Gary Paulsen Books

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Gary Paulsen was an American author that wrote books for children and young adults. His bibliography includes hundreds of books, short stories, and magazine articles. Born in 1939 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Gary was seven when he met his father.

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The man joined General Patton’s staff shortly after the author’s birth. Gary saw him several years later when his mother took the boy on a trip to an Army Base in the Philippines. The author’s childhood was somewhat tumultuous. He started living on a farm with relatives at the age of four.

This was before the Second World War started. Gary’s autobiographical works mention an incident where a vagrant tried to molest him. His mother was napping at the time. But she woke up, found them, and chased the vagrant away.

Gary went on to explore the woman’s alcoholism and the affairs she pursued. He also covered their trip to the Philippines to see his father, the plane crash they witnessed firsthand, the many passengers that died (eaten by sharks) as they watched, the effort his mother made to help the survivors, and more.

The author was not the best student. But he eventually developed a passion for reading, a habit he picked up after a librarian gave him a book and a library card. The fact that he was spending hours reading in his apartment building’s basement came as a surprise because Gary struggled with his literacy classes in elementary school.

As he matured, his parents, who were too busy drinking to feed him, gave Gary plenty of reasons to escape into his books. He juggled several jobs to buy essential school supplies. After graduating from Lincoln High School, the author transitioned to Bemidji State University.

But he never finished. Gary dropped out, joined the army, and rose through the ranks. He spoke fondly of his grandmother, a woman that influenced him tremendously. On the personal front, the author was married three times.

After two divorces, he met and married Ruth Wright, an artist that illustrated many of his books. Gary had three children at the time of his death, two from his first wife and one from Ruth.

The author was successful enough to enjoy a lavish lifestyle, yet he chose to pursue a modest existence. He planted roots in New Mexico, a state he visited during his army days.

Besides reading and writing, the author enjoyed dog sledding. In fact, he participated in a 1,150-mile dog sled race. But by the early 1990s, heart disease had forced the author to abandon the pursuit, a decision he did not make lightly.

He returned to the activity in 2003 after experimenting with sailing for a decade. Gary passed away in 2021. Cardiac arrest was the cause. He was 82 at the time.

Gary Paulsen Awards

Gary won the Margaret Edwards Award (American Library Association). He also received several Newbery Medal nominations.

Best Gary Paulsen Books

The author frequently explored coming-of-age themes. His protagonists were younger characters that had to survive in isolation. Gary’s best books include:

Hatchet: Brian thought life was hard. His parents’ impending divorce was weighing heavily on him. But then things went from bad to worse when a flight to Canada in a small prop plane ended in disaster.

Surviving the crash was the easy part. Now he was expected to face the great outdoors alone, hungry, and exhausted. Ignorant as he was about the woods, Brian was pessimistic about his chances.

But as the days passed, he discovered a strength he never knew he had. Brian’s patience and awareness grew, and he realized he had what it took to accomplish the impossible.

Brian’s Winter: Brian was not alone. The woods were teeming with enemies he was ill-prepared to face. The young man was armed with a hatchet and a knife, but what good were they against a bear? At best, he would make the animal angry.

His bow could kill birds and rabbits, but the weapon was useless against larger foes. Fortunately, Brian had a strong will. He was determined to survive. Unfortunately, he was still a novice where nature was concerned.

A more experienced hunter would have told him that the bear was a mere distraction. His true enemy was the weather. Brian noticed too late that summer was ending.

When Does The Next Gary Paulsen book come out?

Gary Paulsen doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Northwind and was released on January, 11th 2022.

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