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A Newbury Award-winning author, Gary Paulsen brings to audiocassette
his deeply moving tale of the coming age of two boys, separated by the canyons of time and
two vastly different cultures.
Performed by Peter Coyote, this exciting abridgement of Canyons
tells the story of Coyote Runs, an Apache boy who takes part in his first raid -
one that will usher him into manhood. He is to be a man for only a short time... More than
a hundred years later, while camping near Dog Canyon, fifteen-year-old Brennan Cole
becomes obsessed with a skull that he finds, pierced by a bullet hole. He learns that it
was the skull of an Apache boy executed by soldiers in 1864. A mystical link joins Brennan
and Coyote Runs, and Brennan knows that neither boy will find peace until Coyote Run's
skull is returned to an ancient sacred place.
In a grueling run through the canyon to return the skull, Brennan
faces the challenge of his life. Canyons is a timeless story of faith, trust,
and respect - a haunting and suspenseful tale of two boys and their adventure into the
realm of myth and manhood.
Review:
"It is a rare abridgement that does justice to the original
story, but Peter Coyote's reading of Gary Paulsen's novel manages just that... Paulen's
coming-of-age story is remarkable for its simple, restrained text. There is almost no
musical accompaniment to the reading and therefore nothing to detract from the story. The
music, when it appears, heightens the dramatic tension of the tale, without overwhelming
the listener. Coyote's voice is even and low; he allows the drama of the story to emerge
through his voice. The audio adaptation is well-crafted and will attract a wide audience
of young listeners as well as adults." ...
Publishers Weekly
About Gary Paulsen:
Born in Minnesota in 1939, Gary Paulsen is the prolific author of more than 40 books,
200 magazine articles and short stories, several plays, most of which are written for a
young adult audience. Much of his work features outdoor settings showing the importance of
water and woods to the harmony of nature. He often uses a coming of age theme where a
character masters the art of survival in insolation as a rite of passage to manhood.
Ethnic groups are presented with sensitivity and understanding. He is very visual in his
writing style and uses setting effectively and realistically.
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