New Releases by Gary Paulsen

From the legendary author of Hatchet, a laugh-out-loud misadventure about a boy, his free-thinking dad, and the puppy-training pamphlet that turns their summer upside down. Twelve-year-old Carl is fed up with his father''s single-minded pursuit of an off-the-grid existence. His dad may be brilliant, but dumpster-diving for food, scouring through trash for salvageable junk, and wearing clothes fully sourced from garage sales is getting old. Increasingly worried about what schoolmates and a certain girl at his new school might think of his circumstances—and encouraged by his off-kilter best friend—Carl adopts the principles set forth in a randomly discovered puppy-training pamphlet to “retrain” his dad’s mindset . . . a crackpot experiment that produces some very unintentional results. This is a fierce and funny novel about family, green-living, and untangling some of the ties that bind from middle-grade master Gary Paulsen.

A mesmerizing memoir from three-time Newbery Honor–winning author Gary Paulsen—whose books have sold over 35 million copies worldwide—giving readers a new perspective on the origins of his blockbuster contemporary classic Hatchet and other famed survival stories. “Leaves you gritting your teeth and clutching the pages . . . Haunted me as a reader.” —The New York Times Book Review ★ “This literary treasure is written for book lovers of any age.” —Shelf Awareness, starred review His name is synonymous with high-stakes wilderness survival adventures. Now, beloved author Gary Paulsen portrays a series of life-altering moments from his turbulent childhood as his own original survival story. If not for his summer escape from a shockingly neglectful Chicago upbringing to a North Woods homestead at age five, there never would have been a Hatchet. Without the encouragement of the librarian who handed him his first book at age thirteen, he may never have become a reader. And without his desperate teenage enlistment in the Army, he would not have discovered his true calling as a storyteller. An entrancing and critically lauded account of grit and growing up, perfect for newcomers and lifelong fans alike, Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood is literary legend Gary Paulsen at his rawest and realest. Don’t miss Gary Paulsen’s other acclaimed books from Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers: the father-son comedy How to Train Your Dad and the page-turning survival adventure Northwind.

This book is a collection of stories from Gary Paulsen''s own life about dogs, horses, birds and even a whale who know more than we humans may assume. His understanding and admiration of animals is well known, and in This Side of Wild, which has taken a lifetime to write, he proves the ways in which they have taught him to be a better person.

Father-and-son writing team Gary and Jim Paulsen pick up where their Road Trip left off. Ben has been invited to try out for a special hockey academy. But Dad wants Ben to catch up to the school field trip instead. So Ben, Dad, and their dogs, Atticus and Conor, jump into their truck. Ben concocts a secret plan to make the tryout, but Atticus and Conor are on to him. Ben and Dad’s road trip turns into a wacky adventure full of new friends and surprises.

Jacob Freisten''s goal in life is to go about unnoticed. He''s perfect at gliding past the jocks'' lockers and sneaking into his English class. That was, until now. If Jacob wants to pass English, he must work for extra credit on the stage crew of the school production of The Wizard of Oz.Jacob, who is usually in a fog anyway, has the the job of running the fog machine. The problem is that Maria Tresser, the girl of his dreams, is cast as the Wicked Witch. Jacob''s already made a fool of himself in front of Maria. How can he face her again?

From the New York Times–bestselling author of Northwind, a unique exploration into the exhilarating joys—and the inevitable dangers—of total solitude. Every day, fifteen-year-old Wil Neuton gets up, brushes his teeth, leaves the house, and rows away from shore. He’s discovered the island, a place where he can go to be alone and learn to know nature—and himself. Wil’s only mission is to let go of the outside world. But the outside world refuses to let go of him. His family regards him as a puzzle. The town bully is determined to challenge him. And suddenly, even reporters know his name. He can confront them all, or he can embrace his solitude forever. Just one thing is certain now: Wil Neuton will no longer be relying on anybody but himself. “This could have been another back-to-nature story, but Newbery Honor writer Paulsen tells Wil’s inner journey with a confident lyricism that duplicates Wil’\’s emotional qualities.” —Publishers Weekly “Wil Neuton seeks out harmony within [nature], recalibrating his life by way of his self-imposed solitude on the island . . . While Hatchet provided readers with some much-needed escapism, The Island centered its focus on what we can never escape—mortality, which, in the immediate aftermath of Paulsen’s passing, now takes on new significance.” —The Millions

On a moonlit winter night, a team of dogs pulls a sled, taking the narrator and readers on a wondrous ride through the snow, into and out of the woods. It is a ride you''ll wish would never end. Through this exquisite prose poem, Gary Paulsen shares the joy, the beauty, and the grandeur of the outdoors. With his joyous text and Ruth Wright Paulsen''s exuberant and expressive illustrations, Dogteam is a celebration of nature, a dance that invites everyone to join in.

