Gary Paulsen

Dogsledding alone in the brutally cold Alaskan wilderness is a challenge Gary Paulsen himself has experienced. He took part in the 1,000-plus-mile Iditarod races in 1983 and in 1985, the year he published Dogsong. Paulsen's strong sense of adventure flows into his writings, which focus on people who make personal discovereies while struggling to survive in the great outdoors. A native of Minnesota, Paulsen received Newbery honors for Dogsong, The Winter Room, and Hatchet.