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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Heartbreaking story of a very neglected little boy who struggles to make it in life. It’s amazing what kids can endure!
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
emotional
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
This started a little slow but I found myself rooting hard for the boy to overcome the horrific childhood he’d been dealt. One can thoroughly see how he came to be the author of Hatchet.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Gary Paulsen’s memoir of his childhood will get reviews saying it is for adults, but, it’s not. His way of writing - simply telling the story - is present here. Writing difficult situations in a way that kids can understand and relate to is present here. This book has difficult situations - abusive, alcoholic parents, war, and hunger and poverty. But, there are kids in our world today who are living with these challenges and those kids and their friends need this book!
I read an interview with Paulsen about this memoir and he says “I try to be honest about it. But the truth is, if I can make it, any kid can make it.”
I picked up this book because I was adding it to our library’s collection and one source told me to put it in the adult section and another said to add it to the children’s section. I’ve read many of Paulsen’s other books (as a kid and again as an adult), so I decided to bring it home and read it so I could defend it wherever it ended up in our library.
I read an interview with Paulsen about this memoir and he says “I try to be honest about it. But the truth is, if I can make it, any kid can make it.”
I picked up this book because I was adding it to our library’s collection and one source told me to put it in the adult section and another said to add it to the children’s section. I’ve read many of Paulsen’s other books (as a kid and again as an adult), so I decided to bring it home and read it so I could defend it wherever it ended up in our library.
I read Hatchet as a school assignment in 6th grade. It was devoured by this then nonreader. I’m in my 40’s now and still remember scenes from that book. It clearly left an impression. Can’t say I’ve read much more by him, but knowing a bit about his life in advance, I was interested in reading this new autobiography. So glad I did. There was much difficulty in his life, for sure, but the sweet moments were so incredibly sweet, like living with his aunt and uncle in the woods of Minnesota and discovering his public library, that it left this now big reader (and librarian) with a lasting joy. I bet those scenes will be remembered many years from now as well. His writing is frank, and considering all he lived, I think this is better suited to teens (and adults) than kids.