My side of the mountain
by Jean Craighead George · first published 1959
83% recommend17% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Survival story of a boy who runs away and lives off the land in a tree trunk. Readers recall it as captivating childhood reading that sparked forts, outdoor interest, and thoughts on living with less.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A young boy relates his adventures during the year he spends living alone in the Catskill Mountains, including his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, his animal friends, and his ultimate realization that he needs human companionship.
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…Habit https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001QNVP7M/ref=tmm_kin_swat... Chaos https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0143113453/ref=tmm_pap_swat... Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00B1FG8RW/ref=tmm_kin_swat... My side of the mountain https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0525463461/ref=tmm_hrd_swat... The Histories https://smile.amazon.com/Histories-Penguin-Classics-Deluxe-e... The History of the Peloponnesian War https://smile.amazon.com/History-Peloponnesian-War-Thucydide...…
on “Ask HN: Life Changing Books?” ↗Nine Princes in Amber - Roger Zelazny The Mediterranean Caper - Clive Cussler Term Limits - Vince Flynn My Side of the Mountain - Jean George
on “Ask HN: What is your favorite fiction book?” ↗…unused store rooms, for some reason society hammers them. All the kids books I ever read, kids would run away from home and do this. It was seen as independence and exploring. Different times I guess. "My Side of the Mountain", "The Prince of Central Park", "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" also the "Three Investigators" and their hidden hideout.
on “Van Allen dug himself a bunker beneath a public park” ↗My Side of the Mountain - this was basically my ideal personality as a kid - independent and self sufficient, able to build anything I need and live off the land. My point of view is significantly different now, but I still…
on “Ask HN: What book have you re-read 3x or more?” ↗This story reminded me of a grown-up version of the children's book "My Side Of The Mountain" for some reason. I love this kind of story because it reminds me that we could all do well to learn to live with less, and that there are some that do.
on “Could you Survive Without Money? Meet the Guy Who Does.” ↗My Side of the Mountain---about a kid running away and actually living off the land. Book of Virtues---don't give him this, just have it around in your house to read when bored. Gambling scandals notwithstanding, it's full…
on “What are great books for boys?” ↗I really really like the type of Sci-Fi / Adventure Story where the protagonist engineers and builds their own world from scratch (or almost) - see My Side of the Mountain [1], The Game [2], [Conrad Stargard series][3], Swiss Family Robinson, Robinson Crusoe, etc, etc . So I really liked the first book in the Safehold Series [4] and I put up with the atrocious names (Zhasphar…
on “Science-fictional shibboleths” ↗As a kid in school we read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Side_of_the_Mountain Gives you a little taste of surviving outdoors.
on “Free Land – Living Off Grid With No Money” ↗…Brain The Boxcar Children series Captain Underpants Roald Dahl books: The BFG, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The Twits, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory/The Great Glass Elevator (not as good) My Side of the Mountain No More Dead Dogs The Secret Garden Bridge to Terabithia (Deals with death, a little older) The Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe Across five Aprils (civil war historical fiction, older) The Broken…
on “The original “Bambi”” ↗…consequences. He wrote them all within the last twelve years, IIRC. For older kids, Pax (illustrated by Mr. Klassen in the edition we picked up) is a lovely piece of writing, vaguely like a cross between My Side Of The Mountain and Old Yeller, but less tragic than Old Yeller, with a deftly-handled thread about emotional awareness and responsibility for one's own choices woven throughout. Oh, and the How To Train Your Dragon…
on “Hundreds of changes made to latest editions of Roald Dahl's books” ↗They already have one, which was a partial inspiration. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Side_of_the_Mountain Required reading for 5th graders, imo. At the end of the day, it's not much different than the thousands of people who hike the PCT every year. I just... didn't walk anywhere. It was so long ago that…
on “LSD: Not Even Once. Really.” ↗My Side of The Mountain was a good book from what I can remember - read it in 2/3 grade and often think about the spatial constraints of living in a tree trunk when I'm out, in reference to this. Intentionally came to HN this…
on “LSD: Not Even Once. Really.” ↗There was another novel along the same lines I remembering liking as a kid called “my side of the mountain” A story about a kid basically muddling through living ‘off-grid” before it was cool.
on “"Frost crack" sounds may come from sky, not trees” ↗My Side of the Mountain, The Hatchet, and Peak were like the trilogy of adventure books for our cohort I think.
on “"Frost crack" sounds may come from sky, not trees” ↗I blame my side of the mountain for me, sitting right now, in Breckenridge about to head out into the woods for the day. Absolutely captivating book to read as a kid.
on “"Frost crack" sounds may come from sky, not trees” ↗