Bradbury Press - 1987
Reading Level: 10+ Number of Pages: 196 Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary: Brian is flying in a small prop plane when his pilot has a heart-attack. Brian steers the plane until it runs out of fuel, and then crashes into a small lake, far off course of its intended destination. Jarred from the crash, Brian finds himself lost in the middle of the forest, with a small hatchet strapped to his belt the only possession he has. The hatchet had been a gift he had taken just before getting in the plane, and became his only tool for survival. After pitying himself, crying, and contemplating suicide, Brian figures out how to survive. He builds a fire, he catches fish. He eats turtle eggs. He survives a tornado and a moose attack, and learns how to survive on his own. When the tornado moves the plane in the lake to a reachable spot, Brian builds a raft and hopes to salvage materials from the plane. Inside he discovers the dead pilot, and salvages an emergency kit from inside. The kit contains a radio, a gun, and several food packets. Brian sets down to eat, and accidentally triggers the emergency locater on the radio. A small plane with pontoon floats lands in the lake and Brian is rescued.
"Fire. The hatchet was the key to it all."
My Impressions: This book fascinated me as a kid, and I still enjoyed it. I found the idea of trying to live in the wilderness to be interesting, and sometimes I still wonder what I would have done in Brian's circumstance.
Parents' Guide: In desperation, Brian contemplates suicide, but he recovers.
Recommendations:I would strongly recommend this book, but particularly to kids who don't read much. I think a lot of people would enjoy it because it is a simple, short, fascinating read.
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