Gary Paulsen

(1939 -currently resides in La Luz, Mexico with his wife and children.)         

                   Childhood:  Gary Paulsen was born Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 17,1939.He was raised in Minnesota with his grandmother and his aunts.  Paulsen’s dad was in World War II so he spent a lot of time away from home and his mother worked at a factory, also his parents were drunks. He was never a serious student he but became interested in reading at a young age when a librarian gave him a library card. He spent his time in his basement reading to keep away from his parents arguments. He ran away from his home at still a young of age of 14,and started traveling with a carnival, where he acquired his joy for adventure.

             Life: Paulsen realized that he could become a writer while working in California as a satellite technician. After he left his job  he spent a year in Hollywood as  a magazine proofreader. After living in California, Paulsen went to northern Minnesota where he wrote his first novel,  “ Some Ugly Birds don't Cry”. While in Minnesota he became interested in dogsled racing. He eventually entered the Ititarod an 1180-mile race across Alaska. He then ran it again in 1985 but suffered an attack of angina. He now resides in La Luz, Mexico with his wife and children sailing and working there ship.

What made him famous-

       Gary Paulsen's most  famous book that he wrote is Hatchet a story of a boy (young man) who gets in a plane crash and is stranded in the middle of nowhere and has to survive. The book tells the readers of how  he survives  and it relates to Paulsen's adventures during the Ititarod. Almost all of Gary Paulsen's books are adventures, because of his life experiences with it. Another great book that I personally real like is Mr. Tucket or Tuckets Travels, that is about a kid who gets captured by Indians while traveling with his parents. He is eventually saved by a man with one arm and is taken on an adventure to get back to his family, while avoiding bandits, and animals.

About his books-

      Gary Paulsen has written over 175 books and 200 articles for children and adults. He recieves many letters from readers and his books appear on the best book lists of the American Library Association. Some of Paulsen's other books that he has written  include Brian's Winter, a sequel to Hatchet. Also he has written Voyage of the Frog that received a Mark Twain Nominee and Woodsong  that was a non-fictional story of his dog sled team that also received a Mark Twain Nominee. He has won three Newberry Honor Book awards for The Hatchet, Winter Room and Dogsong. 

    - by Gebidiah/Tyler Nelson

The Books of Gary Paulsen

THE HATCHET

DOGSONG

THE WINTER ROOM

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