Blog Post # 4

1. "My bed is on the right as you enter, and is made of ash slats and covered with deerskin. On the left there is a small fireplace about knee high. It is of clay and stones. It has a small chimmeny that leads the smoke out through a knothole. I chipped out three other knotholes to let fresh air in. The air coming in is bitter cold. It must be below zero outside, and yet I am here inside my tree and write with bare hands. The fire is small, too. It doesent take much fire to warm this tree room."
This passage enhances the reading experience because it describes the shelter that Sam made by carving out a tree. It shows his smart and creative way to keep warm in the  freezing winter months. You get a good idea of his craftiness and ability to use the land.

2. If Sam Gribley lived in our world today, I don't see him faring well with the pressures of society. He ran away to escape the trials of life in the city. Sam is smart, determined and would be able to survive just fine, but I dont think he would be happy. He enjoys being independent from the rest of the world and technology. Sam may not be able to handle the technological advances now and in the future.

Blog Post # 3

Sam Gribley in My Side of the Mountain can be compared to Bear Grylls in television show Man vs. Wild. They are alike becaue both characters teach others how to survive in the wild. In the book, Sam comes across an English teacher who got lost on a hiking trip in the Catskills. He calls the man Bando and feeds him and gives him shelter. Bando is intrigued by Sam and stays with him for several days, learning from Sam how to prepare the fish, nuts and berries they gather together. In Man vs. Wild, the host Bear Grylls is stranded in a secluded area and needs to find a way back to civilization. Throughout the episode he survives by using all resources available from nature. He often builds shelters and rafts just like Sam. A major difference is that Bear Grylls is trying to get back to civilization, while Sam Gribley is running away from it. Man vs. Wild is more of a reality show, while the book is fictional. In My Side of the Mountain Sam goes on a journey and leaves home. The author uses this to symbolize not just his expedition into the wilderness, but the journey of self discovery as well. Sam is able to learn independence and skills which help him gain maturity and knowledge.

This is a photo of the Catskill Mountains in New York. It's the location where Sam's family owns a piece of property. He runs away and lives here during the story and learns to survive.

Blog Post #2

The main character in My Side of the Mountain is a twelve year old boy named Sam Gribley.  Sam is a great character because he is independent and intelligent. After making the decision of leaving for the wilderness, everyone Sam comes across thinks he’s he’ll never last more than a day away from home. Talking about his father’s reaction Sam says, “ He laughed. Everyone  laughed at me. Even Dad.  He had roared with laughter and told me about the time he had run away from home." Although Sam faces many difficulties trying to find food and make shelter, he never gives up. He finds a baby falcon, and over the next year he trains it to hunt and bring back rabbits and other prey. He uses his resources wisely and finds clever ways to survive alone.

If Sam found $100 on the ground he would probably take a little bit for himself. This is probably what most twelve year old kids would do. He also is not afraid to do whatever is necessary to survive, and if he needed the money, Sam would probably take some.

Blog Post # 1

The book I chose to read is My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. I figured it would be a book I would be interested in after reading the backcover's plot overview. The book is about Sam, a boy who leaves the city and goes to live by himself in the Catskill mountains. He learns to make use of the natural resources around him and survive on his own. Sam hunts, fishes, and makes his own shelter. Although he finds it difficult, Sam thinks of how his great-grandfather was able to live there on the same land many years ago. I think it's important to learn these skills, and to be able to live independently, not always having to rely on civilization for food and shelter needs. Sam takes this to the extreme by escaping to the wilderness and learns a great deal about himself and using the land.