THE SACRAMENTO BEE BOOK CLUB

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Gary Paulsen next for Bee Book Club Bee Staff Published Jan. 23, 2004 NOTE: Due to time constraints at the Crest Theatre, Paulsen will autograph his new book and ONE other title only. Gary Paulsen, the three-time Newbery Honor-winning writer who specializes in popular books for young readers, is The Bee Book Club's author of choice for February. In his illustrious career, Paulsen has written more than 175 books, and 200 short stories and magazine articles for children and adults. His latest novel, "Brian's Hunt" (Wendy Lamb Books, 112 pages, $14.95), picks up the story of the now-16-year-old Brian Robeson, who appeared in four previous books, "Hatchet," "The River," "Brian's Winter" and "Brian's Return." In "Brian's Hunt," according to the publisher, "Brian has carved out a home for himself in the Canadian bush and continues to learn from his natural surroundings. ... The only people he has ever made contact with in the bush are trappers, such as the Cree Indian family who took him in his first time in the bush. Brian thinks about them often, especially of their daughter, Susan, a girl his age. "When a (badly injured) dog arrives in Brian's campground, life changes. Since many trappers keep dogs, Brian begins to head north to his surrogate Cree family, thinking they might know the dog's owner. But what he finds there is a horror that he could never imagine. And thus begins his hunt." A review from the online Children's Book Page says, "Paulsen knows the Canadian north woods, and the situation he presents to Brian (and the reader) in this book is frighteningly real. While Brian is as adept as any Native American in the ways of the forest, he's also still a kid. Fishing with a bow and arrow is easy compared to figuring out his attraction to the daughter of a Cree friend. ... "Paulsen recognizes the pull within all of us to be truly in charge of our lives. That kind of freedom is what we're all searching for, and what Brian has, in his world. In 'Brian's Hunt,' however, Paulsen shows us that such freedom is not without its cost." Paulsen is well equipped to write about life in the wilderness, having experienced it first-hand. He completed two rounds of the 1,180-mile Iditarod dogsled endurance race in Alaska; has traveled cross-country on a motorcycle; and is an avid sailor, camper and explorer. Above all, Paulsen is an adventurer who brings his own experiences to the page. "I wrote another 'Brian' book because so many readers have written to me about him," Paulsen has said about "Brian's Hunt." "They wondered what happened next, even suggesting new ideas and situations for him to experience, writing alternative endings to the books or additional chapters that cover more adventures. "Brian is probably one of my characters who is the most like me. Much of his experience, outlook and reactions are drawn from my own life." Paulsen will speak at 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 14, at the Crest Theatre, 1013 K St. in downtown Sacramento. Doors open at noon. Details on The Bee Book Club Gary Paulsen, author of "Brian's Hunt" (Wendy Lamb Books, 112 pages, $14.95), will speak to The Bee Book Club at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Crest Theatre, 1013 K St. in downtown Sacramento. The event is free and open to the public. Doors will open at noon; seating is on a first-come basis. Paulsen will autograph his book after his presentation and a question-and-answer session. Representatives from the Avid Reader bookstore in Sacramento will be present, selling pre-autographed copies of "Brian's Hunt" for 30 percent off the list price. For more information: (916) 321-1792. For special needs: (916) 321-1880 two weeks in advance. The following stores will give you a 30 percent discount on the book: Borders, Barnes & Noble, Tower Books, Waldenbooks, the Avid Reader in Sacramento and Davis, East West Book Shop, the Hornet Bookstore at CSUS, the UC Davis bookstore, Sharon's Books in Auburn and the Next Chapter in Woodland.