by Gary Paulsen
First published 2000
Brian boards a small aircraft headed to Canada to see his father. The pilot suddenly has a heart attack mid-flight. Brian must crash the plane into a lake and emerges as the sole survivor in remote wilderness. He carries only his clothes and a hatchet from his mother. The divorce weighing on his mind becomes secondary to immediate survival needs. Brian knows nothing about wilderness living. He must learn which water sources are safe and whether wild berries will poison him. Each day brings new problems to solve. A porcupine attack leads him to discover fire-making. A tornado reveals how to access the sunken plane's supplies. Brian stops feeling sorry for himself as he develops skills and confidence. The forest transforms from enemy to teacher. His struggle becomes less about returning to civilization and more about becoming someone who can thrive anywhere.
Genres: fiction, survival, adventure, coming-of-age
Vibes: emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, self-reliance
Setting: Canada, Wilderness
Period: 20th-Century
208 pages · Hardcover · Atheneum Books for Young Readers: Richard Jackson Books