Paulsen skillfully explores the meaning of belonging and purpose, and reminds us of a crucial rule of the wilderness: expect the unexpected. “Bold, confident and persuasive.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred “Paulsen bases many of his protagonist’s experiences on his own, and the wilderness through which Brian moves is vividly observed.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Read all the Hatchet Adventures! Brian''s Winter The River Brian''s Return Brian''s Hunt

The government sends Brian back to the Canadian wilderness in this beloved follow-up to the award-winning classic Hatchet from three-time Newbery Honor-winning author Gary Paulsen! Two years after Brian Robeson survived fifty-four days alone in the Canadian wilderness, the government wants him to head back so they can learn what he did to stay alive. This time Derek Holtzer, a government psychologist, will accompany him. But a freak storm leaves Derek unconscious. Brian''s only hope is to transport Derek a hundred miles down the river to a trading post. He''s survived with only a hatchet before--now can Brian build a raft and navigate an unknown river? For the first time it''s not only Brian''s survival that''s at stake. . . An IRA-CBC Children’s Choice A Parents Magazine Best Book of the Year “Vividly written, a book that will, as intended, please the readers who hoped that Paulsen, like Brian, would ‘do it again.’” —Kirkus Reviews Read all the Hatchet Adventures! Brian''s Winter The River Brian''s Return Brian''s Hunt

Sent to spend the summer with his uncle and aunt on their farm, an eleven-year-old city boy meets his daredevil cousin Harris and is given an introduction to a whole new world.

In Hatchet, 13-year-old Brian Robeson learned to survive alone in the Canadian wilderness, armed only with his hatchet. Finally, as millions of readers know, he was rescued at the end of the summer. But what if Brian hadn''t been rescued? What if he had been left to face his deadliest enemy--winter? Gary Paulsen raises the stakes for survival in this riveting and inspiring story as one boy confronts the ultimate test and the ultimate adventure.

Four teenagers--a Native American girl, an illegal Mexican immigrant, a sheepherder''s daughter and a gifted rock musician--share the hopes and promise of a future imperiled by the threat of nuclear war.

Samuel, 13, spends his days in the forest, hunting for food for his family. He has grown up on the frontier of a British colony, America. Far from any town, or news of the war against the King that American patriots have begun near Boston. But the war comes to them. British soldiers and Iroquois attack. Samuel’s parents are taken away, prisoners. Samuel follows, hiding, moving silently, determined to find a way to rescue them. Each day he confronts the enemy, and the tragedy and horror of this war. But he also discovers allies, men and women working secretly for the patriot cause. And he learns that he must go deep into enemy territory to find his parents: all the way to the British headquarters, New York City.

Many readers of Nightjohn have wanted to know what happened to Sarny, the young slave whom Nightjohn taught to read. Here is Sarny''s story, from the moment she leaves the plantation in the last days of the Civil War, suddenly a free woman in search of her sold-away children. Her search takes her to New Orleans and the home of the mysterious and remarkable Miss Laura. Like Nightjohn, Miss Laura changes Sarny''s life, and she helps Sarny pass Nightjohn''s gift on to new generations. This riveting saga follows Sarny until her last days in the 1930s and gives readers a panoramic view of America in a time of trial, tragedy, and hoped-for change.

Guess what -- Gary Paulsen was being kind to Brian. In Guts, Gary tells the real stories behind the Brian books, the stories of the adventures that inspired him to write Brian Robeson''s story: working as an emergency volunteer; the death that inspired the pilot''s death in Hatchet; plane crashes he has seen and near-misses of his own. He describes how he made his own bows and arrows, and takes readers on his first hunting trips, showing the wonder and solace of nature along with his hilarious mishaps and mistakes. He shares special memories, such as the night he attracted every mosquito in the county, or how he met the moose with a sense of humor, and the moose who made it personal. There''s a handy chapter on "Eating Eyeballs and Guts or Starving: The Fine Art of Wilderness Nutrition." Recipes included. Readers may wonder how Gary Paulsen survived to write all of his books -- well, it took guts.

