Hatchet

Gary Paulson
Hatchet
Scholastic, 1999
Narrative, Suspense/survival

Brian is flying to visit his father when the pilot on their small craft suffers a heart attack. Brian ends up using the little information the pilot had told him about flying a plane to land in a lake. Having survived the crash, Brian must find a way to survive in the wilderness. Suffering a series of difficulties including a porcupine, skunk, moose, digestive distress, and a tornado, Brian meets the problems head on and begins to look at how he will survive the winter since no one has come to save him. When he dives to the plane and recovers some gear, Brian feels secure that he will be able to survive. Part of this gear is a transmitter that allows rescuers to find him.