- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Puffin (Nov 21 1991)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0140348107
- ISBN-13: 978-0140348101
- Product Dimensions: 19.3 x 12.7 x 1.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 204 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (369 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #561,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
Every kid thinks about running away at one point or another; few get farther than the end of the block. Young Sam Gribley gets to the end of the block and keeps going--all the way to the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. There he sets up house in a huge hollowed-out tree, with a falcon and a weasel for companions and his wits as his tool for survival. In a spellbinding, touching, funny account, Sam learns to live off the land, and grows up a little in the process. Blizzards, hunters, loneliness, and fear all battle to drive Sam back to city life. But his desire for freedom, independence, and adventure is stronger. No reader will be immune to the compulsion to go right out and start whittling fishhooks and befriending raccoons.
Jean Craighead George, author of more than 80 children's books, including the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves, created another prizewinner with My Side of the Mountain--a Newbery Honor Book, an ALA Notable Book, and a Hans Christian Andersen Award Honor Book. Astonishingly, she wrote its sequel, On the Far Side of the Mountain, 30 years later, and a decade after that penned the final book in the trilogy, Frightful's Mountain, told from the falcon's point of view. George has no doubt shaped generations of young readers with her outdoor adventures of the mind and spirit. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter
Book Description
In this enthralling story, a boy builds a treehouse in the mountains and learns to live entirely by his wits. "(Emphasizes) the rewards of courage and determination."--The Horn Book.
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First Sentence
I am on my mountain in a tree home that people have passed without ever knowing that I am here. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
I am on my mountain in a tree home that people have passed without ever knowing that I am here. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sam is one Cool Dude!,
By Jay Gilbertson (Prairie Farm, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews
This review is from: My Side of the Mountain (Puffin Modern Classics) (Paperback)
My SIDE of the MOUNTAINby Jean Craighead George Did you read this novel as a kid? Is a copy collecting dust on your bookshelf? Well, get it down and give it a fresh read, you'll be blown away how timeless this tale is. And fun too. Who doesn't dream of running away--imagine no husband or wife to nag you, so long to the kids and hand over your cell phone! "I am on my mountain in a tree home that people have passed without ever knowing that I am here. The house is a hemlock tree six feet in diameter, and must be as old as the mountain itself." So begins Sam Gribley's pretty amazing adventure on his great-grandfather's land in the Catskill Mountains. From foraging in the wild to stealing a baby falcon and raising it to hunt for him, Sam's life unfolds into a modern day Thoreau with a dash of Swiss Family Robinson. He explains that living in a cramped New York apartment with an enormous family literally drove him to run away, but how his parents could have let a boy of only 14 live for nearly 9 months in a tree did have me wondering. Tossing parental concerns aside and realizing this story was written in 1959, there's so much to appreciate and the amount of wildlife knowledge, thanks to a local library Sam often visits, is actually very useful. "I would bake the acorns in the fire, and grind them between stones. This was tedious work too, but now that I had a home and smoked venison and did not have to hunt food every minute, I could do things like make flour." One of the many moral lessons the author weaves into her story is that no matter where you run and attempt to hide; the world is right there watching--even before all the crazy technology was at the ready. Sam does learn early on that living on your own can be a lonely affair and so, of course, several different characters literally wander into his life. My only beef with this adventure-filled story is that the ending seemed rather abrupt. I won't spoil it for you since I know everyone is going to read this, but it really felt dropped in like a, well, like a dive-bombing falcon. BAM--end of story. But I know different, and perhaps you do too, there's a sequel and a movie and... The best part about MSOTM is that for a short time you can once again be that boy who not only had a dream, but made it happen and guess what? Like Sam Gribley, maybe you'll be inspired to stop dreaming and start living the dream!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting and informative,
By A Customer
This review is from: My Side of the Mountain (Paperback)
Written by Gene Craighead George, My Side of the Mountain explores one boy's quest for peace and quiet and his realization of what it means to be alone. An adolescent boy, Sam, escapes the chaos of his family's crowded New York apartment. Sam runs away, to the Catskill Mountains in search of space and independence. Sam feels like a free man up in the mountains. He learns to live off the land. He manages to ward off reporters, tourists, and hikers, so that he may preserve his secret living quarters. Sam faces many hardships, but his determination, to live on his own, helps him persevere. Through his interaction with neighboring animals and his friendship with his pet falcon, Sam survives hardships on the lonely mountain. Sam is content with his life in the mountains, but he realizes that he misses human conversation. This interesting and exciting book shows Sam's journey away from his fellow humans and his need to be amongst them again. Sam's great journey is inspiring to anyone who has ever just wanted to escape for a while. The plot is developed through Sam's struggle to survive nature and his inner conflicts. I recommend this book to people of all ages. I believe this story appeals to children because of the adventure and excitement of running away to an unknown place. Adults will find it appealing because they understand the need to be away from the chaos of crowds and cities to find a haven of peace and quiet. Our hectic lifestyles help us relate to Sam's desire for simplicity.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A dream full-filled,
By
This review is from: My Side of the Mountain (Paperback)
Upon first reading this book as a child, I simply loved it! The thought of living off nature is pure glee to me. Sam Gribly does something any youth wishes for: independance. While the author portrays Sam's independence through running away and living in a forest, there are many ways in which a youth can achieve it.Some say this book is far-fetched and silly, however, is it any sillier than Harry Potter? or any other fiction book? It is a story, a very good one at that. The way Sam lives and takes care of himself is purely wonderful. I recommend this story to all.
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