Hatchet

Hatchet

By Gary Paulsen

195 p.

IL: 5-8 grade

RL: 5+

Thirteen year old Brian Robeson is on his way to Canada to visit his dad for the first time since his parent's divorce. When the pilot suddenly dies Brian finds himself alone and in the air with no experience flying a plane save for the few minutes the pilot let him use the controls. He tries communicating with control tower and is successful for only a few brief seconds. With no reception and no fuel Brian is forced to crash land the plain.

Alone in the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on his back (even his windbreaker is in shreds) and the hatchet his mother gave him as a going away gift Brian must figure out how to survive. He quickly learns what all inhabitants of the forest know- that existence is all about food and about shelter from predators.  Brian learns how to build fires, catch fish, hunt land animals and stay alive. With every potential mistake a fatal one, will he ever be rescued? 

Gary Paulsen is a master story teller and readers who crave adventure will dig right in to this classic. Be prepared to have plenty of other Paulsen books at the ready because when they finish with this one they will most certainly be asking for more. For readalikes see authors such as Will Hobbs or Ben Mikaelson.

Paulsen, G. (1987). Hatchet. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.