Customer Reviews

Woodsong

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

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!

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.)

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!

Woodsong is a well written story about a determined man and his bond with man's best friend, the dog. As the story begins, he turns from a novice, inexperienced dog runner to a experienced dog runner. He goes from losing his way and standing on deaths front doorstep to making a lifesaving decision only an expert could make. Through many tragedies, joys and sorrows, such as the feeling of seeing the finish at the end of the Iditarod(the most challenging dog race in North America) or having to watch your favorite dog grow old and pass away slowly and not being there when he draws its last breath or when you are shooting off a 40 foot tall cliff and plummeting to the bottom onto a frozen lake. And don't forget staying up all night watching the wolves skulk around the perimeter of your camp and making sure they stay at the perimeter and advance no more. It's a challenging book about 8th grade level but it's worth it. It's a book that really shows you the bond between man and dog. There are life lessons aplenty too. It teaches you things, the hard way, but you will stop and it will make you think, hmmm. It shows you nature has no mercy, something as beautiful as a frozen lake pockmarked with snow can quickly change into a frigid icy pool of death with a simple crack in the ice. There are some more gruesome scenes but they all have a purpose. To prove to you the lesson of only the fittest survive in the wild, they drill home the fact a sick or injured deer is chosen from the herd, chased and hunted down by wolves. It shows you how mercilessly the wolves rip into the deer. It is indeed a gruesome part but a quite important part. There are some parts in it that are a little hard to follow in my opinion such as when he starts talking about life, why are we here, etc. etc. Now for me that boring but you should look into it, plus it always somehow wraps into the story to prove quite vital. One man's ventures into the woods teach you so many lessons and morals such as only the strongest survive in the wild. Now we all know animals can sense things such as earthquakes and other events that people can not. In this book the majority of the leading is done by the dogs with a little help from the driver. For example, when they are in the middle of nowhere, its pitch-black and they come upon a fork in the trail. The dogs sense's say go left and they all pull left but the driver wants to go right. After a series of beatings the dogs give in and go right. Of course 5 minutes down the trail they end up shooting off the cliff down onto the lake. This story shows how one man's ambition, determination and a lot of help from his dogs all mixed in together is a perfect combination for braving nature and living to tell about it.

Gary Paulsen. "Paulsen is the best man-against-nature adventures writing today" according to Publisher Weekly. He lives with his wife Ruth in Minnesota. In "Wood Song" Gary talks about his like in the woods with his dogs. The book is about how unforgiving the wild can be and how he had to learn to deal with death in a hole new way. In just the first few chapters he talks about how on one of his first runs with a sled team he encounters a pack of wolfs chasing a deer. Also he learns that he knows very little about running a dog sled team in the begging, but once he starts running with the team more and more he starts to understand them and why they like to run. The book talks about how close Gary gets to his first led dog Storm. The book then talks about when he ran the Iditarod in Alaska. How he had to survive against the elements with only his dogs as company. In the book Gary talks about where he has been and what he has done.
Basically the book is all about action and adventure. Which is why I like Gary's books so much. One of the reasons I like his books so much is because there is not that many dry spots in the book. There isn't any really low parts, there is always something going on in the story. The great thing is that he makes you feel like you are right where he is.
I think that if you enjoy the wilderness then you will love this book or any of Gary Paulsen's books.

I loved this book alot.It allowed me to watch it in my mind.Reading this book gave me different emotions such as sadness and surprised when Storm died and did not blame the owner.I think you should read this.

Woodsong by Gary Paulsen is a book I will never regret reading. The entire book is non-stop action filled with events that keep you on the edge of your seat. It all starts with the very first page. The beginning is the type of intro that hooks you in and never lets go. From the very first sentence, the suspense makes your palms sweat. The plot becomes part of your life while you are reading the book. You learn things that are not only educational, but emotional lessons that will stick with you your entire life. In a way, the book is hard to relate to. You probably have not and never will be in the situations that the characters are in. However, the concepts of the problems do relate to the average person's way of life. For example, money is fairly tight where the characters live. I know many people who have problems with money and ways to overcome the lack of things such as a computer. The difference that makes this book unusual is the fact that it is true. The main character is the author, Gary Paulsen. Due to this, instead of saying to yourself in the middle of the book, "Gee, I'm glad ths is fiction." You would say,"Boy this guy was brave!" I am obliged to tell about the strong points in this book because there are so many. The suspense and descriptions are vivid. the "hook of the book" reels you in and doesn't let you go. the content is very clear and you don't have to be a genius to get through the vocabulary. There is a happy ending that satisfies your need for "happy-ever afterness." However, unlike a Disney movie it's not all sugarsweet. There is one weak point that is important to include. It wasn't nearly long enough. I wanted it to go on forever. By now, you probably are dieing to run to the nearest library and pick up this book. Before you dash off, I'd just like to warn you of something. It had a few gruesome parts. If you are the type of person who can't stand the sight of blodd or the type who gets nightmares over ghosts under your bed, you might not want to read this. The blood contec is little high and the way he describes it is realistic. That's why it is not that nice. The level of the book is not that high but I agree with the recommendation of 12 years + up. The vocabulary is fairly high and the content is better for older people. Many peers have asked me if I liked the book. Honestly, it is fantastic, a perfect 10, never dull, very powerful and most of all, filled with edge-of-your-seat events. As soon as you're done this paragraph race out to the library and pick up the book "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen.

