Tracker (Paperback)

by Gary Paulsen (Author) "John Borne sat at the breakfast table and tried to see the look of death on his grandfather..." (more)
Key Phrases: deer season, new snow, deer hunting, John Borne

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The value of life is the theme of these two rugged novels, the first a coming-of-age tale revolving around a deer hunt, the second a collection of interspliced stories contrasting a celebration of the human spirit with glimpses of the dehumanizing forces of war. Ages 9-13; 12-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description
For John Borne's family, hunting has nothing to do with sport or manliness. It's a matter of survival. Every fall John and his grandfather go off into the woods to shoot the deer that puts meat on the table over the long Minnesota winter.

But this year John's grandfather is dying, and John must hunt alone. John tracks a doe for two days, but as he closes in on his prey, he realizes he cannot shoot her. For John, the hunt is no longer about killing, but about life.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (June 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416939407
• ISBN-13: 978-1416939405
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #30,928 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #10 in	Books > Teens > Authors, A-Z > ( P ) > Paulsen, Gary
  #84 in	Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Family Life > Multigenerational > Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tracker (Ivan Shoepoo), October 27, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Tracker (Paperback)

The book is about a boy whose parents died when he was little so he has to live with his grandparents on a farm. The boy and his grandfather always go deer hunting together every year. This year though they cannot go together because his grandpa has cancer. When the boy goes hunting he sees a deer and tracks it. Then he finds that he cannot kill it so then he thinks that if he could just touch it, it would heal his grandpa. Does it heal his grandpa? Does he even touch the deer? Read the book to find out. I really liked this book because I love being outdoors. On a scale from 1 to 10 I would rate this book an 8.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Back Home, December 4, 2006

By	Andrea "Readaholic" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tracker (Paperback)

I felt I was back home, in my childhood days. I grew up in the country where people hunted and ate deer meat. This book was tender and sentimental for me.

I was sad because the grandfather was dying.

I love all of Gary Paulsen's books. Even though most of them are teen books (Murphy's Gold is adult), they are breathtaking, enjoyable books for me. He writes books about rural life.

This particular book was special. The grandfather was dying, but does the deer have to die?

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Joe Anderson's review, October 19, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Tracker (Hardcover)

I loved this book!!! If you like the outdoors and hunting and are looking for a quick read this is the book for you .The reason why I liked this book is because I love the outdoors and hunting.

This story is about John Born, his grandfather is dying of cancer and it is a family tradition to go hunting. There is absolutely no sport in hunting for the Born's; it is to put food on the table for the long winter. One day he is out fertilizing the fields and he sees a doe. This suddenly changes his feelings about hunting. The main phrase or you could say its theme is, "If I touch the deer, death will be cheated

If you read this book it would definitely help to be a boy considering it is about hunting.