Hatchet-Chapter Book # 7

Author: Gary Paulsen
Title: Hatchet
Illustrator: N/A
Readability score: 6.3
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Realistic Fiction
Theme: never give up even when life seems unsure
Primary and secondary characters: Brian is the primary character of the book and the pilot is the secondary character
Awards: Newbery 1988 winner
Publishing company: Scholastic
Date of publication: 1987
ISBN number: 9780439192866
Summary: This book is about a boy named Brian who is thirteen years old when his parents divorce. His father receives a job in Canada working in the fields and Brian travels to see him on a plane for the first time. His parents do not get along and Brian is having a hard time dealing with his parent's divorce. On the small aircraft, which contains the pilot and Brian, the pilot begins to have arm pains. He suddenly has a heart attack and dies. As the plane is descending down, Brian realizes that he must prevent it from crashing as must as possible. He spots water and aims for it. As the plane hits the water he passes out from the pain. Brian is the only one that survives the crash of the small plane and he is now stranded in the wilderness. He finds that he has to rely on what knowledge he does have and also the hatchet that his mother gave him. He finds that he must also come to terms with his parent's divorce in the process. During his survival, he faces many dangers of trying to stay alive. He deals with the pains of hunger, animal attacks, and even a tornado. He must search for food and Brian is rescued at the end of the book when he discovers a survival pack. He finds an emergency transmitter, which he determins was broken in the crash due to its lack of use. When an plane lands on the lake, the pilot says that the transmitter was in fact not broken and that there were people looking for him.

This book offers a lot to the table aside from adventure. It covers the topic of divorce, which many children often deal with in their families. Brian was faced with divorce with his parents and he came to terms with it when he was faced with the other situations and trials in his life. Students can know that with this book they can overcome trials in their lives with persistance and determination.