Paulsen Book Report

The seventy-four-year old Minnesota author has been popular with young adults since 1966 when Paulsen first appeared on the writing scene. Paulsen has been noted for his fiction writing about survival and wilderness. Books such as Hatchet, Dogsong, and The Winter Room have all won the Newbery Honor Award. Paulsen is one of the most noted authors in the category and very popular with young people.
Growing up in Minnesota
Paulsen was born in Minneapolis on May 17, 1939 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Paulsen). Paulsen was one of the three children at his home. He had one sister, Paulette, and a brother, Bill. His father was in World WarⅡ. Paulsen did not meet his father until he was seven years old. When Gary and his mom moved to the Philippines.
In Guts: The True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books, Paulsen recaps all of the true events and occurrences from his life that he has put into his books. In the book, he talks about the inspiration from his life that was applied to his books. He recounts his Iditarods, the time he was attacked by a moose, watching a kid get stabbed by a buck, and being in a stalling plane. In his book Hatchet, Paulsen writes about a fictional character named Brian, who is stranded in the wilderness after the pilot of his plane has a heart attack. Brian is then stranded with only a hatchet. He faces many dangers before he is rescued by a passing plane. This book received a Newbery Honor award in 1988. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatchet_(novel)). In his book Dogsong, Paulsen writes of a boy named Russel Susskit, an Eskimo boy, who is on a journey to find his own path. After speaking to an elder in his village and hating the snowmobiles, Russel leaves home with a team of dogs. He travels through various terrain and on his way meets an Eskimo girl who was kicked out of her village for being pregnant. Russel is now forced to provide for himself and the girl. This book also won a Newbery Honor award.
Not much is known about his whereabouts but has been reportedly living in New Mexico or occasionally on a boat in the Pacific Ocean. He lives with his wife Ruth, who illustrates children’s books and some of Paulsen’s books.
Paulsen didn’t have it easy growing up, though at a young age he developed a love for reading. From not living with his family until he was seven to him writing his first book in 1966, experiences shaped who he was and who he became. Since researching Paulsen and his books, I have realized that most of his books are based on experiences that he as a person had encountered through his life. This allows Paulsen to give vivid details throughout his novels. Which in turn engages the reader even further into the stories. Paulsen is a very notable American author and one of my