Celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Newbery Honor-winning survival novel Hatchet with a pocket-sized edition perfect for travelers to take along on their own adventures. This special anniversary edition includes a new introduction and commentary by author Gary Paulsen, pen-and-ink illustrations by Drew Willis, and a water resistant cover. Hatchet has also been nominated as one of America’s … as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.
Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson, haunted by his secret knowledge of his mother’s infidelity, is traveling by single-engine plane to visit his father for the first time since the divorce. When the plane crashes, killing the pilot, the sole survivor is Brian. He is alone in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother had given him as a present.
At first consumed by despair and self-pity, Brian slowly learns survival skills–how to make a shelter for himself, how to hunt and fish and forage for food, how to make a fire–and even finds the courage to start over from scratch when a tornado ravages his campsite. When Brian is finally rescued after fifty-four days in the wild, he emerges from his ordeal with new patience and maturity, and a greater understanding of himself and his parents.
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(Sigh) Oh this book
Okay I am reading this book as a part of my reading challenge for the year to reread a book that we read in school. I remember this book being read aloud to me in the classroom because the teacher couldn’t trust us to actually sit and read the book ourselves.
Foreshadowing? Coincidence? Maybe not.
In case you haven’t read the other reviews, this book is about a 13 year old kid named Brian who endures a terrible plane crash and ends up being stranded by himself in the wilds of Canada.
First of all as a survival book this book is exceptional. It really is one of the great survival Classics and is reminiscent (to me at least) of the original The Boxcar Children book. the story is also on par with something written by Jack London such as the Call of the Wild and White Fang. This is definitely something that is geared towards a more masculine audience.
So what’s the problem? Repetition repetition repetition repetition repetition repetition repetition…. did I mention repetition?
This book has so much repetition in the writing style that it’s almost sickening. It’s downright maddening in fact. Brian keeps obsessing over “The Secret” which alludes to his parents divorce which he is broken up over and simply cannot get past in the book. Let’s just say he obsesses over “The Secret” so much that it makes you want to pull your own hair out.
Other than that I think this is a great survival book. Complete with stupid mistakes that I’m sure every 13 year old kid that has never been alone by themselves, let alone in the wilderness, would make. It does lack the lightheartedness I respect that would have definitely pushed this book to a higher rating. If Brian could have simply focused on other things and possibly even laughing at his stupid mistakes from time to time it would have made the narration of the book a lot better to follow for the reader. Especially for the age group audience this book was intended for.
All-in-all I give this book of solid 3 stars. I do recommend it on the basis of it being a classic but not much more.
This book is one of my all time favorites ever
Excellent book! This is my son’s favorite book-the one book he would not put down. He’s always struggled with school, but he loved this book. He loved the adventure and survival theme of the book.
How would you relate to Brian and in you own opinion what is Brian’s attitude in the book?
This has to be the first book of this type that I have ever liked.
I think hachet is a good book for 5-6 graders
THIS IS AMAZING
Awesome!!!
I love this book
great
It’s so interesting! I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to read the whole thing once I got it. It has so much action in it. Just amazing. I’ve read it like a thousand times. It’s the best!
This book it’s awesome.