Gary Paulsen

Welcome to the Internet School Library Media Center Gary Paulsen page. You will find biography, bibliography, lesson plans and criticism on this page. For other authors, see Authors & Illustrators of Books for Children and Young Adults. The ISLMC is a preview site for teachers, librarians, parents and students. You can search this site, use an index or sitemap. Revised 12/11/01

[Biography] [Other Biographical Links] [Lesson Plans] [Lesson Plans - The Brian Books] [Criticism] [Paulsen Bibliography] [ERIC Resources] [Book Reviews]

Biography

By Brenda Hoffman and Inez Ramsey

You can visit Gary Paulsen at his official website.

The following is some biographical information about him. Gary Paulsen was born on May 17,l939 in Minnesota. During the first few years of his life, he was raised by his grandmother and several aunts because his father was stationed in Europe during World War II. His mother worked in a factory. He lived overseas after the war in the Phillippines between 1946-49. After that time, he was constantly moving because of his father's military career. His parents were alcoholics and eventually Gary had to move out and live with relatives and be self supporting.

He found security and support from his grandmother and aunts, but he also found comfort in books. A librarian offered him a library card while he was warming himself from the cold. He read constantly, even as much as a book a day. Ever since he was fifteen, he worked many jobs to support himself.

He attended Bemidji College, now Bemidji State University, in Minnesota, paying his tuition by being a trapper. He also spent some time in the army. He decided one day to try writing and tried to become a magazine editor. He spent nearly a year as an associate magazine editor on a magazine for men in Hollywood, California. He published his first book, Special War, in 1966. His early career was very productive. He published nearly forty books and several articles and short stories. His career was interrupted by a lawsuit in 1977 over Winterkill. He won the lawsuit but at a high cost. During that time he picked up the hobby of dog sledding which because the subject of some of his future works, like Dogsong. He later attended the University of Colorado in 1972. He suffered a heart attack in 1990 which has reduced some of his physical activity. He continues "on the go" sledding, motorcycling and sailing. He and his wife Ruth who has illustrated some of his books live in La Luz, New Mexico and Minnesota.

You'll find critical information on Paulsen's books at Kay Vandergrift's Gary Paulsen Page. His novels are excellent examples of the person vs nature plot in young adult novels. His action stories about survival including obstacles such as alcoholism, death or surviving in the wilderness. He is very visual in his writing style and uses setting effectively and realistically. Most of his main characters are not from perfect families and usually find someone such as a member of the extended family to turn to. As noted in "Gary Paulsen. A Writer of His Time" in the ALAN Journal, his novels don't always end neatly and happily ever after, but usually open ended (1). He challenges his readers to pursue knowledge and treats his audience as human beings. Some of his novels are about rite of passage. Some have only one character, such as Hatchet and Voyage of the Frog.

Paulsen was the recipient of the 1997 Margaret A. Edwards Award for his lifetime achievement in writing for young adults.

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Other Biographical Links

Gary Paulsen
From Internet Public Library
Meet Gary Paulsen
Biography, bibliography from Scholastic
An Interview with Gary Paulsen. Iditarod '99
From Scholastic.
Gary Paulsen Biographical Bibliography
From Carr Library
Gary Paulsen
Past biography from Educational Paperback Association

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Lesson Plans

Teacher Cyber Guide: Canyons
Unit: Grades 7 & 8. From San Diego County Schools
Six Features of Effective English Instruction
Classroom Notes Plus from NCTE; Ideas for student
interaction with novels; includes Canyons
Story Sequencing. Canyons
pdf file; lesson plan by Darrah Moore
Canyons
Questions to accompany the book; by Lisa McConnell
Interdisciplinary Connections. Theme: Doing the Decades
Middle or secondary; reading young adult novels set in decades
from 1900-1909 to 1990-1999; uses The Cookcamp
Literature in an Interdisciplinary Unit
Theme: Rivers [The Crossing]
Literature in an Interdisciplinary Unit. Rivers Theme
Middle School; article by David S. Burk in ALAN Review
Winter 96; uses The Crossing and The River
The Crossing Anticipation Guide
From KidReach
Math Skills Lesson from IDITAROD! Unit
Grades 5-8. [Dogsong]
Iditarod Homepage
From Scholastic. Kids can learn about the Iditarod; interview
with Gary Paulsen
Gary Paulsen. "The Dogs Could Teach Me"
Grades 8-12; Language Arts, Literature.By Hope Campbell and
Kathleen Housley. From Encarta
Anticipation Guide: A Fire in My Hand
Secondary level
The Foxman
Review, activities, related books by Carol Hurst
Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen
Grade 8 lesson plan by Veronica Durden from EduPlace
Nightjohn #1
Booktalk, author study, classroom conections; by students
of Ernie Bon, Salisbury State
Nightjohn #2
Booktalk, author study, classroom connections; by students
of Ernie Bond, Salisbury State
Interdisciplinary Connections. Proving That Oil and Water Mix: Science and Literature in the Middle School
Middle school; science activities and books;
includes The Schernoff Discoveries
Discussion Guide. Soldier's Heart
Students can also respond to questions about the book online.
From Scholastic
Woodsong by Gary Paulsen
Grade 6; lesson plan by Judy Johnston from EduPlace

