My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

Bibliography
George, J. C. (1988). My side of the mountain. New York: Puffin Books.

177 pages

Plot
Sam Gribley is fed up with his life at home. With a large immediate family, Sam is ready to venture out on his own. With his parent’s calm acceptance, San leaves New York City for the Catskills, to fend for himself in the mountains. There he plans on finding his family’s land and living with nature. With his tools and an understanding of survival techniques, Sam manages to build a house at the base of a tree, train a falcon to help gather food, and befriend other animals. However, human interaction is not far behind, and suddenly people are beginning to wonder about the boy living in the Catskills.

Review
My Side of the Mountain is a fun tale, relating Sam Gribley’s experiences living in the wild. The story which comes off idealistically is still an exciting read, playing on readers’ desires to make their way on their own. This novel is an empowering novel, not only promoting the idea that children need to find their own path in life, but also that knowing oneself and one’s ability is also important. Sam is able to survive on his own for a year in the mountains, living off of game, plants and nuts. His ability to create native cuisines, hide clothing, and a stable home is still entertaining to read and to live vicariously through Sam.

Genre
Survival Fiction

Reading Level/Interest Level
This book would appeal to readers in 5th through 7th grade.

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Personal thoughts
I liked My Side of the Mountain. While the book is not realistic, the reader is willing to sacrifice realism for the sake of the curiosity and ingenuity of Sam. Written in 1955, I still think that this book stands the test of time.

Subjects/themes
Survival
Nature
Running Away
Self Awareness

Awards
Newbery Honor Award

Series information
Jean Craighead George has written sequels and related books entitled On the Far Side of the Mountain, Frightful’s Mountain, Frightful’s Daughter, and Frightful’s Daughter Meets Baron Weasel.

Character names/descriptions
Sam Gribley: A 13 year old who sets out to live in the Catskills.

Frightful: Sam’s Falcon.

Annotation
Sam fed up with his family, decides to run away from home. Living in the Catskill Mountains, Sam learns to survive until he meets his one challenge: people.