Hatchet (Paperback)

by Gary Paulsen (Author) "As he begins a plane trip to visit his father, Brian Robeson is a very angry thirteen-year-old boy..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
When the pilot of a small, two-person plane has a heart attack and dies, Brian has to crash land in the forest of a Canadian wilderness. He has little time to realize how alone he is, because he is so busy just trying to survive. And learning to survive, to plan on food not just for a day but untiland ifhe is rescued, only begins when he stops pitying himself and understands that no one can help him. He is on his own, without his divorced father, whom he was to visit, or his mother, whom Brian saw kissing another man before the divorce. This is a heart-stopping story: it seems that at every moment Brian is forced to face a life-and-death decision, and every page makes readers wonder at the density of descriptive detail Paulsen has expertly woven together. Poetic texture and realistic events are combined to create something beyond adventure, a book that plunges readers into the cleft of the protagonist's experience. Ages 11-13.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
Grade 8-12 Brian Robeson, 13, is the only passenger on a small plane flying him to visit his father in the Canadian wilderness when the pilot has a heart attack and dies. The plane drifts off course and finally crashes into a small lake. Miraculously Brian is able to swim free of the plane, arriving on a sandy tree-lined shore with only his clothing, a tattered windbreaker, and the hatchet his mother had given him as a present. The novel chronicles in gritty detail Brian's mistakes, setbacks, and small triumphs as, with the help of the hatchet, he manages to survive the 54 days alone in the wilderness. Paulsen effectively shows readers how Brian learns patienceto watch, listen, and think before he actsas he attempts to build a fire, to fish and hunt, and to make his home under a rock overhang safe and comfortable. An epilogue discussing the lasting effects of Brian's stay in the wilderness and his dim chance of survival had winter come upon him before rescue adds credibility to the story. Paulsen tells a fine adventure story, but the sub-plot concerning Brian's preoccupation with his parents' divorce seems a bit forced and detracts from the book. As he did in Dogsong (Bradbury, 1985), Paulsen emphasizes character growth through a careful balancing of specific details of survival with the protagonist's thoughts and emotions. Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (December 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416936475
• ISBN-13: 978-1416936473
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1,181 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #612 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Children's Classic!, April 25, 2000

By	Ryan Costantino (Nowhere, Special) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Hatchet (Hardcover)

This story about a young boy stranded in the Canadian wilderness will never lose it's affect on me. Being a child of divorce I can totally empathize with Brian's struggles to cope. And I appreciate Gary Paulsen's comparing that struggle with actual survival. But this book is in no way a sermon on how to deal with divorce. It's about learning to co-exist, and to overcome any obstacles. The descriptions of how Brian went about ensuring his survival, only with the use of his hatchet (hence the title) were awe inspiring when a pre-teen and the book still retains a sentimental hold over my heart as an adult. the encounters with wildlife range from comical to downright horrifying. Hatchet made me appreciate the things I had and also allowed me to realize that I shouldn't seek too hard the things I desired to have but didn't. Overall this is a great book to give your 10-13 year old, a book about respect for nature, appreciation for life, and above all understanding that you can make it through the toughtest of situations as long as you have the right tools and are willing to learn how to use them.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing story of the epic battle, man versus nature., October 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Hatchet (Paperback)

Imagine being stranded in the wilderness alone and learning to survive. We all think about it at least once in our life, learning to hunt, getting shelter, and staying sane. In the book, Hatchet, Brian Robeson, age thirteen, is stranded in the Canadian wilderness, after his plane crashes, with only a hatchet and the clothes on his back. Brian was on that plane to his dad's house because of the Secret... This survival-fiction book tells how Brian undergoes a complete character change. When he first arrives he is relatively weak, but eventually Brian has keen, alert, senses, and he is a stronger person. In the book, Brian must deal with insane moose, and making a new friend; fire. Hunting and food gathering is a major part of the book, which makes it seem very realistic, but will Brian ever make it home alive? This book is a Newbery honor book and I believe it is very deserving of that prestigous award. Gary Paulsen's portrayal of someone in that predicament is very accurate. He puts you right in the action and in the struggle. I recommend this book to people of all different ages and backgrounds. You will feel every moment of hope and rejection in this amazing Paulsen novel.

40 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars BEWARE of some subject matter, June 13, 2006

By	E. Madigan (Melrose, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Hatchet (Paperback)

This text is frequently assigned for 5th grade readers who are often 10 and 11 years old. Parents should be aware that there is a suicidal attempt made by the main character in the book. He slits his wrist in despair and passes out. He happens to wake up and change his mind.
Furthermore, a sub-plot involves the child in the story finding out that his mother is having an affair while still married to his father. His father does not know. Therefore, the boy struggles with having to keep this secret from his father. These issues involve violations of trust in marriage and child-parent relationships. There is never any resolution to this story line or questioning of the moral dilemna this boy is thrust into.
The story issues may be more appropriate for older high school students, but the issues of depression among our students and infidelity of parents should have parents and teachers consider any literary value the text might have to be limited. Parents and teachers should strongly consider their trying to meet objectives with more appropriate alternatives for students.