Two boys, separated by the canyons of time and two vastly different cultures, face the challenges by which they will become men.
Coyote Runs,...
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Mar 07, 2011
Melissa
rated it: 
Paulsen is normally a good writer. I'm not sure what was going on in this book. While I enjoy many of his tales, this one just didn't do it for me and the writing was kind of haphazard.
The story tells the tale of two different boys. One is Coyote Runs who has been invited to his first raid and takes place a little bit in the past while the Apache nation roamed the area. It is during this raid that he faces danger and so affects Brennan, the boy in the future's life. Brennan is a m More...
The story tells the tale of two different boys. One is Coyote Runs who has been invited to his first raid and takes place a little bit in the past while the Apache nation roamed the area. It is during this raid that he faces danger and so affects Brennan, the boy in the future's life. Brennan is a m More...
Dec 10, 2009
Abigail
rated it: 
Coyote Runs is trying to become a man as he grows up in a tribe that requires many rituals and marks of manliness to become accepted. In the same place at another point in time we watch Brennen Cole as he runs through the canyons and is struggling on his journey to become a man. The paralleled journeys add a great element to the story but by the time that I got halfway through the novel I enjoyed Coyote Runs' story much more than Brennan so I separated myself from the novel. Brennan finds a sku
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Apr 06, 2008
Shawn
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Nov 20, 2010
Hilary
rated it:
Required Author - Gary Paulsen
I love Gary Paulsen. In fourth grade, I read Hatchet and Brian's Winter and thought they were fantastic. And they were. Something about Canyons, though, didn't rub me the right way.
In Canyons, Brennan Cole discovers a skull which, unbeknownst to him, belongs to Coyote Runs, a young Apache boy shot by American soldiers a century before. The book features a sort of supernatural connection between Brennan and the skull, which I found a little off-pu More...
I love Gary Paulsen. In fourth grade, I read Hatchet and Brian's Winter and thought they were fantastic. And they were. Something about Canyons, though, didn't rub me the right way.
In Canyons, Brennan Cole discovers a skull which, unbeknownst to him, belongs to Coyote Runs, a young Apache boy shot by American soldiers a century before. The book features a sort of supernatural connection between Brennan and the skull, which I found a little off-pu More...
Aug 16, 2011
Melanie
rated it: 
We read this book as a family throughout a recent vacation. It was a creative, thrilling book that encouraged all of us to think ahead and predict outcomes. It was especially fun to read about the box canyons, rock fissures, and yucca plants as we were experiencing each of those. This book is appropriate for older elementary school and junior high/middle school students. Younger readers may need help pronouncing some words and discussing some ideas and concepts.
Jul 08, 2010
Carolynne
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Dec 26, 2011
Michelle
rated it:
This was required reading in 7th grade and I remember really liking it, but I couldn't really remember what all happened. Turns out it's a good book, but it comes to pretty rapid end. I guess that's not a bad thing for 12 year olds and their attention span, but definitely not a book I would recommend to someone older than like 14. It just lacks substance and character development.
Nov 24, 2009
H.orses
rated it:
We read this book for a class project and I wasn't exactly rushing to read it. I don't read much historical fiction so it was a bit of a change for me, and I was glad in the end that I had read it because it had an interesting plot and I learned a bit from it. Its a good little look into the Apache Indian culture verses our own.
Apr 22, 2009
Joel
rated it:
Canyons was an exciting and excilerating book. The author's style of dividing the book into two at the begining of the novel gives the reader a better understanding of the two main characters. The characters have a clear connection with each other. The author covers ordinary themes like frindship in a book as extra-ordinary as Canyons.
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Oct 20, 2011
Matt
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It was a very good book! This book has lot of suspense and a lot of action. It is about an appache boy who gets killed in the 1800s. Then 100 years later a kid named Brennan finds his skull. He researches it and it talks to him. He has a very suspensful journey to return it to it's "medice place". 5 STARS!!
Dec 12, 2010
Jasmine
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This book is about two boys, separated by the canyons of time and two vastly different cultures, face the challenges by which they will become men. This book is also about two people having flash back when they were growing up and what some people could do when you are 11-16 years old. You can find a job and help out with the rent or payment. What you should do when you are young and don’t know what to do.
Dec 09, 2010
Michelle
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This is story of two boys who lived in different centuries and how they are connected across time. I respect Paulsen, but he is not my cup of tea. I think this story is compelling and I like that its set in nature, but its just a boy book to me. Very pre-teen male.
Dec 17, 2009
Matthew
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Canyons is a slow going book. I didn't like how Brennan was always so sad or worried. I did like how it was very realistic as in where Brennan is just mowing lawns, trying to make money. I also liked some of the action that happens with Coyote Runs. I honestly didn't like or dislike it.
May 31, 2011
Samantha
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More like a 3.5 star. This isn't the kind of thing i normally read, and it started kind of slow but i did enjoy it. It was a quick read that takes you into the life of young Native American and the boy who discovers his skull over a hundred years later.
Jan 28, 2010
Rachael
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I read this for my YA lit class in college, then later taught it to my students. Fast paced. Protagonist finds a skull that belonged to a Native American. He has these conversations with this ghost. Easy read.
Sep 01, 2009
Sandra
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I really liked this Paulsen novel--better than his other survival stories. This one has a bit of supernatural, but contemporary teens will be able to identify with the protagonist and his adventure anyway.
Dec 17, 2009
Dan
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i didn't like this book because it says a kid found a skull of a human that was killed. i dont believe that because why would you kill a guy in the canyons if your a cop.
Aug 12, 2010
Linda
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Canyons, by Gary Paulsen is a good read, perhaps not as good as Hatchet was for me though. I must admit I like reading something short and quick once in awhile!
Sep 17, 2008
Garrett
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This book is another survival story written by Garry Paulsen. The particular thing about this book is that it's a two sided story (it's a time difference). Firstit starts out with Brennan a kid in a present time zone (present when the book was written) then it goes to Coyote Runs a kid way back when the natives were still here. I truthfully got board of this book like Hatchet and The River then I guess I would recommend it. My expectations were that it was sort of an investigating story because
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Aug 20, 2011
Becca
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So I am not a huge Gary Paulsen fan but I really enjoyed this book. The main character is awesome, and it has a sense of mystery and adventure. Good times!
Sep 24, 2010
J.T.
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Solid Paulsen offering. A fun, quick read, but does not come close to "The Winter Room" or any of the "Hatchet" based books.
May 14, 2010
A
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Read this a couple of times as a kid. I don't know if I would still like it, but when I was younger it was enjoyable.
Aug 09, 2010
Wendi
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I read this book to my 3rd grade daughter as one of our before bed reads. It created good discussion
Dec 19, 2009
Tara
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this book was wierd i had to read it for school and the other said some things that didn't make since.
May 13, 2011
Matthew
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this is a great book as is many of Gary Paulson's books. Only took me a few days to read.
Jan 02, 2010
Maria
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Alittle too mystical for me. Some good informaion about how to survive in the desert.
Dec 12, 2010
Connor
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This book was ok. It was probably one of Paulsen's better books I've read.
Feb 11, 2011
This wasn't one of the best books I have read. Actually, I hated it. I had to read it for a book competition and it was bad. Considering that it's written by Gary Paulsen, I really do not like this book.
