Skyler is reading these books now and he checked them out of the SCHOOL library. They feature self bow-building, hunting, and survival skills in several of the books. Sky's favorites include Hatchet, Brian's winter, and Brian's hunt. It's good to still be able to check these type's of books out of a public school library. Gary Paulsen seems to have been a hunter and a trapper and mainly writes about young adults coming of age and wilderness survival. .....Has anyone else read these???? Skyler reads a lot and these are some of his favorites.
Yea ive read them all, and there very good books for a growing boy. You should also have him read the "My Side of the Mountain" trilogy by Jean Craighead George.
He is an anti-hunter. I've read the books and talked to him in person. Anti all the way. The stories aren't plausible either.
Gary Paulsen's Hatchet series is what got me started in traditional archery, especially Brian's Return. I owe every arrow I've ever released to Gary Paulsen, and the fictional Brian Robeson. Oh man, startin' to tear up...powerful stuff...
he might also enjoy Ernest Thompson Seton's Rolf in the Woods, set in the war of 1812. It's longer than Paulsen's work, but it holds up.
Richard
The school I was principal at in Maine used it as part of the reading curriculum in grades 5 and 7. If your son enjoys Paulsen he would also enjoy Jim Kjelgaard. He wrote a lot about hunting dogs, Irish Setters I think. I don't know his age but Jack Loundon is also an obvious choice. Another good read is Lost on a Mountain in Maine by Don Fendler. All good authors who helped me enjoy reading and showed me the value of a book.
I think I've read Brian's Winter at least 13 times. Love it.
I read many of his books while growing up. They sparked my interested in reading and help to get more interested in school. He wrote many good books, the Brian Robeson series was my favorite including the Island which has not been mentioned, but there were many other good ones as well, Tracker, Dog Songs, Winter Room, The Hay Meadow. I enjoyed them all. I will still pick one up and read them from time to time.
My son James did this hilarious video book report on Hatchet last year. He really liked it too.
Thanks guys. I've got a whole new list of books now. I'm reading them for the accelerated reading program at school. I love to read anyway.It's one of my favorite hobbies. I'm currently reading Brian's Winter......Skyler
My 10 year old just brought home Hatchet today. Paulsen is his favorite author too.
Hey Skyler!
Keep after those AR goals! I want to be on the notification list when you hit one million words. You can do it!
Gregg
my side of the mountain is a very good book
Those are some great books! I read "Hatchet" to my son when he was about 4, he loved it. I found it hard to put down too. He went on and read the others on his own.
"Call of the Wild" is another good 'un
Hatchet was one of the books that got me into the outdoors and reading. These two different passions I am extremely greatful for and continue to this day. A lot of my peers chose video games and worse for their interests and have nothing to show for it.
No, the stories aren't plausible. They aren't meant to be. He's writing in the tradition of Robinson Crusoe, but for young readers. The point is the adventure, self-reliance, and the reinvention of lost technologies (fish traps, making a bow and arrows, etc.) Paulsen was a hunter as a kid. You might also enjoy his non-fiction, autobiographical (he says) book "Guts." He also published a book about his youthful adventures. I'll find it and send along the title. Personally, I like his books, but I find the older books more satisfying, and I think I like Jean Craighead George's books better. Read the Julie trilogy. The main character is an Inuit girl, but I think you guys can handle that.
Richard
I read My side of the mountain as part of my 6th grade curiculum. I love it and a hardbound copy is on my shelf at the moment. I believe Jean Craighead George's family is the Same Craigheads known for their research with grizzlies, but I may be mistaken. I found Hatchet in 7th grade and Enjoyed it. I later read one of the sequels-the one where he's enlisted to test survival gear and has to float the injured guy down the river. Didn't kow there was another. I'll have to check it out. Ernest Thompson Seton's Two Little Savages is a classic and is also on my shelf. I have a tattered copy of a book called Dickon amongst the Delawares or something of the sort. Its about a boy coming over to Jamestown from england who is shipwrecked and rescued by the Lenni Lenape Indians. He goes from being a slave to being inducted into the tribe. Along the way he learns how to make all sorts of indian tools and other items. Its a fun book with lots of great ink drawings and is great for any youngsters (or oldsters!) with an interest in indian lore.
