My Side of the Mountain is about a boy who runs away from his crowded New York apartment to live on his family's land in the mountains. He learns that the mountain provides everything he could want, food, shelter and clothing. But other humans prove to be his biggest problem.
It wasn't on purpose that I read this book immediately after reading "Hatchet" but it sure made it interesting to do so. Hatchet is about a boy trying to get out of the woods, and this book is about a boy trying to stay on one. For the first time I think I finally understand why people go camping. I mean sleep in a tent, eat fish from the river kind of camping. Bringing all of civilization with you in a motor home isn't true camping. But this kid manages to find just about everything he needs to survive a harsh winter and the lean times. The one part of the book that I find hard to believe is that he wasn't over run with animals constantly trying to eat his food and use his shelter. It seems to me that they wouldn't know to respect his space. But then what do I know? I've never lived in a mountain before.
Disney made a movie of this back in the 70s. It made a big impression on me as a kid, so I got found it on DVD for my own kids. As an adult I can see how cheesy the movie is, but my boys (ages 6 and 8) were just as taken with it as I was. Frankly, I didn't know it was based on a book, much less an Honor award winner. I think I'll try to find it. Thanks for such a fun website.
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