Hatchet
Readers rate it 3.6 (609 on Hardcover)
195 pages · Released Apr 1, 2000 · Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
Content report card
Hatchet parent’s guide: what’s inside
Language
Sexual content
LGBTQ+ themes
Substance use
What it offers
A note for parents
Hatchet is a classic survival story that realistically depicts a teenager's physical and emotional struggle after a plane crash. While there is moderate suspense and some unsettling moments (injury, hunger, danger from wildlife), the focus is on resilience, problem-solving, and personal growth rather than graphic content. The book handles Brian's parents' divorce with sensitivity and shows how survival forces meaningful self-discovery. This is an excellent choice for middle-grade readers ready for adventure with genuine stakes.
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From the publisher
Brian Robison, a teenage boy struggling through his parents divorce, is flying up north to stay with his dad for the summer. However, his plane crashes and he is forced to survive the Canadian wilderness. Now living in a world completely opposite of his own, he is now able to discover himself in this forsaken and misun... Brian Robison, a teenage boy struggling through his parents divorce, is flying up north to stay with his dad for the summer. However, his plane crashes and he is forced to survive the Canadian wilderness. Now living in a world completely opposite of his own, he is now able to discover himself in this forsaken and misunderstood beautiful world. The story is continued in "The River" "Brian's Winter" "Brian's Return" and "The Hunt"
Shelved under
- Divorce
- plane crash
- survival
- Canada, fiction
- Divorce, fiction
- Children's fiction
- Newbery Honor
- Juvenile fiction
- Fiction
- Hatchet
- Gary Paulsen
- 1988 Newbery Honor Book
Books in the Brian's Saga series
Full series in order →
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ISBN 9780689840920 · Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books