IN THE OLD DAYS THERE WERE SONGS Something is bothering Russel Susskit. He hates waking up to the sound of his father''s coughing, the smell of diesel oil, the noise of snow machines starting up. Only Oogruk, the shaman who owns the last team of dogs in the village, understands Russel''s longing for the old ways and the songs that celebrated them. But Oogruk cannot give Russel the answers he seeks; the old man can only prepare him for what he must do alone. Driven by a strange, powerful dream of a long-ago self and by a burning desire to find his own song, Russel takes Oogruk''s dogs on an epic journey of self-discovery that will change his life forever. A Newbery Honor Book An ALA Best Book for Young Adults An ALA Notable Book A School Library Journal Best Book

Brian sets out on the hunt of a lifetime in this follow-up to the award-winning classic Hatchet from three-time Newbery Honor-winning author Gary Paulsen! Brian Robeson has stood up to the challenge of surviving the wilderness in Hatchet, The River, Brian''s Winter, and Brian''s Return. Now, while camping alone on a lake in the woods, he finds a wounded and whimpering dog. As Brian treats her wounds, he worries about who or what did this to her. His instincts tell him to head north, quickly, to check on his Cree friends. With his new companion at his side, he sets out on the hunt. Gary Paulsen expertly delivers a riveting story that brilliantly combines two of his great themes: the human animal''s place in nature, and the mysterious and wonderful bond between humans and dogs. “The Brian books reveal nature and humankind’s place in it with spare prose that seems ideally suited to the setting and plot.” —VOYA “Based on real incidents, this well-written sequel to Hatchet and its successors will be gobbled up by the author’s legions of fans.” —Kirkus Reviews Read all the Hatchet Adventures! Brian''s Winter The River Brian''s Return Brian''s Hunt

Daniel Martin is being sent to summer camp with three boys from school who always tease him. As the camp van is crossing a rickety bridge the wooden planks break plunging the van into the river. Will Daniel be able to save himself and his classmates with his outdoor training?

Illustrations and rhyming text depict people doing all kinds of work.

Two boys, separated by the canyons of time and two vastly different cultures, face the challenges by which they will become men. Coyote Runs, an Apache boy, takes part in his first raid. But he is to be a man for only a short time. More than a hundred years later, while camping near Dog Canyon, 15-year-old Brennan Cole becomes obsessed with a skull that he finds, pierced by a bullet. He learns that it is the skull of an Apache boy executed by soldiers in 1864. A mystical link joins Brennan and Coyote Runs, and Brennan knows that neither boy will find peace until Coyote Runs'' skull is carried back to an ancient sacred place. In a grueling journey through the canyon to return the skull, Brennan confronts the challenge of his life.

From the New York Times–bestselling author of Northwind, a unique exploration into the exhilarating joys—and the inevitable dangers—of total solitude. Every day, fifteen-year-old Wil Neuton gets up, brushes his teeth, leaves the house, and rows away from shore. He''s discovered the island, a place where he can go to be alone and learn to know nature—and himself. Wil''s only mission is to let go of the outside world. But the outside world refuses to let go of him. His family regards him as a puzzle. The town bully is determined to challenge him. And suddenly, even reporters know his name. He can confront them all, or he can embrace his solitude forever. Just one thing is certain now: Wil Neuton will no longer be relying on anybody but himself. "This could have been another back-to-nature story, but Newbery Honor writer Paulsen tells Wil''s inner journey with a confident lyricism that duplicates Wil''''s emotional qualities." — Publishers Weekly "Wil Neuton seeks out harmony within [nature], recalibrating his life by way of his self-imposed solitude on the island . . . While Hatchet provided readers with some much-needed escapism, The Island centered its focus on what we can never escape—mortality, which, in the immediate aftermath of Paulsen''s passing, now takes on new significance." — The Millions

Biography, autobiography, and memoir is among the best ways to teach students to appreciate nonfiction reading.