Woodsong Paperback Book by Gary Paulsen

The number one item on my bucket list is to go to Alaska and see the beginning of the Iditarod dog sled race. Next month, I will be able to cross that off the list as that is exactly what I am going to do. While looking around the Iditarod website, I noticed that they recommended this book for people interested in dog sledding. I had read  Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod  previously by this same author and it is one of my favorite books of all time so I immediately downloaded this one.It is a relatively short book and is divided into two sections. The first section is a bit about his personal history and how his growing-up years really revolved around nature and engaging in out-door activities. He also explains how he moved from being a very active hunter to someone who has decided he will never hunt another living creature again. As he got older, he developed a fascination with dogs and was intrigued by dog sledding and started dabbling a bit in the sport. I will warn folks that there are some very descriptive passages about animals hunting other animals. While this is just part of nature and to be expected, if you are thinking of allowing a youngster to read this, you may want to glance at it before you do so. Some younger folks might be very upset by the events.The second half of the book is a day-by-day account chronically of his first Iditarod run. Each day is about 2 or 3 pages long and talks about what happened that day and what misadventures occurred.With my interest in the Iditarod, I found the second half to be more interesting to me but I still very much appreciated his sharing of his story and how he found himself participating in one of the most challenging events currently held. Well worth a read for fans of Mr. Paulsen and well worth a read for anyone interested in dog sledding.While I still prefer  Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod , this was good and I am so happy I purchased it.

Son needed the book for school

So exciting! This book has it all--horror, humor, tenderness. Great for adults, too.

Gary Paulsen has left the world to soon a few days ago and this book is one of his treasures. Based in part on his lived experiences such a thoughtful edition to your library. Deep.

Paulsen nailed his narration. It was authentic, paced well and emotional. Really added the human factor to his writing. Recommended.

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.)

This i the best Gary Paulson book i have! (I have all of them.)

I give th book five stars because it was a good book, but it had some weird analogies, an sometimes couldn't understand what he was talking about. But other than that it was really good.

Gary Paulson never fails to grip and delight, make you weep with sadness and with joy. his style of writing flows and is so comfortable to read. I have most of his books and they are all treasures

This is probably a fine book if I had a child to give it to. I did not know that this book was for young readers so I was disappointed that this gift will not be given to the intended recipient.

Such a great read. You will get lost in this book and since it’s targeted at teens, it can be read front to back in a day or two.