Gary Paulsen has had a life as exciting as fiction! Gary Paulsen, three-time Newbery Honor author, is no stranger to adventure. He has flown off the back of a dogsled and down a frozen waterfall to near disaster, and waited for a giant bear to seal his fate with one slap of a claw. He has led a team of sled dogs toward the Alaskan Mountain Range in an Iditarod -- the grueling, 1,180-mile dogsled race -- hallucinating from lack of sleep, but he determined to finish. Here, in vivid detail, Paulsen recounts several of the remarkable experiences that shaped his life and inspired his award-winning writing.

In the old days there were songs... Something is bothering Russel Susskit. He hates waking up to the sound of his father''s coughing, the smell of diesel oil, the noise of snow machines starting up. Only Oogruk, the shaman who owns the last team of dogs in the village, understands Russel''s longing for the old ways and the songs that celebrated them. But Oogruk cannot give Russel the answers he seeks; the old man can only prepare him for what he must do alone. Driven by a strange, powerful dream of a long-ago self and by a burning desire to find his own song, Russel takes Oogruk''s dogs on an epic journey of self-discovery that will change his life forever.

Dancing Carl, Gary Paulsen''s first novel, was a ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a Notable Children''s Trade Book for the Language Arts. In the winter, life in McKinley, Minnesota, revolves around the rinks, where kids play hockey and grown-ups skate to scratchy phonograph records. Then, the year Marsh and his best friend, Willy, are twelve, Carl appears at the rink, wearing a battered, old leather flight jacket and doing a strange dance that is both beautiful and disturbing to watch. It is Marsh and Willy who discover the terrible secret behind Carl''s dance, a secret that threatens to destroy him. But a small miracle occurs, and Carl''s dance becomes a fragile and tentative expression of hope and the healing power of love.

Kevin doesn''t mean to make trouble when he lies. He''s just really good at it, and it makes life so much easier. But as his lies pile up, he finds himself in big—and funny—trouble with his friends, family, and teachers. He''s got to find a way to end his lying streak—forever.

The great American writer Ernest Hemingway, had this to say about Mark Twain''s Huckleberry Finn: \"All modern, literature, stems from this one book.\" In this quintessential American novel, Tom Sawyer''s best friend, Huckleberry Finn, travels down the Mississippi River on a raft with a slave named Jim, getting himself in and out of danger along the way.

Brian sets out on the hunt of a lifetime in this follow-up to the award-winning classic Hatchet from three-time Newbery Honor-winning author Gary Paulsen! Brian Robeson has stood up to the challenge of surviving the wilderness in Hatchet, The River, Brian''s Winter, and Brian''s Return. Now, while camping alone on a lake in the woods, he finds a wounded and whimpering dog. As Brian treats her wounds, he worries about who or what did this to her. His instincts tell him to head north, quickly, to check on his Cree friends. With his new companion at his side, he sets out on the hunt. Gary Paulsen expertly delivers a riveting story that brilliantly combines two of his great themes: the human animal''s place in nature, and the mysterious and wonderful bond between humans and dogs. “The Brian books reveal nature and humankind’s place in it with spare prose that seems ideally suited to the setting and plot.” —VOYA “Based on real incidents, this well-written sequel to Hatchet and its successors will be gobbled up by the author’s legions of fans.” —Kirkus Reviews Read all the Hatchet Adventures! Brian''s Winter The River Brian''s Return Brian''s Hunt

