Hatchet, Gary Paulson

When young Brian takes off in a two-person small plane to join his father in the Canadian wilderness for the summer, he has no idea that his life will be changed forever. While in flight, the pilot has a fatal heart attack, leaving Brian to think quickly, to draw upon all he has ever learned, and to fight panic and despair. Hatchet follows the amazing resourcefulness and courage of a boy who simply will not be beaten by his circumstances.

Related Readings

from Woman in the Mists—biography by Farley Mowat

from Dear Mr. Henshaw—excerpt from the novel by Beverly Cleary

Desert Places—poem by Robert Frost

The Letter ‘A'—autobiography by Christy Brown

Survival—article by Victoria Logue, Frank Logue, and Mark Carroll

Study Guide (PDF)