The Brian Saga, Book 1 of 5

Several years ago, when I was looking for another series of books to read as a family, I tried reading the Brian Saga to my then 7- and 8-year-old kids. And that wasn’t a great idea.

If memory serves me right, we had just finished reading The Little House books and eventually moved on to A Series of Unfortunate Events. One series was realistic and the other dangerous, but neither was both-and, and I think that was the rub. Hatchet is a dangerously realistic adventure story, and my young kids weren’t yet prepared for it.

Blame the vividly described heart attack in the first chapters of Hatchet, the plane crash and dead body, or the pervasive “secret” of Brian’s mother’s affair and ensuing divorce, it doesn’t matter. My kids hated the first chapters of this book that first time around, but this past week, we tried reading Hatchet again. At ages 10 and 11, they loved it.

Well, almost. My daughter still hated the death scene and neither of them wanted to hear what Brian eventually found out there in the lake when he swam out to find the survival bag. But beyond the gory scenes, the adventure was high, and my kids were so enthralled, they kept asking me for more. That’s a true sign of any great book.

The story is that of Brian Robeson whose plane crashes hundreds of miles off course in the Canadian wilderness, and he’s forced to survive alone for a period of time that to him seems endless. What begins as a terrifying experience and passes through suicidal hopelessness eventually turns into a transformational series of weeks in which Brian learns to adapt to his surroundings and finely hone his senses, develop his tool-making and food-gathering skills, and perfect his fishing abilities. The Brian that crash-landed on that lake is not the same Brian who eventually flies out of the bush, and this theme of adaptability and change is a heavy moral to the tale—and I’m sure to the series as a whole.

We’re not quite sure yet, but this coming year might become our Gary Paulsen year, just as this past year has been our Roald Dahl year. I’ve got quite a stack of Paulsen’s books on my shelves that I’ve picked up over the years, and this Brian Saga is the one that I’ve long wanted to devour. That my kids are so keenly interested now makes it all the more plausible that this year be it.

I can’t wait to see what other adventures Brian Robeson has awaiting him, as well as what other yarns Paulsen has awaiting us. It’ll be an adventurous year of reading, and you’re welcome to join the fun.

©2022 E.T.

Read More from Gary Paulsen:

• Dogsong (1985)
• Hatchet (1986) [view also my first review of this book]
• Woodsong (1990)
• The River (1991)
• Brian’s Winter (1996)
• Brian’s Return (1999)
• Brian’s Hunt (2003)
• Time Hackers (2005)
• Woods Runner (2009)