by: Gary Paulsen
Brian is on his way to Canada to visit his estranged father when the pilot of his small prop plane suffers a heart attack. Brian is forced to crash-land the plane in a lake--and finds himself stranded in the remote Canadian wilderness with only his clothing and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present before his departure. 

Brian had been distraught over his parents' impending divorce and the secret he carries about his mother, but now he is truly desolate and alone. Exhausted, terrified, and hungry, Brian struggles to find food and make a shelter for himself. He has no special knowledge of the woods, and he must find a new kind of awareness and patience as he meets each day's challenges. Is the water safe to drink? Are the berries he finds poisonous? 

Slowly, Brian learns to turn adversity to his advantage--an invading porcupine unexpectedly shows him how to make fire, a devastating tornado shows him how to retrieve supplies from the submerged airplane. Most of all, Brian leaves behind the self-pity he has felt about his predicament as he summons the courage to stay alive. {Goodreads copy}
This was a re-read for me. I hadn't read it since school, and my husband and I were reminiscing about our favorite books we read as kids and both of us mentioned this one. So I got myself the 50th anniversary edition and sat down to dive in once again. I enjoyed it as much as I remember from the first time, which was nice. I like survival stories. I feel like they are useful in case I ever get in that type of situation, while also cementing in my head the fact that I would likely not be that resourceful and probably die HAHA (but seriously. I'm sure I'd forget all the really important things needed to survive). Clearly this book was one that resonated with me and my husband, since we both fondly remember it from our childhood. I'm glad I got to re-read it and experience it as an adult as well.

Brian Robeson stared out the window of the small plane at the endless green northern wilderness below. {first line}
"You are your most valuable asset."

"I am full of tough hope."

"...so much of living was patience and thinking."

"Read like a wolf eats. Read all the time. Read everything. Read every day. Read what they tell you to read and read what they tell you not to read. Just read."


• secret • {last word}