Northwind

2026-05-04T19:05:16-05:00

Vendor: Macmillan
Type: Books
Price: 18.99

The stunning New York Times bestseller from three-time Newbery Honor winner and survival story master Gary Paulsen, whose books have sold over 35 million copies worldwide. Set centuries ago along a rugged coastline, Northwind does for the ocean what Hatchet does for the woods, as it relates the story of a young person’s battle to stay alive against the odds, where the high seas meet a northern wilderness.

“Wondrous . . . A grand and worthy journey.” —The New York Times Book Review

★ “Destined to become another Paulsen classic.” —School Library Journal, starred review

When a deadly plague reaches the small fish camp where he lives, an orphan named Leif is forced to take to the water in a cedar canoe. He flees northward, following a wild, fjord-riven shore, navigating from one danger to the next, unsure of his destination. Yet the deeper into his journey he paddles, the closer he comes to his truest self as he connects to “the heartbeat of the ocean . . . the pulse of the sea.” With hints of Nordic mythology and an irresistible narrative pull, Northwind is Gary Paulsen at his captivating, adventuresome best.

More Accolades and Praise for Northwind:

A “Best Book of the Year” from The New York Times ● Wall Street Journal ● Kirkus Reviews ● Publishers Weekly

★ “Beautifully written, it’s classic Paulsen at his best.” —Booklist, starred review

★ “A timeless and irresistible adventure that has resilience at its heart.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ “[A] mesmerizing modern-day epic.” —Shelf Awareness, starred review

Don’t miss Gary Paulsen’s other acclaimed books from Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers: his riveting memoir Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood and the father-son comedy How to Train Your Dad.