Paulsen's plots frequently tell coming-of-age stories. The Monument, The Foxman, and Nightjohn are novels about an adolescent whose encounter with an unusual adult is a turning point in his or her life. The adults who shape the adolescents are outcasts or iconoclasts.

These extraordinary people teach the lesson that every adolescent must grow individually rather than according to the expectations of social acceptability.

Another common feature in Paulsen's fiction is the midwestern setting of small town or rural life. The Island, The Winter Room, and The Monument share this setting with Dancing Carl. While many writers use this setting to portray small town life nostalgically and lament its passing, Paulsen presents both the small town's simplicity and its provinciality.

A recent important theme in Paulsen's novels is the sensitivity to artistic expression. Carl expresses a philosophy of dance. The Winter Room and Nightjohn are about the...