The Haymeadow

I like Gary Paulson's books. I like his characters. I like his storylines. I've read so many of these coming of age stories with my nieces and nephews but always enjoy them. The Haymeadow is predictable, teen boy to mountains alone with father's sheep, disaster strikes, teen figures out what to do. Despite that it's a good Paulson story and I'm really glad I read it.

John is only 14 the year his father expects him to spend the summer in a distant haymeadow in the Wyoming mountains--alone with 6,000 sheep, 4 border collies and 2 horses. Unsure if he is up to the demands of prolonged living without human companionship in valley pasturage, lacking both experience and a guidebook, the boy psyches himself up by pretending he would do things the way he imagines the Old Man--his great grandfather who founded the spread--would have done. Make him and his distant father proud: how best to honor his Barron heritage than by conquering the wilderness and loneliness with just his wits and his gut instinct!
He wonders how he will spend the time during 3 months of long days. Somehow Nature keeps him very busy, as the dangers to sheep, dogs, horses and even himself arrive in waves, without warning. As in other Paulsen stories, this coming-of-age tale includes mental wrestling with ideals of beauty and man's role in nature. Also the protagonist grapples with erroneous conceptions of the family legend and seeming parental indifference. If he can survive what nature throws at him that summer, he will depart the haymeadow a different young man. Experiencing on-the-job training without a mentor (like learning to swim by being thrown abruptly into water), John Barron could write his own shepherd's manual after just one week. Despite minimal dialogue this adventure narrative grips the reader; Paulsen's deft and authoritative style make for fast readig, especially enjoyable for kids 12 - 16.

good

My granddaughters loved it.

Fourteen-year-old John Barron lives on the land that used to be his great-grandfather’s ranch. He works the land with his father and his father’s helpers, but he wishes that something in his life would change. He is not sure what. One day, one of his father’s helpers is critically ill, and he has to stay with him in town near the hospital. That leaves only John to take the sheep to the hay meadow for their yearly summer stay. Just him, six thousand sheep, four dogs, and two horses. He is filled with doubt that he can manage this alone. How would he take care of all those sheep? Would he get lonely during those months alone?

This is another of Paulsen’s gems about growing up and the character finding out that he is stronger and wiser than he thinks he is. Paulsen’s characters always ring true -to-life and are likeable and very human. The settings are intricately and beautifully described, with his love of nature shining through. This is a wonderful book written for the young, but it also appeals to the older readers, too!

The hay meow is about a boy. This mom died when he was young. He was raised by his dad on a ranch. The ranch had six-thousand there was two helpers. One got sick. Now john had to take the sheep to the high ground. He went with the sheep all summer. Then his dad came to get him.

Thing I liked about the book is that it is that it was always exiting.

People that I would like these book is people that like adventure

The book The Haymeadow was written by Gary Paulsen. John is just a fourteen year old who wants some change in his life. He lives with his father and two permanent hired hands named Cawley and Tink. John's mother died when he was four years old. He barely remembers her. During the years he was told few stories about his mother and his memories are confused with stories. John's father and Tink go to town and were suppose to return in the afternoon. His father only returns. John finds out that Tink had to stay in town with the doctors because they discovered he had cancer. Just like John's grandfathers will be asked to go to the haymeadow. But since Tink can't watch over it John will have to go a little earlier than his grandfathers had. Doubts of not accomplishing the task are all over his mind. Spending a whole month with six thousand sheep, two horses, and four dogs will be lots of work. Going to the haymeadow was a long journey as it is. During the first days at the haymeadow, John already approaches many problems. A snake attacks one of the lambs causing it to have a deep cut. Usually they would shoot a lamb so that it won't suffer but John decided to heal the wound. Also, a bear attacks! These are just some of the many obstacles he approaches in the haymeadow. He continues overcoming the obstacles and before John knew it, it was the end of the month. The figure on the horizon was his father coming to see him. His father brings good news. Tink was not going to die because of the cancer. All of the stories of his mother are told to him by his father. When it's time for his father to head back John doesn't want him to go. He tells him that and his father stays and tells him more stories in the haymeadow.

The reason I liked this book so much was because of the way the author describes the setting. "It was more than a meadow. More than just hay. It was a wide, shallow valley between two rows of peaks. The haymeadow itself was four sections, but the whole valley was close to four miles across and nearly eight miles long and so beautiful, John thought, that it almost took his breath away." I could picture the haymeadow by the way the author describes it. I picture a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains and the grass rolling in the same direction. Everything is so beautiful and peaceful. I really enjoyed learning more about the haymeadow.
What I also liked about it was that included some love. This evened out the book so that it balanced. "One car with New York plates was full of tourists and there was a girl with long brown hair who got out with a camera and John felt a little shy but tipped his hat to her. She smiled back and waved and he felt himself blushing but was glad he'd done it anyway." John continues to think about that girl through the days in the haymeadow. I think he found his crush but he never admitted it to Cawley. Cawley saw everything and teased him about that day. John still hoped to see that girl once again.
My favorite part of the story was when the flood hits his trailer with all of his belongings. John ends up fishing his stuff out of the river. All of his shirts soaked and he lost many supplies. The labels of all the canned food flowed down steam so John ended up with having a mystery meal everyday. This is the part of the book with the most action. I think this was the best part because at one point I questioned if he would survive in the haymeadow after all this.

Was a gift that son enjoyed.

I’m a big Gary Paulsen fan and this book was no exception. I read it before giving to my 11 year old son. I read the whole thing in a day and thoroughly enjoyed it. There was nothing in it for me to worry about him reading at that age.

Wonderful Author!