Book 4: My Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George

 Date finished: 1/20/2022

There is something about the idea of living in the wilderness that appeals to many people, including me. I love the thought of being self-sufficient, close to nature, living on the bounty of the earth, knowing that you can feed yourself, clothe yourself, keep yourself safe, and start a fire ... perpetually. There's an exhilarating feeling about being able to live without a dime, dependent on no one. 

But then I'd miss aged English Cheddar cheese. And 4-way stretch. And "The Peanuts Christmas Special."

Still, it's fun to dream. This book is about a fictional boy who, at age 12, decides to leave New York City and live in the Catskills Mountains. I read a similar book with my children, called, "Hatchet," by Gary Paulson, in which a 13-year-old from New York is stranded in the Canadian Rockies. The notable exception is that Brian, from Hatchet, wants to be rescued, whereas Sam, from My Side of the Mountain, leaves "civilization" to live in the wilderness.

It's a wonderful tale, filled with "how-to" information integrated naturally into the story. The ending is not what I envisioned. I thought Sam would survive for one year in the mountains -- just to show himself that he can -- and then go home. I wondered what would become of his falcon, Frightful, when he went back to civilization. But the ending was something different.

I thoroughly enjoyed My Side of the Mountain. A story for young readers, told from the perspective of a 12-year-old boy, was thoroughly enchanting for a middle-aged mom riveted to her seat, listening to the story in her garage long after she arrived home.