I have always been an avid reader... Hatchet and My Side of the Mountain are two of my all time favorites. I actually just re-read them this past year (I'm 30 now and still enjoyed them as much as I did then) I also enjoyed Sign of the Beaver... don't recall the author, but she also wrote The Witch of Blackbord Pond. All the above books are about self reliance, wilderness, adventure, young men coming of age.... I also read and re-read till they fell apart the Boy Scout Manual and the American Boys Handy Book. I also recall kindling my love of archery with various books about archery and indians from my school libraries..... ahhh, the memories.
Mike
Elk Ninja, I'm also 30, and still enjoy these books as well! Sign of the beaver is another good one, as is Where the red fern grows. I think I still have a copy of the boy's handybook somewhere. That thing is fantastic! And even if it's not archery related, Robert Ruark's Old Man and the Boy series is a great collection of stories in a voice that should appeal to any outdoors interested youngster.
Gary Paulsen is not anti-hunter. He was a hunter himself long ago as a kid.
Some other books he might enjoy. The Light in the Forest, and Sign of the Beaver.
Thanks for the response and the list of new books. I just finished Brian's Winter. I will look into them. Thanks....Skyler
Gary palsun is by no means a aint hunter. Read his bigorghy, it is great it tell how he built his own bow out of lenmon wood, learned how to bow hunt grouse, shoot a buck with it and pack It home on his bike. He is however a vegitarin now because of his heart. as far as books go he is my favorit author the fox man is a good book by him to. what excatly did he tell you hawk22 you must of miss understod him. he was a avid hunter and fisher man, and trapper.
For anyone interested i just checked on amazon and there are many of these books available for very reasonable prices.
Did you guys know that there is a movie based on the book Hatchet? I used to show it to my class after we read Hatchet and we would compare the book to the movie. Great book\\series...I've read them all as well.
(http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k209/rickybob_2006/200px-Paulsen_-_Brian27s_Hunt_Cover.jpg)
I don't have a problem with fiction not being plausible. I do have a problem with adults pushing their psychological dramas into children's world. (See "the D. word" in hatchet.) The eighth graders I taught were supposed to read hatchet over summer vacation and none of them managed to finish it. They begged me not make them read it again... I was so proud of them. We read Hemingway, Steinbeck, Poe,... and they loved it. Stick to the classics first(London if you want survival stories). Then you'll be able to tell good from cheap literature.
My personal favorite as of late is Robert Ruark's The old man and the boy. I just can't say enough about that book. Enjoy if you have the time, if you don't make it!!
If you guy's need a good belly laugh get Gary's book "How Angel Peterson got his name" but make sure you have emptied your bladder before you start reading this one. It well remind you of all the goofy things you did when you were a young teen. At least thoughs of us that were teens before video games and internet. Back when we went outside to have fun no matter what the tempureture was.
i love those books i am reading one at the moment "Brian's Return" the only one i have to read after this is brians hunt and the river.great stuff bout bowing and survival.
by the way skyler is one of my classmates
The Paulsen books are great!
I'll second Jim Kjelgaard. While not archery, they are great books about hunting dogs. Irish Red was a good one.
Does anyone know if CM Sackett that used to post on this board ever published what he was writing. He used to have a thread on this board called "Doorway Buck". It was a very good read also.
Got Hatchet for my 9 year old son last Christmas. He would read a few pages each night until he finished it. We would discuss the book afterwards to make sure he understood what he was reading. It has totally gotten him into reading outdoor adventure type books. He was already in hunting, fishing, camping etc. Getting hooked on reading has been a great side benefit! Great book by the way!
Woody
My wife and I just watched Sign of the Beaver on DVD this weekend. I picked it up at WallyWorld for $6 because it looked interesting. Was an enjoyable movie and I thought I'd check out the book to add to my library so my kids have some good reading. I have My Side of the Mountain in hardback as well. The sequels are a major disappointment but the first one is good. There's also The Yearling, Where The Red Fern Grows, and all Patrick McManus books. I'll have to check out Hatchet.
Aram, I've read probably most of the "classics" and although some books may not have the level of writing prowess others do that doesn't make them any less enjoyable for what they are. I enjoy Louis L'amour but I also view his books as somewhat predictable and formulaic. But they are great for light reading on stand and their subject material is usually very appealing as well. Personally I never cared for Hemingway, or Stienbeck (although The Bear in Go Down Moses started out well but soon loses it's way).