It tells the tale of 13-year-old Brian Robeson, who’s plane crashes in the wilderness of northern Canada when the pilot suffers a fatal heart attack. Hatchet is a three-time Newbery Honor-winning novel, written in 1987 by Gary Paulsen. We certainly don’t want our children learning how important the right to read is, or to think for themselves. Education was more important to him than his own life. For his indignation, two of his toes are cut off and he is tortured. She is eventually discovered, and when Sarny’s guardian is severely punished for it, Nightjohn courageously comes out of hiding. They thinks we want what they got… That’s why they don’t want us reading.” We get to wanting and when we get to wanting it’s bad for them. He had escaped to the north, where he himself was taught to read, but kept sneaking back into the south to further educate the plantation slaves.īoth knowing the consequences, each night he teaches Sarny how to read, telling her, “To know things, for us to know things, is bad for them. A young slave girl, Sarny, is taught to read by another slave, Nightjohn. The novel is set in the South before the Civil War and based on actual events.

The parents of Bethel School District in Washington felt that “ Nightjohn” contained graphic material that was too mature for young readers. He made the list in 2001 and again in 2004.

Most of those novels are junior-high-level stories that center on the wilderness and the importance of nature, and use common “coming of age” themes where a character in isolation must use the art of survival as a rite of passage to maturity.īut complaints from overprotective parents have lead to Paulsen being one of the most challenged authors of the 21 st century according to the American Library Association. Gary Paulsen has written over 200 books in his career.

Gary paulsen books