Brian returns to the wilderness to discover where he truly belongs in this follow-up to the award-winning classic Hatchet from three-time Newbery Honor-winning author Gary Paulsen! As millions of readers of Hatchet, The River, and Brian''s Winter know, Brian Robeson survived alone in the wilderness by finding solutions to extraordinary challenges. But now that''s he''s back to ordinary life, he can''t make sense of high school life. He feels disconnected, more isolated than he did alone in the north woods. How can Brian discover his true path in life, and where he belongs? The answer is to return. Gay Paulsen skillfully explores the meaning of belonging and purpose, and reminds us of a crucial rule of the wilderness: expect the unexpected. “Bold, confident and persuasive.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred “Paulsen bases many of his protagonist’s experiences on his own, and the wilderness through which Brian moves is vividly observed.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred Read all the Hatchet Adventures! Brian''s Winter The River Brian''s Return Brian''s Hunt

From three-time Newbery Honor-winning author Gary Paulsen comes a beloved follow-up to his award-winning classic Hatchet that asks: What if Brian hadn''t been rescued and had to face his deadliest enemy yet--winter? In the Newbery Honor-winning Hatchet, thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson learned to survive alone in the Canadian wilderness, armed only with his hatchet. As millions of readers know, he was rescued at the end of the summer. But what if that hadn''t happened? What if Brian had been left to face his deadliest enemy--winter? Brian Paulsen raises the stakes for survival in this riveting and inspiring story as one boy confronts the ultimate adventure. “Paulsen picks Hatchet’s story up in midstream; read together, the two books make his finest tale of survival yet.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred “Breathtaking descriptions of nature . . . Paulsen fans will not be disappointed.” —School Library Journal Read all the Hatchet Adventures! Brian''s Winter The River Brian''s Return Brian''s Hunt

A young boy and his mother spend Christmas 1943 with relatives in northern Minnesota while his father is fighting in the war in Europe. They take a long journey by train to a snowy land of vast frozen lakes, deep and sparkling cold, and the most magical Christmas tree the boy has ever seen. He knows this will be the last Christmas he will spend with his cousin, who is dying. The boy''s uncle overhears the two cousins say there is no Santa Claus, and in a grand gesture that is nothing short of a Christmas miracle, he restores the children''s faith in the spirit of the season.

Everybody knows Amos Binder is crazy in love with Melissa Hansen. Only Melissa hasn’t given any indication that she even knows Amos exists as a life-form. That is, until now. Suddenly, things with Melissa are different. A wave, a wink-an affectionate “snookems”?! Can this really be Melissa . . . and Amos? Dunc is determined to get to the bottom of it all, but who can blame Amos if his feet don’t touch the ground!

Best friends Dunc and Amos meet up with a new buddy named Lash when they enter the radical world of skateboard competition. When somebody “cops”—or steals—Lash’s prototype skateboard, the boys are determined to get it back. After all, Lash is about to shoot for a totally rad world’s record! Along the way they learn a major lesson: never kiss a monkey!

Many readers of Nightjohn have wanted to know what happened to Sarny, the young slave whom Nightjohn taught to read. Here is Sarny''s story, from the moment she leaves the plantation in the last days of the Civil War, suddenly a free woman in search of her sold-away children. Her search takes her to New Orleans and the home of the mysterious and remarkable Miss Laura. Like Nightjohn, Miss Laura changes Sarny''s life, and she helps Sarny pass Nightjohn''s gift on to new generations. This riveting saga follows Sarny until her last days in the 1930s and gives readers a panoramic view of America in a time of trial, tragedy, and hoped-for change.

\"To know things, for us to know things, is bad for them. We get to wanting and when we get to wanting it''s bad for them. They thinks we want what they got . . . . That''s why they don''t want us reading.\" -- Nightjohn \"I didn''t know what letters was, not what they meant, but I thought it might be something I wanted to know. To learn.\"--Sarny Sarny, a female slave at the Waller plantation, first sees Nightjohn when he is brought there with a rope around his neck, his body covered in scars. He had escaped north to freedom, but he came back--came back to teach reading. Knowing that the penalty for reading is dismemberment Nightjohn still retumed to slavery to teach others how to read. And twelve-year-old Sarny is willing to take the risk to learn. Set in the 1850s, Gary Paulsen''s groundbreaking new novel is unlike anything else the award-winning author has written. It is a meticulously researched, historically accurate, and artistically crafted portrayal of a grim time in our nation''s past, brought to light through the personal history of two unforgettable characters.

