Hatchet

 Hatchet

By Gary Paulsen

We've been trying to get Kes to read some chapter books without much luck -- Harry Potter was a no-go --

until this one stuck. I'm so glad it did. I'd remembered the story from when I was a kid, and it was great to both share that with him and also to rediscover just what a lovely book it really is. It's not just the plot, which unfolds at a perfect pace, but Paulsen's writing. This really is a literary tale. I love the cadence of Paulsen's sentences, the way he uses repetition and mixes up the length. He's not just trying to get you to read on, he's offering an opportunity to savor the experience. We now have the whole Brian series out from the library. I am looking forward to digging into them all.