Summary (Worldcat):After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the Canadian wilderness, learning to survive initially with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.

Revew: I never read this growing up and recently a friend was designing a unit on it for student teaching, so I thought I should give a try. I liked it. It held my interest,and I liked the survival aspect and his ability to focus and plan on what needed to be done. I think readers who identify with the temptation to be overwelmed and want to give up. I know I did. I thought the side story line with the secret he was keeping for his mom was undeveloped, unresolved, and pretty much unnecessary.

Positive SLJ review, and postive Horn Book review;"He's candid about the dangers of the wild, but the writing is never sensationalized, and the tone is always modest."