I really liked this book when I was young. I wished I could take off into the woods with a Frightful to keep me company! :) I wonder what I would think of it now?

Sam Gribley runs away from his family in New York City to live in the wilderness. He is well versed in how to manage survival in the woods, and with very few errors succeeds quite well, living over a year completely on his own. Apart from this, there is not much of a plot. Sam explains how he survives. In spite of the fact that not much happens, George's writing is engaging enough that book is never boring.
That said, I was quite bothered that he is running away form a seemingly loving family, with no reason other than a desire to survive on his own. Sam says nothing throughout the entire book to either suggest a reason he wanted to leave his family, or to hint that he is missing them at all. The last chapter touches on this a little, but this complete lack of expression of love for his family or his family's love for him pulls this down to a three-star rating for me. ( )

Adventure

Read because this was a book Ella had to know for Battle of the Books district wide contest in Feb 2024. A book about a boy who learns how to survive and thrive in the wilderness.
Kirkus: An exciting and evocative book about a young boy who decides to live the life of Thoreau throughout a year in the Catskills. The author, who has written extensively on nature, comes to basic grips with the facts of nature and man's attempt to adapt to its rhythm. The hero-narrator of the book sets off on his venture with text-book wisdom, soon to find that it is a more subtle, more crafty game he must play if he is to survive. And survive he does, meeting each challenge with his characteristic blend of humor, intelligence, and humility. A vivid character at the vortex of convincing and real adventure. Heroics? None, but of heroism, young Master Gribley has an ample share.

I loved this book as a child and thought it was time to revisit it. ( )