Gary Paulsen have received the Chicago Tribune Young Adult Literary Prize for his distinguished career which has seen him author more than 175 books for children and adults including “Dogsong,” “The winter Room,” and “Winterdance.” The Chicago Tribune says of Paulsen:”Young Adult Literary Prize winner Paulsen, 68, writes books and stories for young people that tap into his experiences as a carnival roustabout, ranch hand, truck driver, sailor and a variety of other jobs, and as a two-time participant in the grueling 1,180-mile Alaskan dog sled race, the Iditarod. “Hatchet,” his most famous work, published in 1987, tells the story of 13-year-old Brian who, after surviving a plane crash, has to find a way to face the dangers of the Canadian wilderness until help can arrive.”Paulsen’s personal story is, if possible, at least as exciting as his writing, from his work as a teenage runaway at a carnvial to his years racing the Iditarod,” Lipinski said. “He has since become a nearly compulsive writer, publishing several hundred books and short stories and securing a place as one of the most important writers of young adult literature of his generation.””Paulsen will be receive his prize at the Harold Washington Library Center at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, during the Children’s Humanities Festival.