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Lesson Plans - The Brian Books

Guts; The True Stories Behind the Hatchet and the Brian Books
pdf file; lesson plan from Random House
Brian's Return and all the Brian Books
pdf file; lesson plan from Random House
Survival as a Bridge to At-Risk Readers: Applications of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet to an Integrated Curriculum
Article by Cynthia G. Unwin and Brian Palmer; in ALAN Review,
Spring 1999.
Methods Students Write about Young Adult Literature with a Tenth-Grade Learning Strategies Class
[Hatchet]
Survival as a Bridge to At-Risk Readers: Applications of Gary Paulsen's Hatchet to an Integrated Curriculum
By Cynthia G. Unwin and Brian Palmer. ALAN Review, Spring 1999.
SCORE Cyberguide: Hatchet
Middle school
Hatchet Anticipation Guide #1
By Michelle Holcomb; From KidReach
Hatchet Anticipation Guide #2
By Michelle Dyer; from KidReach
Hatchet Anticipation #3
By Stuart Sheriff; from KidReach
Constructing a Survival Kit
Grades 5-6. From AskEric
Guide for "Brian's Winter"
Anticipation guide. Grades 5-8. From KidReach

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Criticism

Gary Paulsen: A Writer of His Time
Article by James A. Schmitz, ALAN Review Fall 1994.
Sounds and Pictures in Words: Images in Literature for Young Adults
Article by Connie S. Zitlow in ALAN Review Winter 2000
Spiritual Themes in Young Adult Books
Article by K.L. Mendt in ALAN Review Spring
1996; The Island.
Female Protagonist in Multicultural Young Adult Literature
By Judith Hayn and Deborah Sherrilll in ALAN Review
Fall 1996. Sisters
Finding Your Way Home: Orphan Stories in Young Adult Literature
Article by Dirk P. Mattson in ALAN Review Spring 1997.
Young Adult Literature for Young Adult Males
Article by Sam D. Gill in ALAN Review Winter 1999.

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Selected Bibliography

Paulsen Selected Annotated Bibliography and References
Bibliography at ISLMC
Carr Library. Gary Paulsen Bibliography Use this one for complete list of Culpeper Adventure and other series

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ERIC Resources

For abstracts, please search AskEric directly.

Gary Paulsen. "I Write Because It's All I Can Do"

Article in ALAN Review. EJ466718
Suggestions for Teaching a "New" Tradebook Author.
By Joan E. Boyce. EJ429713. Suggestions for teaching his novels.
The Maximum Expression of Being Human.
By David Gale. EJ546287. Interview in School Library Journal
The Storyteller's Legacy (Books for the Teenage Reader).
Book reviews from English Journal. EJ437363
The Book Needs You: Gary Paulsen's "The Winter Room" as a Writerly Text.
By Laura Apol Obbink. Article from New Advocate. EJ445718
Biography Today: Author Series. Profiles of People of Interest to Young Readers. Volume 1, 1995.
By Laurie Harris and Ed Lanzen. ED390725
Books That Invite Talk, Wonder, and Play.
Edited by Amy A. McClure and Janice V. Kristo. Notable
children's books. ED398530
Because a Book Can't Have Smells, Sound, Light, "The Book Needs You."
By Terry C. Ley. Article. English Journal. EJ437467.
Have Hatchet--Will Survive: Suggested Activities for Decision-Making Skills.
By Jean Bressler and Helen Howell. Article from ALAN. EJ428259

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Book Reviews

Brian's Winter Review by 7th grader.

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