His name is synonymous with high-stakes wilderness survival stories. Now, beloved author Gary Paulsen portrays a series of life-altering moments from his turbulent childhood as his own original survival story. If not for his summer escape from a shockingly neglectful Chicago upbringing to a North Woods homestead at age five, there never would have been a Hatchet. Without the encouragement of the librarian who handed him his first book at age thirteen, he may never have become a reader. And without his desperate teenage enlistment in the military, he would not have discovered his true calling as a storyteller. A moving and enthralling story of grit and growing up, this book is perfect for newcomers and lifelong fans alike, from the acclaimed author at his rawest and most real.

The farm --The river -- The ship -- Thirteen -- Soldier.