Hatchet

Paulsen, G. (1987). Hatchet. New York: Scholastic.

I remember reading this book almost twenty years ago with my first class of students. I was very surprised that I did not remember the book very well. The detail in Gary Paulsen's writing is fantastic. His book is an excellent tool to use with middle school writers to show them how to describe something through written words. I did notice that the reading level is fairly advanced. I read the book aloud to my 13 year old son. He still enjoys being read to and I enjoy sharing books with him. We both thought for sure Brain would not get saved, even though I read it in the past and knew he does. I could not remember exactly how the plot unfolded.

The story is great at showing how one can over come any obstacle if they put their mind to it. Brain's obstacles are a lot harder and life threatening than the everyday hurdles that the average person has to go through. He does not always come out unscathed by the ordeal, but he does learn a lesson. He takes what he learns and applies it to the next situation he is presented.

This book is a great book to include in a book club or literary circles in the classroom. Students can have some great conversations about this book and Brains experiences. They can compare and contrast to experience in their lives. They can utilize the literacy writing techniques that Paulson uses in his descriptive writing. There are lots of ways that Paulson's books can support instruction in the classroom.