Two boys, separated by the canyons of time and two vastly different cultures, face the challenges by which they will become men. Coyote Runs, an Apache boy, takes part in his first raid. But he is to be a man for only a short time. More than a hundred years later, while camping near Dog Canyon, 15-year-old Brennan Cole becomes obsessed with a skull that he finds, pierced by a bullet. He learns that it is the skull of an Apache boy executed by soldiers in 1864. A mystical link joins Brennan and Coyote Runs, and Brennan knows that neither boy will find peace until Coyote Runs'' skull is carried back to an ancient sacred place. In a grueling journey through the canyon to return the skull, Brennan confronts the challenge of his life.

An Indian brave stands poised to shoot a white deer drinking from a pool of water in the moonlight. It is only a dream—a recurring nightmare that haunts 15-year-old Janet Carson—but it is a dream that will change her life forever. Janet, one of the few Anglo teens in the New Mexico art colony where she lives with her mother, feels isolated and alone. For some reason, she is drawn to Billy Honcho, an old, alcoholic Indian who begs for money from her. As they get to know each other, the meaning of Janet''s nightmare grows clear, and Billy becomes the brave in her dream.

Roped into wacky attempts to break world records, imitate scenes from books, and other inspired ideas, Riley and Reed follow their fearless leader Henry into the wilderness, the bull-riding ring, a haunted house, cataclysmic collision with explosive life forms, and off the roof of a house on a bike.

Kevin struggled to overcome his knack for lying in Liar, Liar, and now he''s back for another round of mayhem and misunderstandings in this financial comedy of errors. In Kevin, Gary Paulsen has created an appealing teen boy character who is just as human and fallible as his readers.

Gary Paulsen’s funny follow-up to Lawn Boy is full of big surprises and big laughs. Lawn Boy says: The summer I was twelve, mowing lawns with Grandpa’s old riding mower turned into big business. With advice from Arnold the stockbroker, I learned all about making money. Six weeks and hundred of thousands of dollars later, life got more complicated. You see, the prizefighter I sponsor, Joey Pow, won a big fight. And a TV interview made me famous. As Arnold says, “Capitalism plus publicity equals monster commerce.” Even my best friends wanted a piece of the action. Meanwhile, some scary guys showed up at Joey’s gym. . . .

Mark''s solo camping trip in the desert turns into a terrifying and thrilling odyssey when a mysterious beam of light transports him to another time on what appears to be another planet. As Mark searches for a pathway back to his own time on Earth, he must make a new life in a new world. His encounters with primitive tribes bring the joy of human bonds, but violence and war as well--and, finally, a contest in which he discovers his own startling powers.

Samuel, 13, spends his days in the forest, hunting for food for his family. He has grown up on the frontier of a British colony, America. Far from any town, or news of the war against the King that American patriots have begun near Boston. But the war comes to them. British soldiers and Iroquois attack. Samuel’s parents are taken away, prisoners. Samuel follows, hiding, moving silently, determined to find a way to rescue them. Each day he confronts the enemy, and the tragedy and horror of this war. But he also discovers allies, men and women working secretly for the patriot cause. And he learns that he must go deep into enemy territory to find his parents: all the way to the British headquarters, New York City.

Brian, treize ans, est assis à côté du pilote d''un petit avion qui l''emmène vers le nord canadien où il doit retrouver son père pour l''été. Mais le pilote est victime d''une crise cardiaque et l''avion s''écrase en pleine forêt. Pour survivre, le jeune garçon va devoir déployer des trésors d''ingéniosité, de volonté et de courage.

“Sometimes having company is not all it’s cracked up to be.” Fifteen-year-old Finn is a loner, living with his dad and his amazing dog, Dylan. This summer he’s hoping for a job where he doesn’t have to talk to anyone except his pal Matthew. Then Johanna moves in next door. She’s 10 years older, cool, funny, and she treats Finn as an equal. Dylan loves her, too. Johanna’s dealing with breast cancer, and Matthew and Finn learn to care for her, emotionally and physically. When she hires Finn to create a garden, his gardening ideas backfire comically. But Johanna and the garden help Finn discover his talents for connecting with people.