by Gary Paulsen

I recently reread this classic survival/adventure story, and it is really amazing. Brian Robeson is flying to Alaska to see his dad after his parents’ recent divorce. The final stretch north is in a small bush plane with Brian as the only passenger. When the pilot has a heart attack, Brian has to crash-land the plane (amazingly, he lives) and figure out how to survive in the Canadian wilderness since no one knows where he is. All he has to his name is the hatchet his mom bought him as a present before he left (which he thought was stupid at the time), and it becomes his life source for staying alive. Brian endures massive attacks of mosquitoes, porcupine quills, extreme hunger, sickness, and even a charging moose. Because I have also read Paulsen’s autobiography, Guts, I know that most of these situations are based on actual experiences the author has had in the wild! Kids who like this book will also like the sequels about Brian (Brian’s Return, Brian’s Winter, The River, and Brian’s Hunt) and the adventure books by Will Hobbs, especially Far North.

reviewed by Jennifer