Hatchet

Title: Hatchet


Author: Gary Paulsen


ISBN: 978-1416925088

Publisher:Bradbury Press

Original copyright:1987

 Plot Summary: This story follows Brian as he journeys to visit his father at his workplace in the oilfields in Canada for the summer. He takes a small airplane, and on the way the pilot has a heart attack. Brian tries to land the airplane but it ends up crashing into a river. Brian was only able to take the hatchet his mother gave him when he escapes the plane. He then has to teach himself how to hunt and gather, and survive in the wilderness completely alone with no help from anything but his hatchet.
 
Critical Evaluation: Paulsen does a fantastic job of painting a picture of how alone Brian is. The interactions between Brian and the wilderness are written beautifully. The reader keeps turning the pages to see if Brian is going to make it out of the wilderness and Paulsen keeps it interesting, especially with the interactions between Brian and animals. Very well written,

Reader's Annotation: Brian's plane crash lands and he is the only survivor. Will he be able to survive in the wilderness with just his hatchet?

Genre: Young Adult, Realist Fiction

Author Information: Gary Paulsen is the author of a multitude of young adult books, most of which concern the wilderness. In addition to Hatchet, Gary Paulsen wrote four other books in Brian's Saga. These books include The River, Brian's Winter, Brian's Return, and Brian's Hunt. To learn more about Gary Paulsen and his work visit http://www.randomhouse.com/features/garypaulsen/index.html. 

Book talks: Plane crash, survivor, wilderness, hunting, hatchet

Reading Level/Interest Age: Middle School/High School. 11-16.


Challenge: I cannot really see a reason to challenge this book.

 
Why was this book chosen?:This is a fantastic young adult novel written in the vane of Robinson Crusoe.