Woodsong [Library Binding]

Gary Paulsen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2008

For a rugged outdoor man and his family, life in northern Minnesota is a wild experience involving wolves, deer, and the sled dogs that make their way of life possible. Includes an account of the author's first Iditarod, a dogsled race across Alaska.

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

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Paulsen, who has received Newbery Honors for three of his novels, is the best author of man-against-nature adventures writing today. Woodsong is an autobiographical celebration of his longtime love of dogsledding and sled dogs, a love that suffused the pages of his best novel, Dogsong. Woodsong is divided into two parts. In the first part, "Running," Paulsen relates anecdote after anecdote about how his dogs and the frozen, wintery adventures he has had while sledding have taught him to be more human. The anecdotes run the gamut from hilarious to tragic, and truly sing with the wonder, violence and grace of the woods. The second part, "Racing," the pellmell story of Paulsen's first Iditarod--a sled race across the Alaskan wilderness from downtown Anchorage to downtown Nome--burns with feverish intensity as one grueling day follows another. Like Paulsen's novels, Woodsong blends deep introspection with fast-paced action and succeeds admirably on both levels. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

An autobiographical book that gives through spare but vivid language a look at a man who thought, because he was a hunter and a trapper, that he knew about the outdoors. Instead, he discovered he knew very little until he opened himself to the realities of predators and prey, and to the lessons taught to him by the animals he encountered and the sled dogs he trained and raced. This is not a life story, with dates and names and achievements, but rather Paulsen's reflections on the peculiarities and surprises of nature. Some of the lessons are violent and painful, brought on by the natural instincts of wild animals or Paulsen's own mistakes; others are touching or humorous, and convey a sharp sense of observation and awareness of the various personality traits of the dogs he has raised and run. And some are unexplainable--mysteries of nature that would seem incredible if written in a work of fiction. The anecdotal style and rhythmic, sometimes abrupt sentence structure demand close attention, and the switch in the last third of the book to Paulsen's day-by-day account of the Iditarod is sudden, though expected. The Iditarod story is intensely personal, focusing on Paulsen's thoughts, actions, and hallucinations during those 17 days rather than presenting a comprehensive view of the race and the competitors. Both segments of the book generate wonder at the abilities of animals and should introduce fans of Paulsen's fiction to a different type of writing. --Susan Schuller, Milwaukee Public Library
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Library Binding: 132 pages
• Publisher: Fitzgerald Books (August 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1424217865
• ISBN-13: 978-1424217861
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (96 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,170,968 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

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Man His Dogs and the Ride of His Life!, January 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Woodsong (Hardcover)

Wood Song is about A man who loves his dogs and adventures. He was living in the woods when the beavers over-populated, so he borrowed his friend's dogsled and some dogs and then he set up a couple hundred mile trapline for beavers.He loved it, and very soon he got good at it, and the huge Alaskian race, called the Iditaron, was coming soon so he entered it, and that lead to a whole new part of the adventurous stoy. I liked this book, because of all the detail that Gary put into it. He did a great job, You could almost see what was happening as you read it. This book strikes the imagination of readers of all ages. I give it 5 stars and 2 thumbs way way up!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read in Class, November 19, 2004

By 

Academy Of The Redwoods (Northern California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Woodsong (Paperback)

If you are interested in reading this book I would suggest that you do. It's very fun and interesting. Even though there are sad and horrible things going on it's still one that should be read. You'll learn how much the author, Gary Paulsen, loves his dogs and how much they love him. You'll learn about Storm, his wild care-free dog who just loves to play tricks on people and have a good time. But in the end of Storm's life, you'll learn how much he truly loved Gary and what he did when he died. Gary tells about the experiences in the Iditarod and how you should prepare yourself. (Written by a student for a 9th grade English class.)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For those who have ever loved dogs!, July 14, 2004

By 

Wolfe Moffat (Franklinville, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Woodsong (Paperback)

This is a classic tale for anyone who has ever loved dogs, or, to be more specific, any particular dog. I can say that this is also an icy tale that will actually take your breath away as Paulsen describes some of the conditions he's been in with his sled dogs. This is the true story of how he survives in the Minnesota wilderness, and then takes on the bigtime, The Iditarod in Alaska!

When you read this, there are times when you will probably feel different things. Like the feeling some people have had (I have personally) of losing a pet. Or at times, you laugh at the hilarity of some of the things that pets will indeed do that leave you laughing so hard that it almost brings you to tears. Paulsen brings this to life only in the way that he has always used to tell a story. I love it how he describes his, and every man's greatest fear when in The Iditarod, is to scratch. When Paulsen describes this, he compares it to being a leper! He loves his dogs, and talks about how they are practically insane to run. He slightly haunts us with stories of hallucinations as a result of sleep deprivation! Yet, he also describes his most human side throughout the race, describing a cup of hot chocolate given to him by a beautiful blonde. Or how children from the Shageluk school made a pot of Moose chili especially for the mushers, and how he ate 19 bowls because it tasted so great, and then suffered the wonderful indigestion as a result. It is those stories and more, that make this an easy classic, and a read that you find hard to put down!

I first read this about 10 years ago. It still is easy to pick up, and enjoy it from page 1. Awesome work!