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My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George – Review by Maria Selke
Those of you who know my online persona may be surprised by the book I’ve chosen to review today. It’s true; I do tend to gravitate toward science fiction and fantasy novels. My students also lean in that direction. Yet a healthy reading diet includes books of all flavors.
So when I was looking for books to add to the choice list for my “survival” themed unit, I knew I needed to pull in some old favorites. I may have been an indoor kid who preferred burying my nose in a book to burying my hands in the dirt, but I could appreciate book like My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. Ever since I was little, I’ve loved falcons. My upcoming trip to Ireland includes a mandatory falconry event. Even the cover calls my name!
Can a book about a child who runs away to live on his own in the wilderness appeal to kids today, though? Will children who are surrounded by constant entertainment, convenience foods, and “always on” communication with their parents and peers be able to connect with Sam’s desire to be completely on his own?
What kinds of kids will like this book?
Bookish Kids:
Even though this whole story takes place outside, Sam’s story reinforces the importance of reading and writing. His survival depends on the fact that he read and memorized information on plants, animals, and weather. He keeps notes on what works as he winds his way through the seasons. He even goes to the library nearest his wild home to learn about falcons in preparation for taming one of his own. Kids who adore reading may be intrigued enough to come up with their own nonfiction reading list, just in case they need to survive in the wild on their own.
Inventor Kids:
“Necessity is the mother of invention,” and Sam needs to use his problem solving skills every day to survive. His first fish hook fails, but that’s not enough to stop him! His clothes are falling apart, so he finds a way to make more. Every challenge that nature can throw at him is just one more reason for him to use his ingenuity to rise to the occasion. Kids who love inventing may find themselves sketching or building their own designs.
Adventurous Kids:
It’s not a heart pounding thriller. There’s no impending apocalypse. Yet students who crave their own little bit of adventure will cheer Sam on as he learns to live on his own. I’ll admit to feeling a little nervous myself each time I read about the blizzard and the ice storm!
Introverted Kids:
So often we encourage kids to jump into the middle of a group. “Make friends,” we say. “Go out more,” we implore. Yet introversion is not a bad thing. Students who need that quiet time to explore their own thoughts will find a mirror in Sam. He seeks out the quiet of the woods. He needs that time, and that space, to hear his own thoughts clearly. Let’s allow kids to see this as a natural need for many, and one of which they should not be ashamed.
Nature-loving Kids:
There are enough gorgeous little details about flora and fauna in this tale to delight even the most devoted nonfiction reader. When you add in all the hand drawn illustrations, your nature loving students will be hooked. Let them pair the book up with nonfiction texts that have photos and descriptions of everything Sam meets along the way. Maybe they’ll even want to make their own nature journals.
I know it’s important to get new, vibrant literature into our classrooms. I spend a lot of time reading new releases to ensure that my students have access to as many new titles as possible. Even while I rush to entice them with the latest and greatest, though, I stop and remember the oldies-but-goodies that still linger in piles in the book closets in my school. This is one of those forgotten treasures. Dig it out and get it on your shelves today!
Maria Selke has been a member of the Nerdy Book Club since early childhood, when she started bringing home stacks of books each week to the amusement of her local librarians. She spent 6 years in elementary special education, delighting in helping reluctant readers discover a love for books. The past 7 years she’s been frantically trying to keep one book ahead of a set of voracious readers as a gifted resource teacher in Pennsylvania. With a husband and two sons who also suffer from book addiction, her house is one large library. Her book stack usually includes a mix of science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, and comic books.
Follow her on Twitter – even though her handle isn’t exciting: @mselke01
Nerdy Book Club 
Great review. Love this book!
This was the first year in thirteen that I did not introduce my students to Sam and Frightful as a classroom read. Your review is a testament to its staying power. George creates a magical tree house loved by so many.
Thanks, Maria, for putting a spotlight on this book, one of my favorites as a kid. Loved the movie too. (Whatever happened to Ted Eccles?) I’m glad that each year one or two of my students find their ways to My Side of The Mountain.
One of the best survival books ever– right up there with Island of the Blue Dolphins!
I have loved this book ever since I first read it at my grandmother’s house as a kid. And yes, kids today, still love it, too. I love how you target different kinds of readers who can find a way into this book through various interests.
I really appreciate these insights — love that you identified what different types of kids would love about this book. I’m sure that’s par for the course for teachers, but it really gave this writer food for thought!
I read “My Side of the Mountain” with my fifth graders this year. They loved it. The thrill of the adventure drew them in and the honest simplicity of the novel kept them rooted firmly in Sam’s world!
My 5th graders love this book too! A few years ago, I had a 5th grader who hadn’t considered himself a reader in several years. I handed him this book, and he devoured it! He proceeded to read many more of JCG’s books, and never stopped. Great read!
It’s a great review, Maria. I have used all of George’s books as good intros to using research for writing good fiction. This is still popular at school!
I used to love reading this one out loud to kids when I was a classroom teacher. It was especially powerful the year my teaching partner and I focused on environmental issues across the whole year. Now that I am TL at the school, I made sure we had a set these in our school for lit circles. It is still regularly used and enjoyed by all the ones who read it.
As a bookish kid myself, I adored this book, and thought about running off into my own woods at several points, though I never actually did. This has always been one of my favorites and I actually learned a lot about wildlife through this.
Just re-read this a couple weeks ago. It wasn’t as wonderful as I remember it being when I was a kid, but then, I’m considerably older now :). I was one of those kids fantasizing about living on my own when I was a kid. I still fantasize about living off the grid in the boonies somewhere.