Gary Paulsen (1939–2021)

In this book, a young Inuit boy named Russel is going through a trying time in his life and begins searching for deeper meaning. He finds connection through dogsledding and embarks on an adventure in the wilderness. I appreciated the depictions of Alaskan life and the historical context provided throughout the book, but I found the pacing to be a bit slow and the storyline not as compelling as others I've experienced in young adult fiction. For young people seeking a greater connection to their cultural heritage, this book may resonate more deeply, but for those accustomed to faster plotlines and gripping narrative, this book will likely leave a bit to be desired.… (plus d'informations)

-Fiction: Novel Person vs. Nature, Self-Discovery, Survival
-Paulsen, Gary. Dogsong. Simon & Schuster, 1985, 192 pages, Intermediate, Middle.

-Follow Russel Susskit, a young Inuit boy, as he embarks on a transformative journey through the Arctic wilderness with his dog team, guided by the wisdom of an elderly shaman named Oogruk in this exhilarating story. Through a vivid and immersive narrative, Paulsen captures the essence of Inuit culture and the profound connection between humans and nature that they display.
-Keywords: Inuit culture, Sled dogs, Arctic wilderness, Shaman, Tradition
-Activity: Have students research traditional Inuit survival techniques and create a survival guide inspired by Russel's journey. Encourage students to illustrate their guides with relevant images/drawings and descriptions of each technique."… (plus d'informations)

3.25

A boy, his boat, and the drive to survive.

“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

Reminds me of The Life of Pi.… (plus d'informations)

This is a direct continuation/alternate ending/retcon of Hatchet, the first book in the series. It changes the ending of Hatchet, so that Brian was still stuck in the wilderness as winter came. We therefore get to see how he applies his hard-earned survival experience and his wilderness-attuned mentality to get through the extreme cold and bad weather of winter.

I like this ending of the story better than the one in Hatched. Brian was ready for this extra challenge, so why deprive readers of the pleasure of seeing him cope with winter?

Once more, the writing is average and simplistic, but the survival and nature content still makes up for it. I'm giving it 3 stars instead of the 4 I gave to Hatchet, however, because I felt the storytelling was a bit by-the-numbers, as if Brian overcame the challenges too easily this time, so there was less conflict. It never felt like he might fail and die at any moment.

Still, this completes Brian's ordeal and coming-of-age nicely, and complements Hatchet as a life-changing experience for him.

One pet peeve: in the end, I would have liked more about what how Brian's family and the world in general reacted to his unexpected survival. I felt a bit cheated that this was not explored.… (plus d'informations)