The Winter Room

Read for Newbery Club in Children's Books, March 2023.

Reads more like a memoir than a story. Very short, doesn't waste time on explicated character growth or dramatic plots. Mostly setting and anecdotes, beautifully written and fascinating. And so specific.

For example, Thank you, Gary, for reminding me of "choppers." I knew there was a good reason my hands are so cold in the winters, even though I've moved much further south than northern WI (near to where this is set). It's because no gloves, however modern, can hold a candle to medium weight gloves with sturdy leather mittens over them. Gonna find me some choppers now. Apologies to the cows.

Which is what this book is 'about' most of all. How some have to die so others can live. No show more bloodlust, no waste, but thankfulness. In my opinion. The element that blurbs and teachers seem to hang onto is important, sure, but it's the climax of a book that is so much more than just that.

Blurbs don't prepare one for the read. It's like those who wrote the blurbs didn't understand the book. Or at least didn't appreciate it enough to talk about it appreciatively. An understanding of the climax depends on careful reading of everything that comes before - not the details of plot of course but of the atmosphere, of the details way of life. The climax is not that of plot. The brothers learn something, but not because of anything that they actually do or experience.

Anyway. Then there's other bits. Like at the beginning of the fourth chapter, "Winter," when the brothers fight about whether there are divisions between day & night, autumn & winter, etc. First of all, it's an interesting question for young readers to think about. Second, it's a quick reminder that it's silly to fight about opinions, about other points of view.

Just a lovely little book. I wish I'd read it when I was younger so I could have shared it with my sons when they were young. show less

Eldon is an eleven-year old young man growing up on a farm in northern Minnesota and describes the environment around him as the seasons change over the year. He also retells his Uncle David's stories about his past and of Norwegian folklore, which are told in the family's living room, or "winter room," where they gather on long, cold nights.

Gary Paulsen succeeds in hooking the reader in the opening paragraphs of the story as well as in his preface. He appeals to the reader's senses in his imagery and tells the reader in his first sentence that "if books could be more, could show more, could own more, this book would have smells..." The reader is immediately drawn into the book and is curious how a book could fulfill such a concept. The show more first paragraphs of the first chapter also intrigue the reader as Eldon, the narrator, insists that the spring season is not a time of awakening like his brother's teacher believes, but is rather only a time of awakening of smells, as the world begins to unthaw on the farm. Eldon describes the chores, events, and other seasonal happenings and exposes the reader to a world most likely uncommon to him/her. His descriptions are full of rich details appeal to the sight, sound, smell, and taste senses. The vivid details make Eldon, his family, and his experience on the farm real. The reader feels immersed into the hard work the farm requires and well as surrounded by the love the family has for one another.

Awards and Honors: Newbery Honor show less

Eldon lives with his brother Wayne, Uncle David, mom, dad, Nels, and the farm. Each season brings its own personality, its own responsibilities, and its own hardships and pleasures. It is difficult to summarize the plot of this book as it is more like a series of paintings, a set designed for two purposes: to reveal the seasons and to highlight the importance of stories. The book is sectioned out: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, which has its own sections as it is the time of stories from Uncle David, so each tale gets its own chapter heading. Life on the farm is described seasonally with the melty newness of Spring, the sweat and labor of Summer, the necessary but painful killing in Fall, and the stories in Winter.

The words that come show more to mind when thinking about this book are intense, mythological, and wonderfully male. In a mere 103 pages, Paulsen dramatically paints a portrait of life on a farm in the 1930s that is at once meandering and intense, with vivid descriptions of places and events. The story itself is mythological in nature with an emphasis on nature, a focus on storytelling, and mildly magical connotations. Finally, the male portion...oh, boy, how do I say this without stereotyping too dramatically.... The story is told simplistically but includes complex themes; the definition of simplistic I am going for here is writing and tone which are sparse, matter-of-fact, and to-the-point. The story revolves around horses, planting, logging, carving, wrestling, and other generally male interests and activities. It felt male in the same way smelling chopped wood does. In no way am I implying that women can't appreciate the book (obviously) - or appreciate horses, planting, logging.....

Gary Paulsen is a favorite author of mine; his ability to evoke emotion through snapshot-like descriptions of places and people is admirable and leaves me with a specific impression after reading his work. I highly recommend him for all ages. show less

The winter room had different messages about taking the passing of time and learning from your elders. Overall I had a mixed opinion on the book and couldn't get fully invested in it heavily. One thing I didn't like was the layout of the book, the flow from season to season as chapters progressed really annoyed me. I know that it was a logical step to go through the seasons in order but the book revolved heavily around the winter story and the story telling yet it was such a small part of the story. Something I liked was the character progression of the main character Eldon, even though it was shaky at times. The way he moved through the life, learning lessons from both the older and the younger members of his home and from the world show more itself was very relate able and easy to like. show less

The seasons of the year, as told first-person through the perspective of an eleven year old boy, living on a farm in northern Minnesota.The descriptions of what he associates with each season are not typical; several times I paused and thought over his view of what might be considered mundane tasks. Caution: he does describe the slaughter of farm animals for food in a slightly graphic manner, but did not revel in it. As tender-hearted as I am, I was able to handle it. Good read.

A chronicle of a year in the life of two young brothers growing up on a farm. They learn some hard truths about the toll country living can take, along with the value of stories blended with family history. Farm life isn't sugar-coated here, but even the slaughter of animals in the fall is treated with respect and just the right amount of delicacy. A good introduction to what's it like growing up in the country for kiddos who don't have exposure to such things, plus a nice story for good measure.

This book's strength is its descriptions - the sights and sounds and smells, often unpleasant, of a north Minnesota livestock farm. From the gory depictions of slaughter time, to the beauty of the first snow, Paulsen sends his reader to a world ruled by season and story. The young narrator and his older brother Wayne are disposed to doubt their uncle's tall tales about himself as a mighty logger, and Wayne's vicious outburst of doubt at the end of a story threatens the family peace. While the story is beautifully told, many may wish for more plot, as the story does not actually begin until the final chapter. Age ranges are inappropriate for this book - its plot and characters could be understood by anyone who can read, but the spirit of show more the book probably cannot be grasped until one has lived some more of life.

Awards: 1990 Newberry Honor show less