Gary Paulsen, renowned author, to speak at UT on March 2
Three-time Newbery Honor recipient to discuss his life of adventure and his most recent novel

(Knoxville, TN) To say that Gary Paulsen leads an adventurous life is an
understatement. Knox County Public Library is pleased to partner with the
Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature at the University of
Tennessee to present an evening with Gary Paulsen on Tuesday, March 2, 7:00
p.m. at the University Center Auditorium, 1502 Cumberland Ave. Three-time
winner of the Newbery Honor, Paulsen will be discussing his life of adventure
and his newest book, Wood’s Runner.  The event is free and open to the public.
Paulsen will be available to sign books after the talk.

Born in 1939, Gary Paulsen is one of America's most popular writers for young
people. With more than 200 books and as many articles and short stories to his
name, his own experiences form the basis for many of his stories. He got the
bug for adventure at an early age. At 14, Paulsen ran away from home to join a
traveling carnival. He has dabbled in farm and ranch life, worked as an
engineer and a construction worker, and has crossed the country as a truck
driver. While sailing around the world and racing the sled dogs across Alaska,
he also manages to write award-winning children's books.  Three of his
novels—Hatchet, Dogsong, and The Winter Room—were Newbery Honor Books. His
books frequently appear on the best books lists of the American Library
Association and, in 1997, Paulsen was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award
for lifetime achievement.

"We are extremely delighted to bring Gary Paulsen to Knoxville," commented
Miranda Clark, Director of the Center for Children's and Young Adult
Literature at the University of Tennessee's School of Information Sciences.
"Paulsen is a rock star in the world of literature for young people. While his
appeal is broad, he reaches boys and young men at a point when they are at
risk of disregarding reading for fun. He manages to capture their attention
and hold it. Paulsen's books should be top of the list particularly for boys.
We are thrilled to be able to work with Knox County Public Library and their
Friends group to make this event happen. It's exciting for our community."

This event is presented by the Center for Children's and Young Adult
Literature at the University of Tennessee and Knox County Public Library with
support from Friends of the Knox County Public Library.

About Wood's Runner
Samuel, 13, spends his days in the forest, hunting for food for his family. He
has grown up on the frontier of a British colony, America. Far from any town,
or news of the war against the King that American patriots have begun near
Boston. But the war comes to them. British soldiers and Iroquois attack.
Samuel’s parents are taken away as prisoners. Samuel follows, hiding, moving
silently, determined to find a way to rescue them. Each day he confronts the
enemy, and the tragedy and horror of this war. But he also discovers allies, men
and women working secretly for the patriot cause. And he learns that he must go
deep into enemy territory to find his parents: all the way to the British
headquarters, New York City.


About The Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature
The Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature at the University of
Tennessee believes that literature is essential to the literacy, learning,
social, emotional and aesthetic development of young people.

Guided by this belief, it is the mission of the Center to celebrate and
promote literature and to encourage reading through outreach to children and
their parents, to current and future teachers and librarians, to members of
the community, and to scholars and thinkers across disciplines. The Center is
housed in the School of Information Sciences, College of Communication and
Information at the University of Tennessee.

About the Friends of the Library
The Friends of the Library are dedicated to fostering a love of libraries,
books and reading in the Knox County area by community outreach, advocacy and
support of the Knox County Public Library system and staff. You can learn more
at www.knoxfriends.org <http://www.knoxfriends.org/> .

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__________
Joel Southern
Communications Specialist
School of Information Sciences
College of Communication and Information
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
1345 Circle Park Drive, Suite 451
Knoxville, TN 37996-0341
____________
(865) 974-6727
jsouthern at utk dot edu
www.sis.utk.edu