Written and illustrated by: Jean Craighead GeorgeWritten and illustrated by: Jean Craighead GeorgeCover Art by: Michael GarlandCover Art by: Michael GarlandPublished by: Scholastic Inc.Published by: Scholastic Inc.

Date Publication: 1988Date Publication: 1988

SettingSettingWhere and when the story takes placeWhere and when the story takes place

The story took place in the present day.The story took place in the present day.It began in Sam Gribley’s apartment in New York. New York was a It began in Sam Gribley’s apartment in New York. New York was a

very noisy city with bright lights and friendly snowstorms. Sam’s very noisy city with bright lights and friendly snowstorms. Sam’s apartment was very bright and warm. The house contained a family of apartment was very bright and warm. The house contained a family of eleven people: father, mother, four sisters, four brothers, and Sam. eleven people: father, mother, four sisters, four brothers, and Sam. Sam wasn’t happy about the house, so one day in May he decided to Sam wasn’t happy about the house, so one day in May he decided to run away.run away.

Then the story went on in Bill’s house where Sam stayed for his first Then the story went on in Bill’s house where Sam stayed for his first night. The house was in the woods. It was warm and cozy with smoke night. The house was in the woods. It was warm and cozy with smoke coming out of the chimney and lights in the windows. There was a coming out of the chimney and lights in the windows. There was a wooden stove in the kitchen.wooden stove in the kitchen.

The main place in the story was the Catskill Mountains where Sam The main place in the story was the Catskill Mountains where Sam chose to live permanently. Sam’s family moved there after a year. It chose to live permanently. Sam’s family moved there after a year. It was a silent and non-crowded place. Sam’s great grandfather’s farm was a silent and non-crowded place. Sam’s great grandfather’s farm was on the mountain. Sam built a tree house from a tree on that farm. was on the mountain. Sam built a tree house from a tree on that farm. He furnished his tree house with a wooden desk and a hammock bed.He furnished his tree house with a wooden desk and a hammock bed.

CharactersCharacters

Sam GribleySam Gribley

FrightfulFrightful

BandoBando

Sam GribleySam Gribley

Sam is the main character in Sam is the main character in the story. the story.

Sam is a member of the Gribley Sam is a member of the Gribley family. He has dark brown hair and family. He has dark brown hair and black eyes. Sam looks ruddy and is black eyes. Sam looks ruddy and is in excellent health. He has a falcon in excellent health. He has a falcon as a pet. Sam is very adventurous. as a pet. Sam is very adventurous.

He is an independent boy who is He is an independent boy who is a great inventor. Sam is also a great inventor. Sam is also determined and strong. Sam is determined and strong. Sam is tired of living in the crowded city. tired of living in the crowded city.

FrightfulFrightful

Frightful is my favourite Frightful is my favourite character. character.

Frightful is Sam’s falcon. Frightful is Sam’s falcon. She has two gray eyes in a white She has two gray eyes in a white

stroobly head. Frightful has a hot stroobly head. Frightful has a hot fuzzy body with nubby feathers. She fuzzy body with nubby feathers. She has sharp talons. Her feathers smell has sharp talons. Her feathers smell dusty and sweet. dusty and sweet.

Frightful is very gentle. She is a Frightful is very gentle. She is a great hunter because she flies with great hunter because she flies with extreme speed. extreme speed.

Frogs are one of Frightful’s Frogs are one of Frightful’s favourite meals.favourite meals.

BandoBandoBando is the character I detest Bando is the character I detest

the most. He promises one thing the most. He promises one thing and does another. He tells Sam and does another. He tells Sam he will not tell anyone where Sam he will not tell anyone where Sam is, but then he told newspaper is, but then he told newspaper reporters where Sam was. reporters where Sam was.

Bando is an adult. He is a Bando is an adult. He is a college English teacher who got college English teacher who got lost in the woods. lost in the woods.

He has blue eyes. His He has blue eyes. His eyebrows gather together when eyebrows gather together when he is concerned. Bando likes to he is concerned. Bando likes to bring news articles to Sam about bring news articles to Sam about him being known as the wild guy. him being known as the wild guy.

