Source of book: Audiobook from the library, but I own this
as well.
I am unsure whether My Side of the Mountain or Kildee
House is my favorite book about wilderness escapism. I read both several
times as a kid.
The author's illustrations are still the best.
Let me be clear: I’m a city kid, just with a love for the
outdoors. Having lived in the mountains in my teens, I’m still inclined to want
to live in a city. I like being close to stuff, having a variety of people
around, and not at real risk for getting burnt to a crisp or buried in snow.
But there has always been a part of me that loves the
fantasy of living alone in the wilderness, like Sam Gribley.
Jean Craighead George likewise grew up in the city, raised
by a naturalist father, who taught her survival skills. (Much greater than my
own, I must add. I’m able to stay out of trouble, but I depend on matches, not
a flint and steel.) She also had a fantasy of running away, once making it a
few hours before returning home. She combined both experiences into this book.
Apparently, a publisher first rejected the manuscript on the basis that it
would encourage kids to run away. George countered with the argument that it
was much safer to run away to the woods than to run to the city. Which may well
be true. Nature can be cruel, but humans can be evil.
Because of the author’s background, the details are correct,
and realistic, if a bit softened for kids. (Not nearly as much danger of
starvation or freezing, perhaps, as might be there even for an experienced
woodsman, but it IS a kids’ book.) George creates a fantasy, but not a
particularly crazy one.
Hatchet and
its successors, by Gary
Paulsen, are more gritty - and also realistic. Some of the difference in grit
could be explained by the setting. The Catskills, within walking distance of
civilization, are far different from the remote reaches of northern Canada.
One thing that struck me this time through is the need that
even Sam has for companionship. A falcon is a pretty cool sidekick (although I
do better with cats…), but nothing is a real substitute for human company. I am
an introvert, and I enjoy my time alone. But I also love to share the
wilderness with others. As my kids and friends can attest.
In any event, My Side of the Mountain remains a
delightful book, and one that I think will continue to be a classic of
children's’ literature.
The audiobook was read by Jeff Woodman, who did a fine
enough job. (The name may have helped…)
