I'm noticing a pattern.
Since I've begun posting tributes on authors' birthdays, both here and, more frequently, on Instagram, I have noticed that most of my favorite authors are well into their 70's and 80's. Go ahead and say it - I'm old. But as far as I'm concerned, my age is a gift. Because I was born when I was, my childhood was filled with the works of Beverly Cleary, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Catherine Woolley, and E.L. Konigsburg.
My children's generation can claim that their shelves were filled with J.K. Rowling, Lynne Reid Banks, Roald Dahl, Judy Blume, and...Gary Paulsen.
Celebrating his 79th birthday today, Gary Paulsen is every bit as tough and rugged as the men he writes. He prefers solitude to cities, and nature to the general public, he has strong opinions on modern society, is a true adventurer and a gifted storyteller.
Gary Paulsen writes for kids, to make an impression, to foster new ideas within them. In an interview with the New York Times (August 2006), Paulsen states, "Adults are locked into car payments and divorces and work. They haven't got time to think fresh. Name the book that made the biggest impression on you. I bet you read it before you hit puberty. In the time I've got left, I intend to write artistic books - for kids - because they're still open to new ideas."
Paulsen is the author of more than 170 books and doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon. He is also a three-time Newbery award winner, but if you take the time to read a bit about him, or listen to him speak, it will become clear to you that he writes because he is driven to write, not because he is seeking accolades.
He loves writing and he knows first-hand the impact the right books can have on a child. Paulsen had a difficult childhood, a gross understatement to be sure, and credits his local librarian with changing the course of his life.
If you know a reluctant reader, especially a boy, put a Gary Paulsen book in his hands, and you will soon see a changed reader.
Start with Hatchet. You won't regret it.
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