My Side of the Mountain

 

Genre: Children's Fiction, Adventure

Author: Jean Craighead George

Plot:
     Sam Gribley "lives" in a tiny New York apartment with his eight siblings, although he would be the first to say "presiding" is more accurate than "living". What he wants is a change of scenery, so he goes off the deep end and runs away to his grandfather's abandoned farm in the Catskill Mountains. He must make a home for himself in this new and unforgiving wilderness. Learning to live off the land, Sam goes from the little boy who ran away from home, to a young Man, proving his courage and determination against the elements.
     Alone in the forest, Sam finds friendship in a falcon he raises from a chick, teaching it to hunt for him. While learning how to make a life away from society, Sam is torn between the need for companionship and the love of the new life in the Catskills.

Alex's Opinion:
     This book won the "Newbery Medal" in 1960, which dignifies it as the best children's book published that year. I whole-hearted agree- I've read this book multiple times, in middle school and in high school- in fact, I'm writing a review of this book now because I just picked up a copy at a used book store, and am looking forward to reading it again. I enjoyed the writing style, which is a mix of flowing narrative and journal entries. This is a great "coming of age" tale, and originally done. The characters are fun, and it's exciting to read about Sam fighting the elements and making a home for himself. The writing has great voice, and makes you want to keep reading.

Who would like it:
     Fans of "The Hatchet" are sure to like this book- similar in premise. If you like adventure and camping or the outdoors, this the settings will be fun to read about. If you don't normally read, pick this one up- you might remember of discover how exciting it is to be transported to a new reality. Young and old, I think there's something in this book that most anyone can enjoy.

Read it!
Amazon Paperback