Dogsong [Hardcover]

Gary Paulsen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2000

Inspired by an Eskimo shaman, Russel Suskitt takes a dog team and sled to escape the modern ways of his village and to find his own "song" of himself. "Enough gritty realism to satisfy the most adventure-hungry readers."--School Library Journal.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"When most people hear 'large-print book,' they immediately think senior citizen. But large-print editions of popular children's books -- from the powerhouse Harry Potter series to timeless classics like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- are now making their way onto the shelves of the Children's Department at the Canton Library. . . . Although large-print editions are targeted to the visually-impaired or dyslexic child, they can also be used by standard-vision readers. So Kershner [Children's librarian at the Canton Public Library] has decided against creating a special section in the Children's Department (as exists in the Adult Department) opting instead to intersperse large-print books on the shelves with the regular print versions of the same titles."
-- The Observer and Eccentric (October 2000) (The Observer and Eccentric )

"Thorndike Press has helped me not only find books I want to read, but they also look like regular books. That's important when you're a kid and you can only read Large Print, you want your book to look like all the other books. I'm reading a lot more now that we have found Thorndike Press."
-- Jim Bernardin, Islamorada, FL

"Everyone loves to read, there's nothing like curling up with a good book. We're a reading family, so when our son was diagnosed with Stargardt's Disease and only able to read Large Print, it was particularly difficult. Books on tape are wonderful but they don't fill the void of actually reading a good story. Large Print books have been around a long time for older people, but to find a good novel for a young person in Large Print began to feel nearly impossible. The books that Thorndike Press publishes have truly made a difference in my son's reading life. He can enjoy current novels as well as some of the classics that he missed reading when it became too difficult with regular print."
-- Sara Bernardin, Islamorada, FL --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Gary Paulsen is one of the most honored writers of contemporary literature for young readers. He has written more than one hundred book for adults and young readers, and is the author of three Newbery Honor titles: Dogsong, Hatchet, and The Winter Room. He divides his time among Alaska, New Mexico, Minnesota, and the Pacific.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068983960X
• ISBN-13: 978-0689839603
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (95 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,551,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gary Paulsen is one of the most honored writers of contemporary literature for young readers. He has written more than one hundred book for adults and young readers, and is the author of three Newberry Honor titles: Dogsong, Hatchet, and The Winter Room. He divides his time among Alaska, New Mexico, Minnesota, and the Pacific.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, October 16, 2000

By 

jasenao (Dothan, Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dogsong (Mass Market Paperback)

"Dogsong" is a great book. It's about an eskimo boy named Russell who gets tired of the normal way of life and wants a change. He goes to a wise old man named Oogruk, who tells him about the way it used to be, the way the men used to make their living, and how they made their own songs of life. Russell becomes interested and wants to make his own song with the aid of some sled dogs. Oogruk teaches him how to hunt, how to find himself, and how to make his own song. Soon, Russell is out in the cold arctic terrain fighting against snowstorms, encountering a giant polar bear, and even rescuing a pregnant eskimo girl, while he hunts for food and makes his own song.

Once you start reading "Dogsong," it's hard to put it down. You'll want to keep reading it to see what happens next to Russell and how he will react to the situation. When you read this book, you'll see why it's a Newberry Honor Award Winner, it's an all around great book for anybody to read. I highly recommend it to anybody that likes adventure books or books about the arctic.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dogsong, June 5, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Dogsong (Mass Market Paperback)

As an Eskimo boy journeys to find himself, he must survive the harsh conditions of the frozen tundra. When Russel realizes he is unhappy with his way of life, he goes to an old Eskimo named Oogruk for help. Oogruk teaches him how the old Eskimos once lived and then, giving him his five dogs and a sled, tells him that in order to become a man, he must leave the village and travel north. He takes the dogs and does just that, only stopping to make camp at night and during storms, until he realizes he needs to find food. Luckily, the dogs pick up the scent of a herd of caribou and, with their help, he is able to kill four using the bow and arrows Oogruk gave him. They keep traveling and one day come across snowmobile tracks which lead them to a snowmobile that had run out of gas. Beside it, there are footprints that lead them to a pregnant woman lying in the snow. Russel makes a shelter and revives her back to health. She tells him her name is Nancy and decides to join them on their journey. Soon they run out of food and, when they are on the brink of starvation, Russel is fortunate enough to take down a polar bear with a lance. Soon after, though, he finds that Nancy is sick and they start off towards the nearest village for help. Dogsong is a captivating story filled with adventure.
This story is filled with suspense. When Russel is caught out on the ice during a storm, he and his dogs are just able to find shelter under a ledge of ice before the full force of the storm hits. Later, he uses a floating chunk of ice as a bridge to get from one ice mass to another, knowing that falling in the water would bring instant death. As a huge polar bear charges at Russel, the dogs distract it making it spear itself on the lance Russel sticks in the ground.
The characters in this story are very interesting. Russel is an Eskimo boy who becomes unhappy with his way of life and journeys through the frozen tundra alone just to live as the old Eskimos once did. Oogruk is an old Eskimo who still lives the old way. He teaches Russel how to live the old way and gives him his sled and dogs. Nancy is a woman who runs away from her village to die in the tundra, because she accidentally becomes pregnant. Luckily, Russell finds her alone in the snow and saves her.
It is interesting to see how Russel's relationship with the dogs changes throughout the story. When he first meets them, they growl at him when he is just trying to put their harnesses on and he must hit them to get them to obey him. After a few runs with them, they begin to get to know him and obey his commands, but still aren't completely loyal. They disobey him as he tries to lead them home after a storm. During their journey, Russel and the dogs form a strong bond. The dogs go where he wants them to even when he doesn't speak.
Dogsong is a great story filled with adventure. It is a captivating story that any reader will enjoy. It is a story well worth reading.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Adam's Review, May 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Dogsong (Mass Market Paperback)

Gary Paulsen has wrote so many great, interesting books and this book, "Dogsong", just adds to the collection. This is a story of a boy named Russel Suskitt that is an eskimo who wants to find his inner-self and get away from his normal, boring way of life. Russel goes and speaks to a elder man, but very clever, named Oogruk. He tells Russel about the way life was when men made their living and how they made personal songs of life. Oogruk teaches him how to hunt, how to find his inner-self, and to make his own song of life. So Russel decides to make his own song of life by going on an adventure that would risk his life. Russel gathers some dogs and gets a dogsled together and starts out for the biggest adventure of his life. Along the way he has to sled through mountains, icy terrains, and even rivers. He also met up with a polar bear. In addition, during his trip he also helped rescue an eskimo woman that was pregnant. Oogruk's teaching came to use when Russel had to hunt for his food out in the wild. Russel had a great time on this adventure being away from the village and finding his inner-self. He also built a friendship with the dogs that was very important for this young man out in the great wild. This adventure helped Russel find his inner-self and make his own song of life.

This book is very exciting filled with adventure, hunting, and tips for being in the wilderness. I enjoyed this book alot and gave it four out of five stars. If you are someone who does not like adventure and reading about the great outdoors then this book is not for you. I do really recommend it to anyone that likes adventure and reading about the wilderness.