Natalie's Reviews > Dogsong

Dogsong by Gary Paulsen
Rate this book
Clear rating

by
4936267
's review

it was ok
bookshelves: 2020, tough-stuff, poc, newbery

Let me just share with you the first words written in this book:

I came wet into the world,
On both sides there were cliffs,
white cliffs that were my mother's thighs...


Apparently it is from, "an old Eskimo man relating the memory of his birth in a snowhouse on the sea ice."

I know a lot of people are saying right now, "well that's natural, that's life." Let me tell you, that would not go over well with fifth graders. It's something that they would "secretly" (they always think I don't notice things) pass around the room and "teehee" about. For that line alone I would not put this in my classroom. I know that seems stupid, but that's they way it is.

Chapter 2 opens with "an old Eskimo telling of his youth. "The food had run out and so "We asked our old mother if we could kill her and eat of her until the deer came back...More deer came and we did not have to eat our old mother."



I don't even know why that was put there. Honestly, it will probably be the thing I remember the most from this book. People will mention this book and I'll say, oh yeah, the book where someone wanted to eat his mother. The dumb thing is, it had nothing to do with the actual story, it was just an aside.

Anyway, this book is about a kid who wants to live the old Eskimo life, so he learns to use a dogsled and hunt with old tools. Eventually he heads off on his own and has some dream that mingles with reality. I would like to add now, that I hate crap like that. I hate when dreams are mixing up with the reality of the story because the book is trying to be spiritual or whatever. Other people like it, but I do not.

I'm never that fond of survivalist stories, but I didn't mind Hatchet so I was hoping this one would be okay. Definitely not nearly as good. But, one more Newbery off the list!
2 likes · flag

Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read Dogsong.
Sign In »

Reading Progress

Started Reading
February 17, 2020 – Shelved
February 17, 2020 – Shelved as: 2020
February 17, 2020 – Shelved as: tough-stuff
February 17, 2020 – Shelved as: poc
February 17, 2020 – Finished Reading
January 5, 2021 – Shelved as: newbery

No comments have been added yet.