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SUPER READERS
Title:  My Side of the Mountain
Author:  Jean Craighead George

Reviewed by : 

Reviewer:  Harry G. '10
 
This book has a lot of adventure and survival techniques. I think people who like the outdoors and animals will really like this book, and if you do like the book you can read the two sequels:

On the Far Side of the Mountain
Frightful's Mountain

Spring 2003

 
Reviewer:  Troy D. '10

This book is about a boy named Sam Gribley. Sam decides to go live off the land on the abandoned Gribley farm in the Catskills. He finds the old farm with the help of a nice librarian named Miss Turner.

He builds a cool house in a tree, and later adds a fireplace and a leather flap door.

At first, Sam lives all alone, until he captures a baby Peregrine Falcon named Frightful. Sam knows all about the roots, nuts, bulbs, and berries on the mountain, so he has no trouble finding food. He trains the peregrine falcon to hunt for him, and over time begins to learn the ways of the animals.

One summer Sam comes back to his tree home to find a man sleeping there. He figures he can trust the man. He calls him Bando, and Bando calls Sam Thoreau. Sam learns that Bando is a teacher, and after a few weeks Bando leaves to go back and teach, promising to return at Christmas.

Summer 2002

Reviewer:  Robby M. '09

When Sam Gribley tells his father he is running away to his grandfather's farm, his father thinks he is kidding.  With nothing but an ax, some steel and flint, and twenty dollars, Sam sets off for the Catskill Mountains.  Sam is pushed to his limits in order to survive.  He builds a shelter with a bed and a fireplace.  He uses only the natural resources around him.  With the aid of his pet falcon, Frightful, Sam is able to provide enough food for himself.   But when rumor of his presence there starts getting around,  what will Sam do? 

Spring 2002

Reviewer: Joe K. '09

A boy named Sam runs away from his crowded life in New York City to live in the Catskill Mountains.  He finds a baby falcon and names it Frightful.  Frightful becomes Sam's best friend.  With only a pen knife, a ball of cord, forty dollars and some flint and steal, Sam learns to survive in the wilderness on his own.  Read this great book to find out all the things that happen to Sam. I like this book a lot and I recommend it to kids who like to read books about wilderness survival.

Spring 2002

Reviewer:   Ben F. '09

Sam runs away from home to live on his own.  He lives on a mountain in a tree trunk with his falcon, Frightful.   This is very risky because he might be killed by a wild animal.  It seems pretty hopeless in the beginning when he looks for food because he is not used to doing that.   You wonder if he will be able to survive on his own.   Nobody believes he will survive, but he proves them wrong.  If you love suspenseful reading,  you have to read this book.   

Winter 2002

Reviewer:  Alex S. '07

In My Side of the Mountain, Sam Gribley, the main character, runs away from home. In the mountains, he makes a home from a tree. He also trained a falcon as a pet. He had trouble keeping away from other people.

Read My Side of the Mountain to find out how Sam survives.

2/2/00

Reviewer:  Karen P. '07

My Side of the Mountain is about a boy, Sam Gribley, who runs away from his home in New York. He goes to the Catskill Mountains, where his grandfather’s farm once stood, with only a ball of cord, an ax, a penknife, forty dollars, and some flint and steel. Sam has to use his knowledge of nature, and the plants and animals around him, to survive the forest. He begins by making friends among the animals. Will he survive the Catskills? Will his family ever find him?

I think My Side of the Mountain is a good book. There is action and excitement throughout, especially toward the end. I recommend My Side of the Mountain to everyone. You will love it!

2/2/00

Reviewer:  Mason W. '06

The character in this book is Sam Gribbly, a brave, confident, and clever boy who lived in the city but ran away because he didn’t want to live in a busy, crowded place any more.

In this book, Sam Gribbly runs away from home to live in the wild. There he makes contact with the animals and learns about nature. Read the book to see whether or not he can survive.

6/1/99


5th Grade Super Readers
Director:  Betty Grant - Lower School Reading Specialist
Web Site - Andrea Owens
Germantown Academy

Super Readers | Lower SchoolGAnet