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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
I've always appreciated Gary Paulsen's books and writing, and my appreciation has grown and deepened after reading Gone to the Woods. Even though my youngest son never grew to be an adult reader, I don't think I could have gotten him through elementary and middle school without Paulsen's Hatchet series, the Tucket Adventures, Soldier's Heart, and The Rifle. Anytime a book report was required I always knew I could find a Gary Paulsen book that would appeal to my son, and in Gone to the Woods Paulsen recounts his life and we learn how extraordinary it is that he became a writer. Told in the third person so it reads almost like one of his works of fiction, Paulsen writes about turning points in his life — being shipped off to his aunt and uncle's farm when he was 5 and getting a chance to experience unconditional love, meeting his father for the first time at 7 years old in the Philippines, as a runaway teenager in the woods in North Dakota trying to avoid his alcoholic parents, and his military service. Thankfully, Paulsen discovers the public library and a very kind librarian who helps him become a storyteller.
He had a difficult life, filled with neglect and shocking circumstances, but this is one of Gary Paulsen's best survival stories.
"What the hell. Might as well write something down."
He had a difficult life, filled with neglect and shocking circumstances, but this is one of Gary Paulsen's best survival stories.
"What the hell. Might as well write something down."
This was a very interesting story. I felt as though I was on an emotional roller coaster when the boy was moved from place to place and taken away from people he loved. Mr. Paulsen has painted a wonderful portrait of his life.
Hmmm. I had Gary Paulson confused with a different author when I started this book. It was fascinating to read about what felt like a different world in the memories of life from decades ago. Later in the book, it became very repetitive, with limited language used over and over. Almost like poetry but also just lacking editing or focus. Or maybe purpose, with the earlier stories much more detailed and the later sparse, seemingly included just to get up to the point when he started writing this book.
Paulsen's traumatic childhood was a disturbing reminder of how some youth face the world on their own from an incredibly early age. His love for the library and the librarian that gave him his first library card, book, notebook and pencil was incredibly touching. I love how he writes about libraries as kind places.
"Place smelled like wood and what? Smelled like…books. Official-looking wood-book smelling quiet place that made you relax the minute you came in the door.
That’s what made if feel safe. An official government place where nobody would mess with you. A safe place where none of the loud-hard kids would come.
A kind place.
That was it. An official kind place.” (Paulsen, 2021, p.260).
A must read!
"Place smelled like wood and what? Smelled like…books. Official-looking wood-book smelling quiet place that made you relax the minute you came in the door.
That’s what made if feel safe. An official government place where nobody would mess with you. A safe place where none of the loud-hard kids would come.
A kind place.
That was it. An official kind place.” (Paulsen, 2021, p.260).
A must read!
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Everything I have read by Gary Paulsen is just gold. This was a good book and was quite intriguing and definitely kept me enthralled until the end. It was another one of those I just could not put down.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
A powerful book, with a lot of difficult content -- and made both the more powerful and the more difficult for the aching loss Paulsen infuses into his writing. His beautiful summer as a very young child that allowed him to endure stands a shining backdrop throughout everything else that happens. I hope he found great and lasting happiness as an adult. Book includes some graphic war violence from childhood in Manila, abuse/neglect from parents, realities of life as a feral child. Would resonate hugely with some kids, offer them a path and a map; would scar others. It's beautifully written and heartrending, and as good a tale of survival as ever there was.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss.
I had no idea Paulsen had such an unhappy childhood. The extent that he turned it around and became successful is incredible. His parents are alcoholics, and it's not a stable situation. He turns to the woods for consolation. He also gets lucky with a very kind and nice librarian who introduces him to the world of books, which is more remarkable when you learn that he hated school.
I grew up reading Gary Paulsen books. I've always been a sucker for a good survival story and Gary Paulsen, especially in the late 90's-early 00's, reigns king for middle grade readers.
Gone to the Woods is the true story of Paulsen's childhood, a survival story in itself. The sections in the woods reminds of the stories my grandpa used to tell of hunting, fishing, and growing up during the Great Depression when money was scarce and you had to be scrappy. Paulsen's love for reading and devouring of books reminds me of my dad's same quality. The librarian in the story reminds me of why I chose to become a reading teacher with the primary goal of getting my students to enjoy reading above all other requirements and state standard.
And as a teacher I was especially struck by his description in Part V of the system attempting to force him to fit in.
Fit the heck in.
Mash the square peg hard enough and it would eventually fit impossibly in that round hole.
Paulsen was a awful, terrible student. But contrary to what he was told he was no failure in life.
I'm on the verge of 5 stars, but a half beat away from "love" because I just wanted more, and that couldn't be given with this content in a middle grade book.
Gone to the Woods is the true story of Paulsen's childhood, a survival story in itself. The sections in the woods reminds of the stories my grandpa used to tell of hunting, fishing, and growing up during the Great Depression when money was scarce and you had to be scrappy. Paulsen's love for reading and devouring of books reminds me of my dad's same quality. The librarian in the story reminds me of why I chose to become a reading teacher with the primary goal of getting my students to enjoy reading above all other requirements and state standard.
And as a teacher I was especially struck by his description in Part V of the system attempting to force him to fit in.
Fit the heck in.
Mash the square peg hard enough and it would eventually fit impossibly in that round hole.
Paulsen was a awful, terrible student. But contrary to what he was told he was no failure in life.
I'm on the verge of 5 stars, but a half beat away from "love" because I just wanted more, and that couldn't be given with this content in a middle grade book.