Gary Paulsen, author of young adult novel ‘Hatchet,’ dies at age 82

(CNN) — Gary Paulsen, the acclaimed young big writer known for his wilderness escapade novels “Hatchet,” “Dogsong,” and “The Winter Room,” died connected Wednesday astatine property 82, according to the publishing institution Penguin Random House.

The origin of decease was not disclosed.

Paulsen wrote implicit 200 books and immoderate 200 articles and abbreviated stories implicit his career, and his best-known works focused connected coming-of-age themes featuring boys warring the harsh elements of nature.

His 1986 caller “Hatchet,” a mainstay of required speechmaking successful American schools, tells the communicative of a 13-year-old lad who indispensable past successful the distant woods connected his ain with lone a hatchet.

His 1985 publication “Dogsong” follows a 14-year-old Eskimo lad who takes a sled canine squad into the tundra and reconnects with his culture. And “The Winter Room,” published successful 1989, tells the communicative of 2 boys surviving connected a workplace successful bluish Minnesota during a harsh winter.

He received the Newbery Honor, awarded to the champion American children’s books, for each of the 3 books, and successful 1997 was granted the Margaret A. Edwards Award for his beingness publication to young big literature.

His last caller “Northwind” volition beryllium published successful January 2022, Penguin Random House said.

The ideas successful his stories often stemmed from his ain hard upbringing. Born successful 1939 successful Minnesota, Paulsen had a turbulent childhood, which helium described successful his memoir “Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood.” He repeatedly ran distant from location into the woods to flight his alcoholic parents and yet recovered solace successful the nationalist library.

“And it became a sanctuary for me,” he told NPR earlier this year. “The librarian — she watched maine for a while. I was benignant of this urchin, you know, a thoroughfare urchin. Then she yet said, you privation something? I said, nah I’m OK. And she gave maine a paper and — hard to speech astir it. It was a paper with my sanction connected it. And, God, cipher had fixed maine thing similar that. Nobody gave maine anything.”

Aside from his vocation arsenic an author, helium besides worked arsenic an engineer, operation worker, ranch hand, motortruck operator and sailor, and twice competed successful the Iditarod, the dogsled contention successful Alaska, Penguin Random House said. All of which became inspirations for his novels and stories.

“The most, MOST important happening is to read,” Paulsen said, according to the publishing company. “Read each the time; work erstwhile they archer you not to read, what they archer you not to read, work with a flashlight nether the covers, work connected the bus, lasting connected a corner, waiting for a friend, successful the dentist’s waiting room. Read each infinitesimal you can. READ LIKE A WOLF EATS. Read.”

He is survived by his woman and son.