The writing is rough, particularly in the beginning. It's SO repetitive I thought I might have to stop reading. But once the story settles and Brian is in the wilderness, it got better and I pushed through.

I enjoy this type of book. I think there's something about being left on your own to get by on your wits that's really appealing to kids (we all think, I could do that! when we absolutely 100% could not do that). When I get back into the swing of reading for pleasure I might check out one of the sequels (possibly the one where Brian voluntarily returns to the wild since that will be less horrible than him being involuntarily stranded in Canada).

They both need to make amends…
But they might be making more than that.

Tulsa Thunderbirds goaltender Hunter Fielding has a lot of kissing up to do following a few brash and uncalled-for statements. Now he needs to prove to the watchful eyes that he’s changed for the better. But cozying up to Little-Miss-Perfect-Gone-Bad isn’t his idea of making amends.

Agreeing to marry a hockey star to clear her “bad girl” reputation is the worst idea Oklahoma’s former sweetheart, Tallulah Belle Roth, has ever heard. With cameras constantly in their faces, Hunter and Tallie need to prove their sickeningly-sweet, do-good lives are the real deal—just to Bury the Hatchet once and for all.

But when the cameras are off, desire burns hot. Can fake and just for show turn into something real and forever?

Brian is on his way to Canada to visit his estranged father when the pilot of his small prop plane suffers a heart attack. Thirteen-year-old 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. This book illustrates the struggles that Brian faces in order to get to safety. This book can be used in the classroom to get children engaged and writing about survival skills. This could also be used in a reading center. 

Level R

Fiction

Grade 6-12

Brian, a thirteen-year-old boy, was on his way to visit his father for the summer when his pilot suffered a heart attacked and died. Brian crash landed into the lake in a forest. He must learn to survive on his own with nothing but a hatchet given to him by his mother before he left. The book keeps readers wanting more with the suspenseful plot and twists. 

Because this book is aimed for upper elementary students, I would focus on the plot pyramid with this book as well as problems and solutions. I would also let students journal about what they would do if they were in Brian's shoes and have the students share their thoughts. 

AR Level: 5.7

This is a fictional story about a teenage boy who is in an airplane crash and gets stranded. All he has to protect him is his hatchet. He must learn to survive on his own. I think this book would be good for children between 4th and 5th grade. According to Fountas and Pinell, it would belong in the R level, which is where most 4th graders should be. When I was in 4th grade, my teacher read it aloud to the class and we understood the plot and vocabulary used.

An activity I would do with my students while reading Hatchet would be to create our own survival packs! What would we need if we were stranded in the woods? What would we eat? Where would we sleep?