About the book:On his way to visit his recently divorced father in the Canadian mountains, thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is the only survivor when the single-engine plane crashes. His body battered, his clothes in shreds, Brian must now stay alive in the boundless Canadian wilderness.
More than a survival story, Hatchet is a tale of tough decisions. When all is stripped down to the barest essentials, Brian discovers some stark and simple truths: Self-pity doesn't work. Despair doesn't work. And if Brian is to survive physically as well as mentally, he must discover courage.
My 9-year old son brought this home from school and loved it. He raved and raved about it and kept pestering me to read it. I finally gave in, and I'm glad I did. In a nutshell, 13-year old Brian's parents are divorced and he's flying to Canada to spend the summer with his father. The pilot of the small plane has a heart attack and dies mid-flight. Brian's resourcefulness enable him to crash land the plane and survive. He must then survive in the forest until he is rescued.
A quick, easy read for an adult. But, it's compelling and suspenseful and the boy's resourcefulness is believable, especially in this day and age of the Discovery Channel and Man vs. Wild and Survivorman. Brian learns that self pity doesn't help him, nor do despair and fear. Courage, and taking care of himself are what will ultimately help him survive.
What was neat for me, is the discussion that followed with my son, after I had finished it. He was so animated in sharing his favorite parts.
The divorce/adultery theme could be a bit much for a some kids, but I would definitely recommend it for older kids. As my son says, "It is awesome!"
Thanks to our school book fair that had a copy we could purchase! You can purchase your own copy here
.Read 5/08
* * * *
4/5 Stars
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