This Side of Wild
Mutts, Mares, and Laughing Dinosaurs

Memoirs are a huge part of Gary Paulsen's career. He led a life of fascinating variety, from driving sled dogs over hundreds of miles of frozen Alaskan wilderness, to cruising the Pacific Ocean alone in small boats; from serving in the U.S. military, to living in Midwestern solitude with his wife an......more

I've taught middle school for a long time, and often used Gary Paulsen's introductions to his books as mentor texts. Just find "The Winter Room" and its introduction ("Tuning") so beautifully sharing that books cannot have smells, or sound, or light, since these must be supplied by the reader in res......more

I read an ARC of this book, so I won't quote any passages, as small changes may be made in the final version. I liked this book a lot just because of Mr. Paulsen's openness to the idea that we humans should acknowledge the strengths animals possess and which we humans do not. He has, throughout his......more

This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen If you were lucky enough to read Hatchet you know that the author, Gary Paulsen, is capable of writing great stories. He has recently written an autobiography with a theme centering around the animals in his life. If you love your pet or even the wildlife around you......more

I hoped the powerful combination of Paulsen's skill as a writer and being on the long list for the National Book Award would make this an enjoyable read. And it is--for teens and adults. Paulsen's meandering pace and sophisticated phrasing/language will be challenging for anyone under 14 (I'm using......more