← Back to discovery

Dogsong

Gary Paulsen

1985177 pagesabout 3–4 hours
1985
first published
  • 1985Bradbury Press · 177 pages · ENGISBN 9780027701807
  • 1987Puffin Books · 177 pages · ENGISBN 9780140322354
  • 1990Scholastic · 177 pages · ENGISBN 9780590438933
  • 1991Canongate · 192 pages · ENGISBN 9780862413231
  • 1995Aladdin Paperbacks · 177 pages · ENGISBN 9780689804090
  • 1995Aladdin · 192 pages · ENGISBN 9780689821653
  • 1997Macmillan Children's · 177 pages · ENGISBN 9780330352390
  • 2000Thorndike Press · 184 pages · ENGISBN 9780786228454

Something is bothering Russel Susskit. He hates waking up to the sound of his father's coughing, the smell of diesel oil, the noise of snow machines starting up. Only Oogruk, the shaman who owns the last team of dogs in the village, understands Russel's longing for the old ways and the songs that celebrated them. But Oogruk cannot give Russel the answers he seeks; the old man can only prepare him for what he must do alone. Driven by a strange, powerful dream of a long-ago self and by a burning desire to find his own song, Russel takes Oogruk's dogs on an epic journey of self-discovery that will change his life forever.

How it feels

AtmosphereBleak

Worth knowing

When and where

Reading situationRead aloud
How do you feel?