By Gary Paulsen
First Aladdin Paperbacks, 1987
Narrated by Peter Coyote
Genre
Survival Fiction
Awards
- Newbery Award (1988)
- Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (1989)
Review
This classic story of survival finds Brian on a plane flying over the Canadian wilderness to visit his father after his parents' divorce. The pilot suffers a heart attack during flight and the plane crashes, leaving Brian to fend for himself in an uninhabited forest with nothing but the hatchet his mother had given him before he left. Brian survives many struggles, not the least of which is finding the motivation to keep living and trying to survive after he realizes he missed the first, and likely only, rescue plane to fly near his camp area. A distressing tale about a boy alone in the woods is also extremely inspiring to young readers, showing the intensity of the human will to survive.
Opinion
This book was much more captivating than I thought it would be. Peter Coyote did a great job narrating, bringing life to the scenery and Brian's emotions. The book was repetitive at places; at first I found this annoying and it stood out to me more in audio form than if I had read it, but then it seemed to fall into a pattern, representing the thought patterns Brian was developing to survive. There are some dark times in the book, like when Brian tries to cut his wrists in despair after missing the rescue plane, but this is quickly followed by a "new" Brian, resolute and determined to survive, pulling away from the darkness that he briefly explored.
Ideas
Great book for reluctant readers, especially young boys as they can identify with the main character. Though it seems more intended for late elementary or middle school children, high school aged students can also enjoy this book, especially if they are behind in their reading level or for nostalgia's sake.
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