Gary Paulsen

Gary Paulsen is known as one of the most prolific adolescent novelist in the past 50 years. Paulsen, born May 17, 1939, ran away from his Northern Minnesota home when he was only 14 years old. Paulsen is heralded for his work output (has written over 175 books and 200 articles) and his ability to captivate reluctant readers. Paulsen was involved in a series of interesting jobs including, carnival worker, ranch hand, construction worker, farmer, engineer, truck driver and sailor. Paulsen also completed the world's largest dog sled race, the Iditarod, not once but twice. Paulsen draws on his previous experience to produce a more realistic feel to his novels.
 Personally, I feel Paulsen's biggest strength as an author is his ability to combine elementary language with riveting plot lines. The story is captivating enough to have them gain interest but the language is simple enough so it doesn't discourage them from quitting. It is unbelievable to me how successful he is at attacking adult issues. In Paulsen's Hatchet, the protagonist faces witnessing a death of a person, brutal animal attacks, and even attempts suicide. Yet it is all done in an extremely tasteful manner. Paulsen is also impressive in getting kids to relate to his stories, even though kids have never experienced such extraordinary circumstances and most have never even experienced a similar setting. It is also hard not to be impressed by the man's workload. With over 375 publications under his belt, Paulsen has 3 more books due before winter. Keep on trucking Gary! Keep on trucking...