However, Paulsen always delivers on the action in one of his books, and Brian’s Hunt is no exception. Before long, Brian wakes up to find a wounded dog looking for food and for help. Brian gives both, though those scenes are somewhat intense and carry a gross-out factor with them. The scenes are realistic, though, and very well written.

As Brian puts the puzzle of the dog’s mysterious wounds together with her behavior as he hunts, it doesn’t take him long to realize that the dog was mauled by a bear. Once that discovery is made, Brian learns bad news that sets him into the woods after the bear.

The details of how Brian tracks the bear, the skills and the observation necessary, are great. My son and I stayed glued to the pages, though we couldn’t help taking a break every now and again to discuss some facet of hunting lore we hadn’t been aware of. Although the material is mature, it’s written on a level kids can easily understand it, and it’s very honest. But if you have a youngster and you’re thinking about letting him or her read this one, you might want to read it yourself first to make sure it meets with your approval and that it won’t panic or bother your child.

I’m a big fan of Gary Paulsen’s, and this book really hit the spot. At 99 pages it’s a quick, intense read. Although Paulsen said he’d ended the Hatchet adventures after the publication of the last book, I can’t help but be hopeful there will be more. Brian is starting to get interested in a girl, and I want to see how that works out for him.