New Releases by Gary Paulsen

This stunning New York Times Bestseller from the survival story master, set along a rugged coastline centuries ago, does for the ocean what Hatchet does for the woods, as it relates the story of a young person’s battle to stay alive against the odds, where the high seas meet a coastal wilderness. When a deadly plague reaches the small fish camp where he lives, an orphan named Leif is forced to take to the water in a cedar canoe. He flees northward, following a wild, fjord-riven shore, navigating from one danger to the next, unsure of his destination. Yet the deeper into his journey he paddles, the closer he comes to his truest self as he connects to “the heartbeat of the ocean . . . the pulse of the sea.” With hints of Nordic mythology and an irresistible narrative pull, Northwind is Gary Paulsen at his captivating, adventuresome best.

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.

An orphan reflects on the lessons he was taught by the wise old man who raised him in this lyrical novel that reads like poetry from three-time Newbery Honor–winning author Gary Paulsen. Deep in the woods, in a rustic cabin, lives an old man and the boy he’s raised as his own. This sage old man has taught the boy the power of nature and how to live in it, and more importantly, to respect it. In Fishbone’s Song, this boy reminisces about the magic of the man who raised him and the tales that he used to tell—all true, but different each time.

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.

Told through the eyes of a 5-year-old boy, this is a story of adventure and discovery in a cookcamp located in the Canadian woods during World War II.When?: World War IIWhere?: A cookcamp in the Canadian woodsWhy?: He''s not really sure. One summer, a 5-year-old boy goes to live with his grandmother in a cookcamp. The camp is home to 9 men who are building a road through the woods. The boy misses his mother, but at the same time the camp becomes home--a special home where he learns to spit and rides the tractor. It''s a wonderful summer, but then he lets slip to his grandmother about \"Uncle Casey\" and she writes seven letters to his mother. Seven letters that she mails \"good and hard.\" A short while later, the boy returns home.

A Newbery Honor Book by the New York Times–bestselling author of Northwind. “A compelling description of farming in a bygone time.” —Publishers Weekly ALA/YALSA Best Book for Young Adults ALA Notable Book for Children Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children’s Literature Following the turn of the seasons, eleven-year-old Eldon traces the daily routines of his life on a farm and his relationship with his older brother Wayne. During the winter, with little work to be done on the farm, Eldon and Wayne spend the quiet hours with their family, listening to their Uncle David’s stories. But Eldon soon learns that, although he has lived on the same farm, in the same house with his uncle for eleven springs, summers, and winters, he hardly knows him. “It is the palpable awareness of place and character that is unforgettable. Paulsen, with a simple intensity, brings to consciousness the texture, the smells, the light and shadows of each distinct season. He has penned a mood poem in prose.” —School Library Journal “More a prose poem than a novel, this beautifully written evocation of a Minnesota farm perhaps 40 years ago consists of portraits of each of the four seasons, along with four brief stories told by old Uncle David.” —Kirkus Reviews

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

From the Newbery Award–winning, New York Times–bestselling author of Northwind. “A stark, moving portrait of Mexican poverty and street life.” —School Library Journal Fourteen-year-old Manny is an orphan in Juarez, Mexico. He competes with his bigger, meaner rivals for the coins American tourists throw off the bridge between Texas and his town. Across that heavily guarded bridge await a different world and a better existence. On the night when Manny dares the crossing—through the muddy shallows of the Rio Grande, past the searchlights and the border patrol—the young man encounters an old stranger who could prove to be an ally or an enemy. Manny can’t tell for certain. But if he is to achieve his dream, then he must be willing to risk everything—even his life. “Paulsen . . . is skilled at pace, incident and characterization, and he uses them to pull the reader to the memorable—and powerful—last scene . . . A book for older children and teenagers who will not want to put it down.” —Kirkus Reviews “Any work by such a proficient writer, who invokes a powerful sense of the tragic in readers young and old, is welcome indeed.” —Publishers Weekly

An adventure novel about survival at sea from the Newbery Award–winning author of Northwind. “An epic, often lyrical journey of self-discovery.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) ALA/YALSA Best Book for Young Adults ALA Notable Book for Children ALA/YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers David thought he was alone, that the ocean around him was all there was of the world. The wind screamed, the waves towered, and his boat, the twenty-two foot fiberglass FROG, skidded and bucked and, each moment, filled deeper and grew heavier with sea water. David thought surely he was dead at fourteen. His uncle Owen, who had taught him about sailing safely, would be so angry. Owen had died only days ago, his last wish for David to take the FROG out on his own, and sail her beyond sight of the coast, and once there, scatter Owen’s ashes. David had done this the evening before, but he hadn’t thought of a storm roaring across the Pacific, or of the terror of being alone later in the dark hundreds of miles from home with no radio or flares and little food. He hadn’t thought of a shark attacking, or of the four killer whales, or the oil tanker large as a city about to sink him and the FROG . . . But in fact, David wasn’t alone at all. He’d had the FROG as a partner from the first—his uncle’s guiding spirit. He had only to learn that. “Paulsen’s spare prose offers an affecting blend of the boy’s inner thoughts and keen observations of the power of nature to destroy and to heal.” —School Library Journal

Kevin Spencer has a history of big ideas going completely awry. This time around, it''s personal. Suddenly, he is kind of in charge of a double wedding in his backyard and a whole tribe of wacky relatives.

