Product Description

A LIFE AS EXCITING AS FICTION

Gary Paulsen, three-time Newbery Honor author, is no stranger to adventure. He has flown off the back of a dogsled and down a frozen waterfall to near disaster, and waited for a giant bear to seal his fate with one slap of a claw. He has led a team of sled dogs toward the Alaskan Mountain Range in an Iditarod -- the grueling, 1,180-mile dogsled race -- hallucinating from lack of sleep, but he determined to finish.

Here, in vivid detail, Paulsen recounts several of the remarkable experiences that shaped his life and inspired his award-winning writing.

A School Library Journal Best Book

A Booklist Editors' Choice

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #49584 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781416939399
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

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.

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.

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.

Customer Reviews

A Man His Dogs and the Ride of His Life!
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!

One of the best books I have ever read!
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.

Read in Class
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.)