Hatchet (original 1987; edition 2006)

by Gary Paulsen (Author)

Series: Brian's Saga (1)

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
18,774	599	272	(3.78)	255
After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the Canadian wilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.

▾Book information

Member:	BobbieKost
Title:	Hatchet
Authors:	Gary Paulsen (Author)
Info:	Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (2006), Edition: Reissue, 192 pages
Collections:	Your library
Rating:
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Work Information

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (1987)

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▾Member recommendations

70
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (davidsietsma)
50
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (snapdragongirl)
snapdragongirl: Hatchet is also a survivalist book for young adults. It is about a boy who crash lands in a forest. His only tool is a hatchet.
20
The River by Gary Paulsen (katelync22)
katelync22: This is the sequel to the Hatchet.
10
The Cay by Theodore Taylor (Unoriginality)
10
The Winter Road by Terry Hokenson (Ape)
Ape: Very similar stories.
10
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» See also 255 mentions

▾Member reviews

English (590) Polish (1) All languages (591)

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Showing 1-5 of 590 (next | show all)

I read this in school in junior high. It's okay, but I'm just not into the "wilderness kid" type books. Why are so many required reading in school? (

)

pinkbookscoffee | Jan 3, 2025 |

This book had me in love with all things nature and self reliance when I was in middle school. (

)

MB_McCreight | Dec 20, 2024 |

Independent Reading Level: Grades 5-7 (ages 10-12), Guided Reading Level: V
Awards/Honors: Newbery Honor (1987)
ALA Notable Children's Book
William Allen White Children's Book Award
Included in many "best of" lists for children's literature, especially adventure and survival books.

msirmans | Nov 30, 2024 |

Independent Reading Level: Grades 5-7
Awards: Newbery Honor Book (1987), ALA Best Book for Young Adults, Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Award

camryn.michelle | Nov 30, 2024 |

Independent Reading Level: Grades 5-7
Awards/Honors: Newbery Honor Book

ashley25dyer | Nov 29, 2024 |

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▾Published reviews

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▾Other authors

» Add other authors (6 possible)

Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Gary Paulsen	—	primary author	all editions	calculated
Coyote, Peter	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

▾Series and work relationships

Belongs to Series

Brian's Saga (1)

Is contained in

The Island / The River / Hatchet / Curse of the Ruins / Dunc's Halloween by Gary Paulsen

Hatchet / The River / Brian's Hunt / Dogsong by Gary Paulsen

Tracker / Dogsong / Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Hatchet / The Winter Room / Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen

Hatchet / The River by Gary Paulsen

Overleven in de wildernis omnibus by Gary Paulsen

Has as a teacher's guide

Hatchet: Teacher Guide : Grades 7-8 (Literary Unit) by Gary Paulsen

▾Awards and Honors

Awards

Bluestem Award (Nominee – 2016)

Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award (Winner – Grades 6-8 – 1991)

California Young Reader Medal (Nominee – Middle School/Junior High, Grades 6-8 – 1990)

Colorado Children's Book Award (Nominee – 1990)

Flicker Tale Award (Winner – Juvenile Books – 1990)

Flicker Tale Award (Nominee – Juvenile Books – 1989)

Georgia Children's Book Award (Winner – Grades 4-8 – 1991)

Golden Archer Award (Winner – Original Golden Archer Award – 1989)

Grand Canyon Reader Award (Nominee – Mature – 1991)

Iowa Teen Award (Winner – 1990)

Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Nominee – Grades 4-8 – 1989)

Margaret A. Edwards Award (1997)

Mark Twain Readers Award (Nominee)

Massachusetts Children's Book Award (Winner – 1995)

Maud Hart Lovelace Award (Winner – 1991)

Minnesota Book Awards (Winner – 1988)

NCSLMA Battle of the Books (Elementary – 2018)

Nebraska Golden Sower Award (Honor – Honeybee (Chapter Book) – 1991)

Newbery Medal (Honor Book – 1988)

Nēnē Award (Nominee – 1993)

Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee – Grades 6-8 – 1992)

Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (Nominee – 1990)

Sequoyah Book Award (Winner – Young Adult – 1990)

Soaring Eagle Book Award (First runner-up – 1992)

Soaring Eagle Book Award (Winner – 1997)

South Dakota Teen Choice Book Awards (Nominee – 1989)

Sunshine State Young Reader's Award (Nominee – 1991)

Surrey Schools’ Book of the Year (Winner – 1990)

Texas Bluebonnet Award (Nominee – 1991)

Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee – Young Adult – 1991)

Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (Winner – 1989)

Virginia Readers' Choice (Winner – Middle School – 1990)

William Allen White Children's Book Award (Winner – 1990)

Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Award (First runner-up – 1990)

Young Hoosier Book Award (Winner – Middle Grade – 1991)

Distinctions

Little Free Library Action Book Club Selection (Middle Readers)

Notable Lists

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▾Common Knowledge

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Canonical title

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

1987

People/Characters

Brian Robeson

Important places

New York, New York, USA

Canada

Important events

Related movies

A Cry in the Wild (1990 | IMDb)

Epigraph

secret, secret, oh the secret.

Dedication

To the students of the Hershey Middle School

First words

Brian Robeson stared out the window of the small plane at the endless green northern wilderness below.

Quotations

He could not play the game without hope; could not play the game without a dream. They had taken it all away from him now, they had turned away from him and there was nothing for him now. The plane gone, his family gone, all of it gone. They would not come. He was alone and there was nothing for him.

In measured time, forty-seven days had passed since the crash. Forty-two days, he thought, since he had died and had been born as the new Brian.

Many times he thought he would not make it.

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

This LT work distinguishes Gary Paulsen's original 1988 novel, Hatchet, from later editions that include related readings. Thank you.

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Original language

English

Canonical DDC/MDS

Canonical LCC

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

None

▾Book descriptions

After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the Canadian wilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.

▾Library descriptions

No library descriptions found.

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

After his plane crashes on the way to visit his father in the Canadian oil fields, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given to him by his mother. Will Brain ever be able to find his way back home?

Haiku summary