RIP Gary Paulsen

Gary Paulsen passed away yesterday at the age of 82. He was the author of over 200 books during his life, one of his most famous being Hatchet. Like so many kids growing up in the ’90s, we read Hatchet in school. And although I’ve got to be honest, I don’t remember much, I do remember reading it and impacting me as a kid.

Paulsen’s last book to be published, Gone to the Woods is a memoir about his childhood. I actually got a chance to hear his interview on NPR just a few months ago and learned a lot more about how and why he wrote, his process, and inspiration.

Paulsen didn’t have an easy childhood and spent much of his time outdoors, inspring so many of his books. But, like many writers, there was a librarian who gave him his first library card, sharing books with him and believing in him. She even gifted him a brand new notebook and No. 2 pencil.

With three Newbery Honor medals and countless other acolades, Gary Paulsen is an author that still resonates with readers and one whose work will connect with even more readers.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

There’s no way I was going to include 200 titles – here are just a couple of his many works for kids and teens!

• Dogsong
• Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood
• Guts: The True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books
• Hatchet
• Lawn Boy
• Liar, Liar
• Road Trip
• This Side of Wild: Mutts, Mares, and Laughing Dinosaurs
• Woodsong

If you’re interested in purchasing any of the titles above, please use my affiliate links for Amazon. When you purchase from the links above, I will earn a commission as an affiliate.