Recommended for: Intermediate Years (4th-8th)

• My Side of the Mountain Book Study with weekly lesson plans, recipes, and more
• My Side of the Mountain Book Report Template
• My Side of the Mountain Extension Book List
• Multimedia Reference Materials links
• Book Club Meet-up Guide

Overview of My Side of the Mountain

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George is an adventure story that begins when 12-year-old Sam Gribley decides to leave his family and their small, cramped New York City apartment to seek a quieter life and explore the world. Told from the first person through journal entries, notes, and drawings, Sam embarks on a journey in the Catskill Mountains, relying on his own survival skills to make it on his own. Along the way, Sam learns how to build fires, forage for food, and catch fish as he seeks independence in the woods. Prepared with only a few items like a pen knife, an ax, and the clothes on his back, Sam quickly learns that surviving in nature involves more than he has read about in books.

Themes covered in this study

• Hemlock trees
• Blizzards
• New York and the Catskill Mountains
• United States geography
• Survival skills
• Tree and foliage identification
• Falcons
• History of salt
• Fire
• Forest animals - raccoon, deer, skunk, weasel, rabbit
• Daniel Boone
• Winter birds
• Barometers
• Vitamins

Book Disclaimer

This book includes some instances of violence. We encourage parents to review all literature selections in advance to ensure they align with your family’s values and age levels. For a detailed content overview, click here to read the Parent Guide Review on Common Sense Media.