Hatchet
Acceptable with guidance. Age: 12+. A Catholic review of this book for parents.
Our review
Brian is thirteen when the pilot of his small plane dies and the plane crashes into a lake in the Canadian woods. With only a hatchet, he learns to make fire, find food and build a shelter. After 54 days alone, he is finally rescued. It is a gripping lesson in patience and grit, but it includes a suicide attempt and a mother's affair, so a parent should be ready to talk. Age 12, set by Lumen's own call to match Plugged In's 12-and-up (Common Sense Media says 11+, Simon & Schuster 10-14).
For parents
Age 12, set by Lumen's own read-alone age, matching Plugged In's 12 and up; Common Sense Media says 11+ and Simon & Schuster says 10-14. Many 5th-grade classes assign it, so if your child reads it younger, read along. Three things to know. Brian sees the dead pilot's head in the lake. After a plane misses him, he despairs and cuts his wrists with the hatchet; he survives. Talk about this one directly: hopeless feelings pass, life is a gift from God, and we always tell a grown-up when we feel that low. Brian also carries a secret: he saw his mother kissing another man before the divorce. God's name is misused a few times. Brian credits luck and himself alone. Ask who was really caring for him those 54 days.