Author Gary Paulsen passed away on October 13, 2021. He was 82 years old. You might have read his most famous book Hatchet, the story of a kid stranded in the forest after a plane crash.
Many of Gary's books are about survival and the wilderness. Would you be surprised to find out that Gary led an adventurous life? He learned how to hunt and fish for himself while growing up. He worked at a carnival and on a farm and in the army; he held jobs as an engineer, construction worker, truck driver and sailor. He even entered an 1,180-mile dogsled race in Alaska!
Gary credits libraries for changing his life. He got his first library card at the age of 13. "Once I started to read, I read like a wolf eats," he said. He encouraged all kids to do the same, to be curious about the world and hungry for knowledge. Throughout his amazing career, Gary wrote more than 200 books! Which ones in our collection have you read?
His latest novel How to Train Your Dad is a laugh-out-loud story about Carl, who decides to use advice from a puppy training manual on his dad.
Gary's final novel Northwind will be published posthumously (meaning after his death). Remember to look out for it next year, and read like a wolf eats!