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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
This was a well written book that read like a work of fiction. The chapters when Paulsen is living on the farm with family made me think of his book, Harris and Me. To bad he could not have spent his entire childhood there. It was an awful childhood but I wonder if it was changed what would that have changed for Paulsen's life and becoming a great author.
It was very interesting to learn about Gary Paulsen's life. I loved how he found safety in two places, the forest and the library. However, there were several spots where the book just dragged along with too much description of minor details. He did not have an easy life, and I am so impressed with what he accomplished.
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
This one rates at 4.5 stars for me. Paulsen’s stories are captivating, as always. My heart broke for the little boy, all while cheering his ingenuity and perseverance.
This is a beautiful, heart-wrenching book. I can't wait to put it in the hands of 'that' kid. Paulsen lived a million lives by the time he was 20. He writes with such clear-eyed and pitiless prose. I could not put this down.
adventurous
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Gary Paulsen is synonymous with middle grade adventure survival stories such as Hatchet and Woods Runner, but in his memoir Paulsen writes a collection of short stories about his childhood through adulthood. If not for the woods, a librarian and the military, Paulsen would not be the author we know today. This is great for those who want an insight into the mind of this amazing and prolific writer and to remind librarians why we do what we do. Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book. Grab your copy January 12.
This was a rough book. I cannot imagine a child going through all these things...and yet, Paulsen did. He became tough and hard but he conquered his lack of upbringing and became successful as well.
Powerful story and extra special to read if you have read any of The Hatchet books.
Powerful story and extra special to read if you have read any of The Hatchet books.
This was a fantastic biography of a troubled childhood. Gary Paulsen learned how to survive and every novel he wrote has a little bit of this in it. Some of his adventures and struggles in childhood may be to graphic for the younger elementary children but it is a great introduction to biographies for all ages.
Ooof. In the continuing saga of "Darcy-is-an-old-lady-now" this book demands a time machine so that someone can go kidnap a young Gary Paulsen & give him many hugs .
Time machine plotting aside this was a startlingly exciting biography featuring vignettes from major points in Paulsen's young life (ages 5-17). I personally really enjoyed the slightly poetic, slightly stilted writing style he adopted for this work and burned through the book in no time. From the outside, the events of Paulsen's young life are heartbreakingly cruel, but he shoulders them all with such grace and even excited curiosity at times (undoubtedly born of necessity) that you can't help but be excited for the next adventure along with him!
While this book is written in a way that middle grade readers (& even younger honestly) could certainly understand, the content runs a fairly wild course between alluding to sexual situations (never explicitly) and the very real violence Paulsen saw as a young child (there's an early scene that describes a plane of people being attacked and devoured by sharks, and several recountings of people being shot). The violence is never glorified, indeed Paulsen is literally and figuratively sick when having to see such things, but a sensitive reader would need some support for these sections.
I vividly remember reading Hatchet for the first time as a kid and being amazed (and slightly horrified) at the reality of it all. I very much wanted to go live in the woods as a youngling and even today (while I no longer crave full on wild woods living) survivalist fiction is still one of my favorite genres, all of which I gladly credit Paulsen (and Jean Craighead George) for. I think it was harder to start this book now (relatively close to Paulsen's passing) that it might have been had I read it immediately after it's publication, but the story leaves you on such a strong and hopeful note that really feels very right. Gone to the Woods gets a strong recommendation from me, for readers both young and old, provided everyone who wants it has a support/discussion friend on hand.
Spoiler
before carefully depositing him back with his aunt & uncle to grow up wild and cared forTime machine plotting aside this was a startlingly exciting biography featuring vignettes from major points in Paulsen's young life (ages 5-17). I personally really enjoyed the slightly poetic, slightly stilted writing style he adopted for this work and burned through the book in no time. From the outside, the events of Paulsen's young life are heartbreakingly cruel, but he shoulders them all with such grace and even excited curiosity at times (undoubtedly born of necessity) that you can't help but be excited for the next adventure along with him!
While this book is written in a way that middle grade readers (& even younger honestly) could certainly understand, the content runs a fairly wild course between alluding to sexual situations (never explicitly) and the very real violence Paulsen saw as a young child (there's an early scene that describes a plane of people being attacked and devoured by sharks, and several recountings of people being shot). The violence is never glorified, indeed Paulsen is literally and figuratively sick when having to see such things, but a sensitive reader would need some support for these sections.
I vividly remember reading Hatchet for the first time as a kid and being amazed (and slightly horrified) at the reality of it all. I very much wanted to go live in the woods as a youngling and even today (while I no longer crave full on wild woods living) survivalist fiction is still one of my favorite genres, all of which I gladly credit Paulsen (and Jean Craighead George) for. I think it was harder to start this book now (relatively close to Paulsen's passing) that it might have been had I read it immediately after it's publication, but the story leaves you on such a strong and hopeful note that really feels very right. Gone to the Woods gets a strong recommendation from me, for readers both young and old, provided everyone who wants it has a support/discussion friend on hand.