tammyw Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 We've yet to read any books from Gary Paulsen. I see Hatchet recommended a lot, but I'm still unsure after reading the amazon reviews. Would love some feedback from all my wise comrades here! Any thoughts or wisdom? Could be on this book or any of his others actually. Specifically for my dd9. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 I liked it. My Ds read it at 9 and my dd at 8. Both liked it. It wasn't a hard read. I really liked My Side of the Mountain better as far as survival themes books go. But Hatchet is more realistic as far as his mistakes go. There is a scary scene near the end if your dd is sensitive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 It's my son's favorite book. LOOOOVES it. We listened to it as a family during a long car ride, and we all loved it as well. Thumbs up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3Blessings Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 Very good book. I love it. I used it as a read aloud to some remedial grade 5 students when I was a teacher. They sat in rapt attention every day. When I was done they always asked for more. I think Gary Paulsen does a good job with most of his books. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly1730 Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 This is on my list of summer reads for my rising 5th grade sons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyto4 Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 We listened to it last summer, and we all LOVED it. It's got some mature themes (we had to explain divorce), and some parts are scary and a bit gruesome. However, for my three boys (ages 4, 7, and 9 at the time), it was a great book. The other Paulsen books are good too, but Hatchet was one of the top ones in my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 My 9yo "won" this from the Barnes & Noble summer reading program last summer, and she enjoyed it enough to go on to read the rest of the series. There are parts I'd prefer were different, but not enough to tell dc they can't read it. I remember enjoying it when I was in junior high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dealea86 Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 I hated it. But then again, I really haven't like any survival stories I've read (or tried to read). It's just not my genre. My DH, on the other hand, loved it. It was one of the few books he was assigned for school that he enjoyed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 My daughter read it as part of a 4th/5th grade book club at the library and enjoyed it. If your child gets into it, there's a semi-sequel called "Brian's Winter" that's also good, but, warning, if you look at the description before finishing "Hatchet" it will be a bit of a spoiler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted May 23, 2012 Author Share Posted May 23, 2012 My 9yo "won" this from the Barnes & Noble summer reading program last summer, and she enjoyed it enough to go on to read the rest of the series. There are parts I'd prefer were different, but not enough to tell dc they can't read it. I remember enjoying it when I was in junior high. Aubrey, can you explain what you'd prefer to be different? Just because I'm so curious now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 We read Hatchet as a read aloud and we loved it! I was glad, though, that we did it as a read aloud as there were a few scenes dealing with his mom's extra-marital affair that made me uncomfortable (my kids were 10 and under at the time) so I edited those scenes out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly1730 Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 We read Hatchet as a read aloud and we loved it! I was glad, though, that we did it as a read aloud as there were a few scenes dealing with his mom's extra-marital affair that made me uncomfortable (my kids were 10 and under at the time) so I edited those scenes out. Hmm, thank you for mentioning this. I may be re-thinking this for the boys to read on their own. Isn't there another Paulson book, Tucker possibly, that might be a better fit for younger readers? Not sure though, I'll have to check up on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetpea3829 Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 I enjoyed it when I read it. DH read it while working with tutoring and studying for his GED. It was one of the first books he'd read in a very very long time...and probably the first book he read for pleasure. He enjoyed it, and other Paulsen books quite a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherylw Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 DS 11 read it this year and then we listened to it on cassette tapes I found at the library. We really liked it. We also really enjoyed Woodsrunner. I may have even liked this one better simply because of the historical nature of it. It's about a boy who becomes an expert hunter within their pioneer colony. While on a long hunt the boy comes back to find the whole colony murdered and scalped by Indians and his parents missing. So he goes to try to find/rescue them. May be to gruesome for the younger but my boys are 10 and 11 and it wasn't too much for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulubelle Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 We tried to listen to it in the car just about a week ago and my 9 year old was scared by it. This is very unusual for him. The beginning is quite intense. And, it was way too much for my 5 year old to hear. So, we will retry later down the road when they are all older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 I think there are 4 books in this series. My son enjoyed all but the last. There was a pretty gruesome scene in the last one that really upset him and gave him nightmares for awhile. That's the first time that has ever happened with a book. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 My ds was 10 when we listened to it in the car. He also liked even more the Tucket books by the same author. My dd (who was 7) tuned out. Not sure if that was age or gender at play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted May 23, 2012 Share Posted May 23, 2012 We love the Gary Paulsen books. My son has read the entire series. And I have read 3 of the books and enjoyed them myself. We have even splurged to buy some from AMazon. They are sometimes graphic in nature, and sometimes deal with sad or frightening circumstances. So they would not be good for a very sensitive child. My son is very much protected, but not very sensitive, and he loves them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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