Oh, Gary Paulsen, how you will be missed! Reading this last book by the king of survival stories brought back memories of former students whose reading lives were enhanced by the writing of this wonderful author. His colorful, but not complicated, style will continue to bring stories to life for countless generations of future readers. His books are always going to be on my list of recommended books for readers both young and old.
In NORTHWIND a young boy named Leif, orphaned at birth, grows up on the docks with the help of some kind souls. He begins working on sailing vessels and is sold from ship to ship. The work is hard and the reward is usually a smelly blanket for a bed, clothes made from stiff, old sailcloth, and bits and pieces of leftover rations.
Leif ends up working in a fish camp catching and processing salmon. A plague hits the camp that takes the lives of most of the adult men. Leif and a younger boy they call Little Carl are bundled into a dugout canoe with meager supplies and told to head North. Not long after leaving the camp, Little Carl becomes ill and dies. Leif also gets sick, but luck helps him survive.
What follows is adventure in true Paulsen style as Leif navigates a coastline populated by whales, seabirds, black and brown bears, and thankfully a healthy supply of salmon and blackberries. As he explains, he "learns to learn" and is able to solve problems and deal with disasters that many times threaten his very life.
Fans of HATCHET and all the Brian books will love this combination of survival on land and sea. NORTHWIND is the perfect bookend to any Gary Paulsen collection.
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