My Side of the Mountain Review

Another classic middle grade!

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George is about a preteen boy named Sam, who got fed up with life in his small apartment with his big family in New York City, and he decides to go to the Catskill mountains and try to find the parcel of land that once belonged to his great grandfather. He finds it and ends up living off of the land for about a little over a year. Each chapter is detailed on how he lives in the wilderness, from hunting to berry picking to making clothes to keeping himself warm with fires. Sam learned everything from books he read at the library. He also becomes friends with some of the wild animals, such as a falcon he names Frightful. He even meets other humans that happen to cross his path, such as an English professor who initially got lost. Despite living almost isolated, he ends up becoming  famous in the community.

Well, I'll tell you right now that I just gave it 4 stars. It was an enjoyable book, but it wasn't anything mind-blowing. I guess it'd be an interesting book for you if you like seeing how people survive in the wilderness, or if you like camping, which I have a moderate interest in. It did remind me a little of a nonfiction book I read earlier this year, which was Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel, which was a real-life story of a guy somewhere in Maine who lived in isolation in the woods for 27 years, and still became famous for it. My Side of the Mountain is loosely based off of the author's own childhood experiences trying to run away and live off the land. 

Have you read any books that take place in the wilderness?