Breathtaking description as Gary Paulsen paints a picture of the landscape, the whales, the deadly sea, and even the predators. You can see the world around you with every word and feel the wind on your face with the chill in your bones as you read Northwind. With very little dialogue in this book, you understand why Leif feels the way of the water and what makes his final decision so important. 

For Parents, Grandparents, and Relatives:

If your reader is into survival-type books and wants to be able to master the land on their own, they are going to love this book.

For readers who want adventure, it is going to be a toss-up. They will either love it because the main character has to use everything he knows to survive the wilderness or hate it because there is really only one character for ninety percent of the story. You spend the majority of the book in Leif’s head.

Kids ten and older are a good fit for this book. 

Content Warning and possible spoilers:

Leif’s whole village dies due to a ghostly ship that holds the skeletal crew that brings a deadly disease into the camp; among those who die is the little boy Leif is sent off with so they don’t die. He also has to survive getting sick himself and baring the little boy on an island. During the process of the deadly disease, cholera, killing off the camp, and as Leif journeys, vivid details of the vomiting, diarrhea, and sudden death are described. 

There is a lot of description around the stalking, killing, butchering, and eating of salmon and Leif’s pride in this activity.

Language:

There are some swear words in the text.

D*mn

Chickensh*t

Romance:

None

Northwind by Gary Paulsen

Recommend for ages – 10-16

Page Count –  256 Pages

Grade Level Recommendation – 4^th – 6^th

Lexile Measure -1020L 

Published – January 11, 2022

Amazon Snippet.

From Gary Paulsen, the bestselling and much-loved author of Hatchet, comes another high-stakes survival story about a young boy on the knife-edge between life and death, where the raging seas meet a coastal wilderness.

When a deadly plague reaches the small fish camp where he lives, an orphan named Leif is forced to take to the water in a cedar canoe. He flees northward, following a wild, fjord-riven shore, thrown from one danger to the next, unsure of his destination. Yet the deeper into his journey he paddles, the closer Leif comes to his truest self as he connects to the heartbeat of the ocean, the pulse of the sea.

A stunning historical adventure with hints of Nordic mythology and an irresistible narrative pull, Northwind is Gary Paulsen at his captivating, adventuresome best.

Author: Gary Paulsen Bio from Amazon and Book

Gary Paulsen is one of the most honored writers of contemporary literature for young readers. He has written more than one hundred book for adults and young readers, and is the author of three Newberry Honor titles: Dogsong, Hatchet, and The Winter Room. He divides his time among Alaska, New Mexico, Minnesota, and the Pacific.

Gary Paulsen (1939-2021) wrote more than two hundred books for children and adults, including his recent memoir, Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood. Three of his novel – Hatchet, Dogson, and The Winter Room – were Newbery Honor books. The journey described in Northwind was partly inspired by the author’s own sailing adventures particularly in the Pacific Northwest.

Would I recommend this book: Yes, but if you are looking for a fast-paced adventure, this is not it.

Where can I get this book:

Northwind by Gary Paulson