The Winter Room Author:Gary Paulsen The winter room is where Eldon, his brother Wayne, old Uncle David, and the rest of the family gather on icy cold nights, sitting in front of the stove. There the boys listen eagerly to all of Uncle David's tales of superheroes.
Then one night Uncle David tells the story, "The Woodcutter," and what happens next is terrible--then wonderful.
If you grew up on a farm/ranch or know someone who did then you will get this book. The work is hard and the days long. There is always a story teller among the workers, some of the stories are true, some not and some a mixture of truth and fiction. The kids are kids, the adults are adults and I like that Gary Paulsen kept it real with the interactions of the kids and adults and with life on a working farm.
This is a very real book about life in rural America in the early part of the 20th century. It does not shy away from the realities of farming animals for food, not pets, the hardships of depending on Mother Nature's whims, the physical labor, and all the sights, sounds, smells, and at times, harshness of early farm life. To me, it is more "living history", than a cozy story. The sections added at the end about farming in America, story telling and traditions, children's interests at that time, all help today's child, so far removed from rural life back then, understand how different our lives are now. Very sensitive children may find it "too real."