HATCHET by Gary Paulsen---PIC ADDED

[DW]

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.

[Fresno Field Archer]

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.

[hawk22]

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.

[Bowspirit]

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...

[Richard in OK]

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

[casjoker]

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.

[Luke Vander Vennen]

I think I've read Brian's Winter at least 13 times. Love it.

[Matt Stuckey]

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.

[John Scifres]

My son James did this hilarious video book report on Hatchet last year.  He really liked it too.

[SKYLER W]

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

[dakota tim]

My 10 year old just brought home Hatchet today.  Paulsen is his favorite author too.

[gregg dudley]

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

[Longbows4life]

my side of the mountain is a very good book

[BamBooBender]

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

[sloaf]

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.

[Richard in OK]

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

[bunyan]

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.

[elk ninja]

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

[bunyan]

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.

[chappy]

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.