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.

Opening this book is like sitting down in a canoe, taking up a paddle, and gliding out into the summer beauty of a hidden lake. In this picture book that is as refreshing and inviting as a perfect canoe day, a fawn peeks out from the trees as ducklings fan out behind their mother. Butterflies pause and fish laze beneath the lily pads. Ruth Wright Paulsen’s sunlit paintings and Gary Paulsen’s poetic text capture all the peace and pleasure of a day when water and sky are one.

A young hunter must confront the value of life as he faces the loss of his grandfather. For John Borne''s family, hunting has nothing to do with sport or manliness. It''s a matter of survival. Every fall John and his grandfather go off into the woods to shoot the deer that puts meat on the table over the long Minnesota winter. But this year John''s grandfather is dying, and John must hunt alone. John tracks a doe for two days, but as he closes in on his prey, he realizes he cannot shoot her. For John, the hunt is no longer about killing, but about life.

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 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.

She’s a master of disguises—able to change identities at will. She’s wanted in five states. They call her the Chameleon. Dunc thinks he and Amos are just about to crack the case wide open. And all they have to do is sneak into this dangerous felon’s apartment!

It’s spy vs. spy when Amos is mistaken for a government double agent and give a top-secret assignment. He’s got the trench coat, he’s got the dark sunglasses, he’s go that smooth and debonair James Bond way about him. Now all he needs is Dunc to bail him out! Join best friends Dunc and Amos as they try a little espionage, Culpepper style!

When Amos wins a “Why I Love My Dog” Contest, he and Dunc are off on the Caribbean cruise of their dreams! But there’s something downright fishy about Amos’s suitcase, and before they know it, the two best friends wind up with more high seas adventure than they’d bargained for. Can Dunc and Amos figure out who’s out to get them and salvage what’s left of their vacation?

Will veered to the left and ducked into one of the passages leading away from the palace room. Sarah stumbled and fell. Will pulled her up. They could hear the big man closing in on them. Will took another left turn and then another. Scarface’s footsteps echoed in their ears. Deep in the damp, dark caverns of the Sacramento Mountains, Will Little Bear Tucker and his friend Sarah Thompson discover the secret of an ancient Apache legend. But armed bandits are after them. A headless Indian brave haunts them. And when they lose their way, they may not escape the eerie underground maze alive.

\"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.

The year is 2057. Endless wars have torn the USA apart and enslaved Americans to the CCR, the Confederation of Consolidated Republics. Growing up in the wasteland of war has made 14-year-old Cody Pierce wise in survival skills, and now he''s the White Fox, rebel leader of the children''s barracks in a CCR prison camp. Once he escapes, life with the underground teaches him new skills in weaponry and strategy as he plays cat-and-mouse with the CCR. Every day brings him closer to capture, as well as to his goal: to return and liberate the children he left behind.

Fourteen-year-old Francis Tucket is heading west on the Oregon Trail with his family by wagon train. When he receives a rifle for his birthday, he is thrilled that he is being treated like an adult. But Francis lags behind to practice shooting and is captured by Pawnees. It will take wild horses, hostile tribes, and a mysterious one-armed mountain man named Mr. Grimes to help Francis become the man who will be called Mr. Tucket.

Harold Schernoff, 14-year-old science whiz and social nerd, has a theory for every problem, from dating, to bullies, to making money, to sports, to how to buy a car when you''re underage. When he and his buddy team up to put his theories to the test, nothing goes according to plan. A ski lesson becomes: Mass x Acceleration x Slope of hill = eeeAAGGHHH. As for first dates, only Harold could mastermind such disaster. Only Harold could go fishing and get caught by the fish. And only Gary Paulsen could write such a wonderfully funny story of friendship.

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.

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.

For a 16-year-old boy out in the world alone for the first time, every day''s an education in the hard work and boredom of migrant labor; every day teaches him something more about friendship, or hunger, or profanity, or lust--always lust. He learns how a poker game, or hitching a ride, can turn deadly. He discovers the secret sadness and generosity to be found on a lonely farm in the middle of nowhere. Then he joins up with a carnival and becomes a grunt, running a ride and shilling for the geek show. He''s living the hard carny life and beginning to see the world through carny eyes. He''s tough. Cynical. By the end of the summer he''s pretty sure he knows it all. Until he meets Ruby.