SynopsisMy Side of the Mountain is about an eleven year old boy named Sam Gribley. He lived in a New York

apartment. Sam thought New York was too crowded, so he ran away to the Catskill Mountains. He was going to live off the land. He left New York with only a penknife, a ball of cord, an ax, $40, and some flint and steel, so he had to rely on natural resources.

The first day in the woods, he stayed at Bill’s house where Bill cooked a lot of food for him. In the days following, he found a tree in the Gribley’s farm. He hollowed out a room in the hemlock tree and furnished it. A few days later, he got a baby falcon and raised it. He named it Frightful and trained it to be a hunter and companion. As the days wore on, Sam learned how to make more and more furniture and found a lot of food to hunt like rabbits, deer, fish, nuts, and turtles. Sam ate animal body parts and used their hides. He began to learn how to survive in the woods. Sam soon found that living alone in the woods was not easy, but he still liked it Everyday, he interacted with animals.

After a few months of doing the same things, Sam got bored. Just as he was getting lonely, Sam met Bando who was lost in the woods. Sam cooked for him and they became good friends. Bando kept Sam company through August.

When winter was quickly approaching, Sam went out hunting for extra food, so he and Frightful wouldn’t starve. Sam also made a door to keep the cold from going into his tree house. He even had to make some clothing out of deer hide. Winter was very boring because he had to stay in his tree house, so he was waiting for Bando to come again around Christmas time. Sam didn’t know that he was actually in for a very joyful Christmas because his dad came to visit him as well. Now he had to make another tree house due to his load of visitors.

After that, a boy named Matt came. He worked for a newspaper. He knew Sam was the “wild boy”. Matt stayed with Sam for a while. Now the people knew that the wild boy was real, not a rumour.

From that day on, Sam knew he could no longer live in peace and silence because there were going to be many people coming to visit him and probably take him back to New York.

A year later, Sam’s whole family moved to live with him in the woods.

OpinionsMy Side of the Mountain is realistic fiction. At first, I thought this

book wasn’t going to be good, but it ended up being super. It is very descriptive and entertaining. I think the author would have to have a lot of imagination to write a story so interesting and one that would capture my attention. For example, Sam managed to connect the fireplace that he made to the clay chimney. It deserved the Newberry Award.

This book gave me a whole new appreciation for wilderness. It taught me how to survive in the woods. I have learned a lesson that everybody can accomplish his/her goals if he/she never gives up.

I recommend this book to readers ages 10 and up because kids younger than that probably can’t understand why Sam ran away and how he survived. I also recommend this book to readers who like adventure or nature books. I would give this book five stars. I plan to read the whole series.

MiscellaneousThe other books written by Jean Craighead George:1. There’s an Owl in the Shower 2. Julie of the Wolves 3. Fire Storm 4. On Day in the Woods5. Luck6. On the Far Side of the Mountain7. Cry of the Crow8. The Wounded Wolf9. One Day in the Desert10. Snow Bear11. Spring Comes to the Ocean12. One Day in the Alpine Tundra

The titles of other books similar to My Side of the Mountain:1. Frightful’s Mountain2. The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenweiler3. Maniac Magee4. Tuck Everlasting

About the Author

Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in a family of naturalists. Jean George has centered her life around writing and nature. She attended Pennsylvania State University, graduating with degrees in English and science. In the 1940s she was a member of the White House press corps and a reporter for The Washington Post. Ms. George has written over sixty books.

The mother of three children, Jean George is a grandmother who has joyfully read to her grandchildren since the time they were born. Over the years Jean George has kept one hundred and seventy-three pets, not including dogs and cats, in her home in Chappaqua, New York. Most of these wild animals depart in autumn when the sun changes their behavior and they feel the urge to migrate or go off alone. While they are with her, however, they become characters in my books,

articles, and stories.

Scenes From The Book

Thank YouThank YouFor Listening!For Listening!