Language Arts — Gary Paulsen uses imagery to appeal to all of the senses–sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Allow students to browse the books and find examples of such imagery. Ask them to use Paulsen’s images to create similes. Brian's Winter is followed chronologically by the two sequels, Brian's Return and Brian's Hunt as they recognize the book as a series canon. The River does not and includes no mention that the events of Brian's Winter ever took place as Brian tells Derek Holtzer that he only spent fifty-four days in the wilderness. This is because The River was published in 1991, [1] five years before the release of Brian's Winter.

He had come to rely on his senses and he knew something had changed to snap him awake that way and he lay with his eyes wide in the dark, listening, smelling, trying to see. How does Brian’s understanding and appreciation of nature contribute to his need to leave home and return to the wilderness in Brian’s Return? Social Studies — Brian hunts with tools similar to those used by early hunters. How does Brian know which tools to use in specific hunting situations? Ask students to use the library to research ancient hunting methods. Have them construct a pictorial time line that traces the development of various hunting tools. Students may also enjoy locating a camp in another part of the country. How does the locale of the camp affect the type of survival skills taught?Brian is stranded in the Alaskan wilderness when his plane goes down. It was either learn the ways of the wild or die. Brian built a shelter, learned to make tools, hunt for animals and sew clothing from hide. He also learned the rhythms of the seasons but had not yet experienced winter. He missed the clues of winter's arrival until one day he heard the geese flying south and then he knew his survival would depend on the skills he was learning. I was thinking to myself that something was missing from this years reading. And when, last night, I was literally freezing in bed, K thought of this book and how I wanted to reread it for a while now. urn:lcp:brianswinter1996paul:epub:527c34fc-b515-4036-8e59-6bbf145a5fe2 Extramarc OhioLINK Library Catalog Foldoutcount 0 Identifier brianswinter1996paul Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t0ht3hv65 Isbn 0439650313 Ask students to discuss how surviving in the wilderness for a long period of time might change a person’s life. Tell the class that in Brian’s Return, Brian Robeson cannot adjust to ordinary life and feels that the only way he can be happy is to return to the wilderness. Divide the class into small groups and ask them to brainstorm the many reasons why it might be difficult for Brian to live the life of a typical high-school student. Music — In the Author’s Note at the end of Brian’s Return, Gary Paulsen writes that he is waiting out winter storms before he can set sail on his boat Felicity. During the rain, he listens to the music of Mozart. Ask students to find recordings that they think reflect Brian’s connection with nature.

He would have to find some way to protect himself, some weapon. The fire worked well when it was burning, but it had burned down. His hatchet and knife would have done nothing more than make the bear really angry -- something he did not like to think about -- and his bow was good only for smaller game. He had never tried to shoot anything bigger than a fool bird or rabbit with it and doubted that the bow would push the arrow deep enough to do anything but -- again -- make the bear really mad. Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2010-09-17 14:49:42 Boxid IA1529907 Boxid_2 CH120120905-BL1 Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark II City New York Donor We hope you find this guide useful in introducing your class to Gary Paulsen’s two award-winning adventure tales. Setting: The story takes place in modern times in a secluded forest far from any cities. Winter surrounds the forest and there is no sign of any cities around. Gay Paulsen skillfully explores the meaning of belonging and purpose, and reminds us of a crucial rule of the wilderness: expect the unexpected.Math — During his time in the wilderness, Brian draws on various math skills to help himself survive. He has to calculate how many days his food will last, and he must estimate distances when he is hunting. Ask students to create a math problem based on a specific incident or situation in either The River or Brian’s Winter.

I think every kid should read these books, not only so they have a greater appreciation of what they have, but so they can see the beauty and harshness of nature. Every child should be able to fantasize about surviving on their own, and these books add a touch of realism to that fantasy. And honestly, it wouldn’t hurt adults to read or reread these books, either. Sometimes we need to be reminded what a child can accomplish, and to remember that a child still resides at the center of each of us. Brian’s Return, the final companion novel to the Newbery Honor-winning Hatchet, takes young readers on another exciting adventure to the north woods with Brian Robeson. As in Hatchet, The River, and Brian’s Winter, Paulsen creates in Brian’s Return a story that is ideal for integrating into the curriculum as well as for classroom read-aloud. Spoiler-alert: he survives! And with a lot less angst than was present in Hatchet. By this point, he’s come to terms with his new life and is actually flourishing on his own in the wild. He learns to hunt big game and store meat and make clothes. The first book was emotional. This follow-up “what if?” book was a lot more fun because Brian seemed so happy!

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We hope you find this guide useful in introducing your class to Gary Paulsen’s award-winning adventure tales. Sure signs that the creative wells are running dry at last, the Captain’s ninth, overstuffed outing both recycles a villain (see Book 4) and offers trendy anti-bullying wish fulfillment. Personal Response: "Brian's Winter" was a great book from the series of "Hatchet". Also this book was based on a series of events that happened in this timeline. Science — Brian learns a lot about animals and how they communicate. Encourage students to select one animal that Brian encounters in Brian’s Return, The River, or Brian’s Winter and research that animal’s method of communication, how it marks its territory, and how it protects itself from predators.