First published 1982
Sam Gribley doesn't stop at the end of his block when he runs away from home. He travels to the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York and makes his home inside a massive hollowed-out tree. With only his intelligence to guide him, Sam learns to survive in the wilderness alongside his animal companions: a falcon and a weasel. He faces blizzards that threaten to freeze him, hunters who invade his territory, crushing loneliness, and constant fear. Each challenge tests his resolve to stay in the mountains rather than return to city life. Sam must master skills like making fishhooks from wood and finding food in the forest. The wilderness teaches him lessons about independence and self-reliance that no classroom could provide. His adventures reveal the deep human need for freedom and connection with nature.
Genres: fiction, adventure, coming-of-age
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Catskill Mountains, New York
Period: 20th-century
176 pages · Paperback · Nelson Thornes Ltd