Paulsen, Gary. Brian's Hunt.

PAULSEN, Gary. Brian's hunt. Random House, Laurel Leaf. 103p. c2004. 0-553-49415-5. $5.99. J*

To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, January 2004: Brian, hero of Hatchet, The River, Brian's Winter and Brian's Return, is now 16, and he has once again abandoned civilization for the solitude and beauty of the northern Canadian wilderness. It's late summer, and Brian is camping at a lake when he hears a dog whimpering. When he comes to its aid, he finds that it is badly gashed, and he starts to be concerned about his Cree friends who live in the area. With a sense of foreboding, Brian heads north with his faithful new companion and finds death and devastation on his arrival at their camp. A rogue bear has attacked, and Brian sets out to hunt it down--only to discover that the bear is hunting him.

Once again, Paulsen delivers a gripping, gory tale about survival in the north woods, based on a real bear attack, as he explains in an afterword. The dog is a wonderful addition--Paulsen has always written lovingly and knowledgably about dogs and their relationships with humans. Another new note is the hint of romance in Brian's daydreams about a Cree girl; he comes to her rescue, and perhaps this relationship will continue in future volumes. Details of life in the wilderness are, as always, convincingly described, from hunting with a bow and arrow to making camp and tracking the bear. While Paulsen had said in the last book that he wouldn't write about Brian again, readers insisted, and Brian's many fans will be delighted with this new addition to the series. A great choice for reluctant readers, due to its brevity, Paulsen's spare yet dramatic prose, and the exciting hunt for the vicious bear. Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT