Grade 8-12
Brian Robeson, 13, is the only passenger on a small plane flying him to visit his father in the Canadian wilderness when the pilot has a heart attack and dies. The plane drifts off course and finally crashes into a small lake. Miraculously Brian is able to swim free of the plane, arriving on a sandy tree-lined shore with only his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother had given him as a present.
This is a great novel to help us, in the modern world, realize how spoiled we are with our wi fi, AC, and DVR. Brian's mistakes, setbacks, could be deadly and without this small hatchet he would have survived the 54 days alone in the wilderness. Paulsen effectively shows readers how Brian learns patience to watch, listen, and think before he acts as he attempts to build a fire, to fish and hunt, and to make his home under a rock overhang safe and comfortable.
This story is over 20 years old but is not outdated. It is still a great adventure about survival, lonliness, and family. Paulsen emphasizes character growth through a careful balancing of specific details of survival with the protagonist's thoughts and emotions. This story has stood the test of time.
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