The Winter Room (A Yearling book)
by Gary Paulsen
Breathtaking And Homey
Three-time Newbery Honor-winner Gary Paulsen presents a moving story
of two brothers who discover the truth behind their elderly uncles heroic
stories. Paulsen never disappoints, and proves his talent again in this
remarkably good tale.--Publishers Weekly.
Personal Review: The Winter Room (A Yearling book) by Gary
Paulsen
One of the best ways a writer can improve his own writing is to read, and
aspiring writers of children's fiction can't do much better than reading
Newberry Honor books such as "The Winter Room" by Gary Paulsen.
"The Winter Room" is a short book that tells a simple story about life on a
northern Minnesota farm over a single turn of the seasons. Yet, the
simplicity of the story is deceiving because this story delves deeply into
such complex subjects as the value of myth and the relationship between
generations.

Anyone expecting wizards, dragons, or treasure hunts will be disappointed.
But make no mistake, there is magic in this book; it's just not the type of
magic that requires a wand or cauldron to conjure.
The story is told through the eyes of a young boy named Eldon. He lives
on the farm with his older brother Wayne, his mother and father, and his
two great-uncles, David and Nels. The story begins in spring with the
melting of the snow and continues through summer and fall with fantastic
descriptions of life on the farm. Through these little snippets of farm life,
you get to know the characters and become immersed in their world.
Then comes winter, during which the family spends the long, cold evenings
in the eponymous "winter room", gathered around the wood stove listening
to Uncle David's stories. The family, especially the boys, enjoy Uncle
David's tales. Then, one evening, Uncle David tells "the story that broke
things" and causes Wayne to brand him a liar and a braggart.
The tension caused by this event is touching and I don't want to give away
how it is resolved. The denouement is one of those gems that I am always
hoping for in books but rarely find.
Another amazing thing about this book is the economy of the language.
There is no excess verbiage here. Yet, the simple sentences and words
create vivid images in the reader's mind. Paulsen is an expert at
description and it is made obvious in his wonderful introduction to the
book.
"If books could be more, could show more, could own more, this book
would have smells...It would have the smells of old farms; the sweet smell
of new-mown hay as it falls off the oiled sickle blade...the sticky-slick smell
of birth when the calves come...the pungent fermented smell of the
chopped corn silage when it is brought into the manger on the silage
fork..."
This is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.
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