After reading Gary Paulsen's Winterdance, I had to try this one. I teach 5th grade, so I thought Woodsong might be more geared toward them. I'm still reluctant to use this except in small groups...the depiction of nature's brutality with all the graphic detail, will be a little too intense for some of my students...only balanced by an adult's perspective (putting it into context).
Setting aside that one word of caution, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Like one of his dogs, once I was harnessed in, I couldn't stop running through the pages. Woodsong isn't the marathon that Winterdance is...more like a quick run from White Mountain to Nome...but I only stopped briefly to eat and sleep. [Couldn't get my wife to rub my shoulders or change my socks, though. No moose chili, either. C'mon [...]!] It's a book I'll read again and again.
What Paulsen does, he does extremely well. To begin, it's a parallel story to Winterdance, but draws from a completely different set of experiences: read both books! Paulsen masterfully strips away our romantic 'Disney' notions of nature with gritty reality. If you've ever spent time in remote places, off the beaten path, his stories will ring true to you. Paulsen is both humble and insightful in his understanding of himself, his thoughts and feelings, his limitations and motivations. That honesty is as rare as it is refreshing. Paulsen spends a little too much time focusing on the 'strange but true' encounters that happen in the wild, but I think it's part of his way of processing them...and sharing the wonder and awe that you get when you're out there. The grand scale of some of his stories, perhaps embellished, nevertheless leave you with the proper impression that the world of the Iditarod and Alaskan wilds are unimagineable and endless. You could explore them your entire life and never have seen it all.
Lastly, I have to add this personal commentary...how is Gary Paulsen STILL alive!!!!???? He must have a dozen, overworked, grumbling and sleepless guardian angels. His lack of caution and planning...or put more positively...his willingness to take risks and put himself in unfamiliar situations...does not usually go unpunished by Mother Nature. If there is anything bad in his message, it's the unspoken idea that you can take chances time and again...and somehow get away with it. My experience is that even with ALL preparations in place, you will still encounter the unpredictable. And although you prepare, risk is something you accept and live with. It's part of being in the wild. On our best days, we are small and powerless against the forces of nature. Wisdom, perseverance and adaptability are all essential survival tools. Paulsen seems lacking in wisdom (except that, in his self-deprecating style, he may be better than he says). Finally, Paulsen must have used his 'nine lives' long before he left Minnesota, and must therefore, be surviving on the borrowed or stolen 'lives' of others. That's wrong for him to do, of course, but he does put them to good use...and is nice enough to share them with US! Thank you, Gary Paulsen. And God bless your patient wife!

I have taught reading and writing to East Los Angeles - Hollenbeck Middle School - children of immigrants for the past three years. When I introduced "Woodsong" to my teens, I was worried that they would not be able to relate to a middle aged white guy in the snow. Not only do my "Americans of Mexican descent" love Paulsen but they love his dogs and other creatures he encounters: Scarhead, Hawk, Cookie, Columbia, Olaf, Obeah, the young dogs who discover fire, the doe that escapes into Paulsen's campsite, and especially Storm. The story of Storm and his stick brings tears to the eyes of even the most macho 14 year olds. Reading this book and others by Paulsen (Dirk the Protector and Older Run) have turned my kids onto reading other books by Paulsen, Jack London, Rudyard Kipling, and Louis L'Amour. I love you Gary!!!!!!!

Woodsong
By
Gary Paulsen

Woodsong is a story about the author's adventure in Alaska. He writes
about running dogs and racing in the Iditarod.
This story begins in Anchorage, Alaska in the 1980s. Paulsen runs the
dogs which means hitching a dog team to a sled and taking them for a
run.
One time while running the dogs, they saw a glowing light in the
woods. It seemed to be person walking in the dark with a lantern.
Paulsen also thought it was a ghost. It turned out to be a dead tree
with a glowing mushroom on it. He walked up to it and hit his head on
the dead tree. He felt the glowing light and realized it was a glowing
mushroom.
On another adventure, he was running his dogs in a snow storm. Paulsen
was headed for the edge of a cliff. He told the dog team to go straight
and straight would take them off the edge of the cliff. Paulsen did not
know because he was in a snow storm and he could not see. The dogs
knew they were about to go off the cliff. They tried to turn away but
Paulsen told them to go off the edge. They flew right off the edge of
the cliff. The sled and some of the dogs fell on him. He had a broken
rib. He got the dogs and the sled off of him and got the sled in to
shape. He got on the sled and the dogs knew the way and pulled him home.
The last part of the book is about the Iditarod race. The Iditarod
is an annual dog sled race in Alaska, where mushers and teams of dogs
cover about 1,150 miles in eight to fifteen days. Paulsen had a long
and hard race but he finished in about thirteen days.
I would recommend this book to someone who is a adventure seeker.
I liked it because it was a true story.