Distinguished author Gary Paulsen has been named the recipient of the 2007 Chicago Tribune Prize for Young Adult Fiction. Paulsen has written more than 175 books for children and adults, including "Hatchet," "Dogsong" and "The Winter Room," all Newbery Honor Books.


"Gary Paulsen uses his own personal experiences as a way to relate and appeal to young readers," said Elizabeth Taylor, Chicago Tribune literary editor. "Adolescents everywhere are easily caught up in the excitement and emotion of Paulsen's writing, consistently turning pages until the very end."


Paulsen will receive his award during the 2007 Children's Humanities Festival on Saturday, October 27, at the Harold Washington Library Center, the first of many to be conferred by the newspaper this autumn. During the Chicago Humanities Festival that follows, the Tribune will present the Chicago Tribune Prize for Literary Achievement and the Heartland Prizes for fiction and non-fiction. Later this fall, Chicago Tribune's Books Section will publish the winner and three runners-up in this year's Nelson Algren contest. These annual awards are part of the company's ongoing commitment to the written word and its support of literacy and literary endeavor.


The Chicago Tribune established the Prize for Young Adult Fiction in 2002 to honor a writer whose work has special resonance with adolescents -- those between 12 and 18 -- and speaks to their role and significance in society. Kate DiCamillo, Linda Sue Park, Blue Balliett, Lois Lowry and Richard Peck are previous recipients.