Opinion: What Have Other
People Thought About
My Side of the Mountain?
M y Side of the Mountain is a hit with both kids and adults.
Initially, the publisher had worried that readers would be
alarmed that Sam’s parents let him go off alone into the woods,
but this received very little criticism. A few book reviewers said
that the story was far-fetched, but everyone acknowledged that
the story’s themes and characters were marvelous. Jean
Craighead George has said that her only criticism from readers
was that they were disappointed that Sam’s family joins him in
the end!
Book reviewers, parents, teachers, and students agree that My
Side of the Mountain encourages kids to think independently, to
apply their knowledge, to pay attention to their environment, and
to get comfortable with nature. As it was written in the New York
Times Book Review, Jean Craighead George “provokes readers to
a reassessment of their place in the natural world.”
Besides receiving excellent book reviews, My Side of the Mountain
has also won many awards. The most prestigious honor it has
received was its selection as a Newbery Honor Book in 1960.
The John Newbery Medal, introduced in 1921, was the first
children’s book award in the world. Its goal is “to encourage
original creative work in the field of books for children . . . [t]o give
those librarians, who make it their life work to serve children’s
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reading interests, an opportunity to encourage good writing in
this field.”
Each year, the librarians on the committee award one Newbery
Medal. In addition, they also recognize other books that are
worthy of attention. These books are called “honor books.” The
Newbery Medal and the Newbery Honors are the best known and
most discussed children’s-book awards in this country.
In addition to her Newbery Honor, Jean Craighead George has
received other awards for her books. In 1991, she was the first
winner of the School Library Media Section of the New York
Library Association’s Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile
Literature. This award was presented to her for the “consistent
superior quality” of her literary works.
In 1969, My Side of the Mountain won a George G. Stone Center
for Children’s Books Merit Award. This is given annually by a
committee of teachers, librarians, and children’s literature
specialists for books “that have the capacity to arouse in children
an awareness of the complexity and beauty of the expanding
universe.”
If all the good reviews and awards weren’t enough, My Side of
the Mountain is also a favorite among teachers. Sam’s adventure
in the Catskill Mountains is at the top of many schools’
recommended-reading lists.
What is perhaps most remarkable about My Side of the Mountain
is its long life. Published in 1959, this book was read widely
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when it first hit bookstores. It is impressive that today’s kids are
just as fascinated by Sam’s adventure as readers were some
forty-five years ago. Sam’s timeless tale is sure to entertain
budding naturalists and adventure seekers for generations to
come. A reviewer from The Horn Book called My Side of the
Mountain “An extraordinary book. . . . It will be read year after
year.”
Thinking about what others think of
My Side of the Mountain
• Do you think this book deserved a Newbery Honor?
• Do you think a twelve-year-old could really survive in the
wilderness as well as Sam did?
• Why do you think this book is still so popular today?
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Glossary
H ere are some of the words used in My Side of the Mountain.
Some may be new to you or used in new ways.
Understanding their meanings will make it easier for you to
read and appreciate the novel.
barometer an instrument that measures changes in air
pressure and indicates when the weather is going to change
bellow to shout or roar
bough a tree branch
brooding worrying or thinking about one’s problems
combustible capable of catching fire
dale a small valley
deadfall a mass of fallen trees; an animal trap
fell to cut, knock, or bring down
flint a piece of quartz that, when struck by steel, creates a
spark
furtive done in a secretive way
gangplank a bridge used to get on and off a docked ship
gorge a deep, narrow passage through land
hemlock an evergreen tree from the pine family
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jess a short strap secured to the leg of a hawk, usually along
with a ring for attaching a leash
loam loose, rich soil
marksmanship skill in shooting
perch a branch where a bird sits or nests
pewee a type of bird that feeds on insects
plumage a bird’s feathers
poach to hunt illegally
preen to smooth or groom oneself
primitive in an early stage of development
sagely wisely
sanguine optimistic, confident
savory tasty
scant in insufficient supply
snare a trap that entangles birds or other animals, usually with
a noose
tether to tie or fasten in order to restrain
thunderhead a rounded mass of clouds that often appears
before a thunderstorm
tubers fleshy underground stems or roots, like a potato
vengeance an action that is taken to pay back someone for
harm that that person inflicted on you or someone you care
about
venison the edible meat of a deer
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ventilate to allow fresh air into a place and to allow stale air to
escape
whittle to carve something out of wood by chipping off small
pieces
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