| | My Side of the Mountain |  | Author: Jean Craighead George
Publisher: Thomas T. Beeler Publisher
Category: Book
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:  512 reviews
Format: Large Print
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
ISBN: 1581181140
EAN: 9781581181142
ASIN: 1581181140
Publication Date: June 2003
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Amazon.com Review
Every kid thinks about running away at one point or another; few get farther than the end of the block. Young Sam Gribley gets to the end of the block and keeps going--all the way to the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. There he sets up house in a huge hollowed-out tree, with a falcon and a weasel for companions and his wits as his tool for survival. In a spellbinding, touching, funny account, Sam learns to live off the land, and grows up a little in the process. Blizzards, hunters, loneliness, and fear all battle to drive Sam back to city life. But his desire for freedom, independence, and adventure is stronger. No reader will be immune to the compulsion to go right out and start whittling fishhooks and befriending raccoons. Jean Craighead George, author of more than 80 children's books, including the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves, created another prizewinner with My Side of the Mountain--a Newbery Honor Book, an ALA Notable Book, and a Hans Christian Andersen Award Honor Book. Astonishingly, she wrote its sequel, On the Far Side of the Mountain, 30 years later, and a decade after that penned the final book in the trilogy, Frightful's Mountain, told from the falcon's point of view. George has no doubt shaped generations of young readers with her outdoor adventures of the mind and spirit. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter
Product Description
In this enthralling story, a boy builds a treehouse in the mountains and learns to live entirely by his wits. "(Emphasizes) the rewards of courage and determination."--The Horn Book.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 507 more reviews...
Well written book November 10, 2008
I enjoyed this book because I like reading about how to survive in the wilderness or other hard places to live.
A Great Book!!!! October 15, 2008
This review comes from my 10-year-old son, Dylan. I'm typing exactly as he wrote.
"I think that 'My Side Of The Mountain' is a great book because of the relationship between Sam and the Catskills. The plot is great, but the way he encounters Frightful was horrible. I also like how the story ends.
The only thing I didn't like too much was the reason Sam ran away. Also, the organization of the book is a little bit complicated - with the chapters being in a weird order.
Overall is a VERY good book and I can't wait to read the sequel."
 Book that inspired my retirement dream October 10, 2008
This is what I call a "must-read" for anyone. I first read it and read it many times over as a boy in a small town in Virginia. I must have checked it out 5 times at least. It is a story that has "inspired" my retirement dream of living on the side of a hill somewhere, far from the lights, sirens and bustle that make up so much of our lives today. It will be a joy to have the "wild things" as neighbors and be able to, even if just for a moment each day be able to be silent, to feel the energy of this planet flow around me. If you have a son ( not excluding daughters of course...but) if you have a boy you must expose him to this book. I bought a copy for mine when he was 10....He loved it!
Every boy and tomboy should read it!! September 21, 2008
I absolutely loved this story as a child. I still love this story. However, I was one of the boys who planned to copy the character in this book. If I had I probably would have ended up being dead. That said, I enjoyed many wonderful hours as a fifth grader contemplating my GREAT ADVENTURE! I spent hours poring over atlases and planning just where in my state's forests that I would be living and building my home. I read numerous books on survival in wilderness conditions. I practiced with a fire bow and drill. I even cleaned & tanned a fresh roadkill raccoon and made a hat out of it. The time I spent with this story and the dreams this story inspired for me are some of my fondest childhood memories.
A child's introduction to Thoreau September 8, 2008
While "My Side of the Mountain" is not Henry Thoreau it does make an enjoyable read on how to live a self-sufficient life. Think of this as "Survivorman meets Jules Verne" and you have a nice idea of the general theme.
Many have complained that they do not understand the plot and that the action moves to slowly. Personally, I find the pace of the novel to be quite refreshing. What we are given is a story about how someone can learn to become one with nature. This process was nto immediate and it took time to develop so Jean Craighead George allowed the story to move at a natural pace.
I first read "My Side of the Mountain" about 20 years ago when I was still in grade school. Oddly enough, of the dozens of books that I read from that time of my life only "My Side of the Mountain" and "Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing" are the only ones that I actually remembered. It is pretty rare that you can find a book that you enjoy as much when you are 33 as you did when you were 11 years old.
"My Side of the Mountain" is written for children and adults alike. We all can dream about what life would be like on our own mountain. Maybe this isn't a book for everyone, but if you or your child enjoys camping, hiking, or just being outside this will probably become one of your own personal classics.
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Wildlife, nature and the Environment
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