Thursday, January 15, 2009

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

This is the second time I've read Hatchet. The first was about 2 years ago, when I was home with a sick kid. This time around, we read it for bedtime. We have gravitated towards more fantasy-esque books for bedtime, I think (I'll have to go back and look at that), and this was the first time we've read any kind of survivor fiction. I think it was a fantastic choice! Both kids were engrossed and last night, when we only had one more chapter to go, the entire family asked me to keep reading. I think we need to look at a variety of genres from now on.

If you've never read Hatchet, here's a brief synopsis. Brian is a 13-year-old boy who is traveling in a small plane to visit his father when the plane crashes. He (obviously) survives the crash and must find a way to live in the wilderness. The book is gritty in places and Paulsen doesn't skirt around some of the more gruesome details.

The only thing I didn't care for (especially as a read-aloud) was the choppy text. I think it worked when I read it the first time, but aloud it just sounded weird.

3 comments:

Debi said...

This is one of those books that I've been meaning to read for ages, and just somehow never get around to. But hey, if I wait a few more years, I could use it as a read-aloud, too! It's too old for a 6-year-old, isn't it?

Somer said...

Yes, Hatchet is probably too old for a 6-year-old. Eli is 10, and I think he was the perfect age for it.

Shelley said...

Someday I will read this!