Gary Paulsen:
PRESENTS:
Gary Paulsen:THE GREAT ADVENTURER
INTRODUCTIONGary James Paulsen (born May 17, 1939) is an
American writer of young adult literature, best known for coming of
age stories about the wilderness. He is the author of more than 200
books, more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and
several plays, all primarily for teenagers.Much of Paulsen's work
features the outdoors and highlights the importance of nature. He
often uses "coming of age" themes in his novels, where a character
masters the art of survival in isolation as a rite of passage to
manhood and maturity. He is critical of technology and has been
called a Luddite.
BEGINNINGSGary Paulsen was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to
Oscar and Eunice H. Paulsen His father was a career Army officer,
on General Patton's staff, who spent most of World War II overseas.
Gary did not meet his father until he was 9 years old. He spent
time throughout his childhood with his grandmother, aunts and
various other relatives.As a boy, he worked several jobs, including
setting pins at the bowling alley, delivering newspapers and
working as a farm hand. He bought his own school supplies and a
rifle, which he used to hunt for food. Eventually, he gave up the
rifle and manufactured his own bow and arrows which he used to hunt
deer.Paulsen developed a passion for reading at an early age. After
a librarian gave him a book to read along with his own library card
he was hooked. He began spending hours alone in the basement of his
apartment building, reading one book after another.
ON HIS OWNBut Gary had a sad childhood. Both of his parents were
alcoholics, and could not care for him. At the age of 14, Gary ran
away from home and joined a carnival.Paulsen acquired a taste for
adventure, and moved between several different jobs. He spent one
summer doing rigorous chores on a farm; also taking jobs as an
engineer, construction worker, ranch hand, truck driver, and
sailor; and two rounds of the 1,180-mile Alaskan dog sled race, the
Iditarod. All these have provided ample material from which he
creates his powerful stories.Paulsen was working as a satellite
technician for an aerospace firm in California when he decide he
wanted to be a writer. One night he walked off the job, never to
return. He spent the next year in Hollywood as a magazine
proofreader, working on his own writing every night. Then he left
California and drove to northern Minnesota where he rented a cabin
on a lake; by the end of the winter, he had completed his first
novel.
THE TUCKET SERIESGary Paulsen scored his first successful
childrens book with Mr. Tucket. It is about 14-year-old Francis
Tucket who wanders away from his family's wagon on the Oregon Trail
and is captured by the Pawnee Indians. It was first published in
1969.Other books in the series are:Call Me Francis Tucket
(1995)Tucket's Ride (1997)Tucket's Gold (1999)Tucket's Home
(2000)
HATCHETGary Paulsens most successful series began with a book
called Hatchet, first published in 1987.In the story, Brian Robeson
is a thirteen year-old son of divorced parents. As he travels on a
Cessna 406 bush plane to visit his father in the oil fields in
northern Canada for the summer, the pilot suffers a heart attack
and dies; Brian tries to land the plane, but ends up crash-landing
into a lake in the forest, saving nothing but his hatcheta gift his
mother gave him shortly before his plane departedand his own
life.Throughout the summer, Brian attempts to survive in the
endless wilderness with only his hatchet.
THE BRIAN SAGAHatchet was a tremendous success, both critically
and commercially, winning a Newbery Honor Medal and selling over
four million copies to date. He followed it with four sequels:The
River(Hatchet: The Return) (1991)Brian's Winter(Hatchet: Winter)
(1996)Brian's Return(Hatchet: The Call) (1999)Brian's Hunt(2003)In
1990, a movie based on Hatchet, was made, called A Cry In The
Wild.
A BUSY AUTHOR
Gary Paulsen is a tremendously prolific author, having written
over 200 books!He has written both fiction and non-fiction, and
also penned several autobiographies, based on his own true-life
adventures.Most recently, he has been writing books for younger
audiences, showing off his quirky sense of humor and masterful
storytelling technique.The book were going to read is called Lawn
Boy, and was published in 2009. It is about a boy who inherits an
old riding lawn mower, and gets a summer job mowing his neighbors
lawns; with completely unexpected results!
THE ENDA NUTSY THE SQUIRREL PRODUCTIONCOPYRIGHT 2013 OAK HILLS
MEDIA CENTERALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
BIBLIOGRAPHYhttp://www.randomhouse.com/features/garypaulsen/about.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Paulsen
Main Title and CalveraElmer BernsteinThe Magnificent Seven,
track 11960Soundtrack236527.92
