GUTS

GUTS by Gary Paulsen

I have gotten away from doing TOP PICKS, but this book deserves to be on that list. For all of you that have loved Hatchet, Northwind, and all the other Gary Paulsen books, Guts is Paulsen's book of true stories that brought about his well-known, fictional, wilderness adventures. From working as a remote ambulance worker, to running the Iditarod, to encounters with moose, to stories about his poverty-stricken, growing up years, it is very clear how Paulsen is able to craft the stories he does. He's lived them. This book is FANTASTIC if you have a child or teen that loves adventure or the wilderness.

HEADS UP- Very minor, but this book is true stories about the wilderness. While not gory, the book deals with death, survival in tough situations, and eating unpalatable things.