This book follows a boy named Brian, who is on his way to visit his father in Canada. Before he leaves, his mom gives him a hatchet as a gift. On the plane ride, the pilot suffers a heart attack and dies, leaving Brian to land the plane. Ultimately, he finds himself stranded in the wilderness for many days. He has to adapt to survive, hoping that someone will find him and take him home to his family. ( )

I feel like I read a lot of Gary Paulsen when I was a kid, but I don't remember any of the plots. As an adult, this is my second Paulsen read and it was a perfectly enjoyable read. It's a fun little adventure story, but it is also about how to think through problems, how to become mentally tough, how to be grateful, and essentially how to survive hard times. There's a bit of darkness throughout the story in that it touches on death, depression, and divorce. And as an adult reader, I actually found some humor in how Brian remembered certain adult mentors in his life and how the annoyance he felt over his parents behavior followed him into the wilderness. I'd definitely recommend it to any youth and I think its a fun way to pass a few hours as an adult. ( )

Independent Read: Grades 5th - 8th
Awards: John Newbery Medal ( )

Independent reading level: 4th grade & up
Awards: John Newbery Medal, Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's book awards

fair - Michael