My Side of the Mountain

Chapters 1-5

Reading Check

1. Miss Turner (Chapter 3)

2. A map (Chapter 4)

3. A tree house (Chapters 4-5)

Short Answer

1. At first Sam is scared during the snowstorm and considers running back to his apartment in New York, but later he becomes proud that he is able to survive the storm. Dangers that may be associated with snowstorms include hypothermia, frostbite, and falling branches. (Chapter 1)

2. Sam describes his great-grandfather who attempted to build a farm in the Catskill Mountains. When he failed, his father said, “the land is no place for a Gribley.” What Sam’s father likely means is that the Gribleys are not properly equipped to survive on their own in the wilderness. Sam’s father disagrees with Sam’s decision to live on the land on his own. He laughs at Sam when Sam reveals his plans to do so. (Chapter 1)

3. Sam first encounters Bill after he catches fish but is unable to make a fire to cook them. He approaches Bill’s home, asking for help, and Bill teaches Sam how to build a fire. Fire building will be essential for Sam’s survival so that he can cook and keep warm in the mountains. (Chapter 4)

4. Sam most enjoys being able to provide for himself and feeling independent. The reader can infer that Sam finds satisfaction in making his own way in the world and the accomplishments survival affords him. (Various chapters)

Chapters 6-11

Reading Check

1. Pick strawberries (Chapter 6)

2. Frightful (Chapter 7)

3. Deerskin (Chapter 10)

Short Answer

1. The old lady near Sam’s camp is picking strawberries on his grandfather’s land. He feels as though the strawberry patch belongs to him and not the old woman. The woman insists on Sam helping her and further insists that he escort her into town. Sam does not want the woman to know that he is living alone in the forest, so he decides to go to the library to prevent her from becoming suspicious. (Chapter 6)

2. Sam occasionally encounters individuals who pose a threat to his independence and solitude. Hikers, fire wardens, and individuals from the nearby township may become suspicious of Sam if they encounter him in the woods and force him to return home. (Various chapters)

3. The weasel behaves as though it is indignant when Sam catches him in the trap. Sam, believing the weasel behaves as though he is royalty, names it The Baron. Sam is surprised the weasel is not afraid of him, like many of the other animals he has encountered. (Various chapters)

Chapters 12-16

Reading Check

1. Thoreau (Chapter 12)

2. Halloween (Chapter 14)

3. Daniel Boone (Chapter 16)

Short Answer

1. Bando is sleeping when Sam finds him. Sam’s motives for waking him are part intrigue and part loneliness. Sam hears the sirens nearby and wonders if the man may be an outlaw. Additionally, Sam has not encountered another human being in some time and has the desire to speak with him. (Chapter 12)

2. Sam notices the changes in the animals that live near his camp. Squirrels and chipmunks collect food, the raccoon becomes fat, and Frightful’s feathers begin to turn white. Sam is worried about the winter because it will be lonely and cold. He makes his own preparations by planning to build a fireplace in the tree house, collecting nuts and berries, and making fur clothing. (Various chapters)

Chapters 17-19

Reading Check

1. Bando (Chapter 18)

2. People (Chapter 18)

Short Answer

1. Sam recognizes that the winter is not as difficult as he had once predicted. He laughs when he realizes he did not have to dig up the wood, because his fear caused him to overprepare. (Chapter 17)

2. Many of Sam’s activities are similar to the activities that he performed in summer. For example, Sam still hunts with Frightful, fishes, finds plants, and picks up wood from the ground. Unlike the summer, however, Sam is able to spend more time cooking meals and sitting in his home. His fishing becomes ice fishing, and he must spend more time keeping warm. (Various chapters)

3. Sam’s father is impressed with Sam’s newly acquired survival skills and spends Christmas to New Year with Sam. His actions, leaving Sam to remain at the camp while he returns to civilization and his encouragement to Sam, seem to indicate that Mr. Gribley approves of Sam’s lifestyle and wants to allow him to continue to live that way. (Chapter 18)

4. Sam has used the animals to predict the changing seasons in the past, but he now uses them to determine if it is safe to leave his house after the snowstorm, using the animals as a barometer. In February, Sam notices the deer foraging and realizes it is the first sign of spring. Sam tears up when he first notices the signs of spring. Spring represents life to Sam as the animals begin to produce offspring. (Chapter 19)

Chapters 20-22

Reading Check

1. Matt Spell (Chapter 20)

2. Aaron (Chapter 21)

Short Answer

1. Sam holds what he calls a forum in his head where he has discussions with individuals he knows—but who are not actually present. He pretends as though he can hear the advice they would give him if they were with him. In this discussion, he hears Frightful’s voice telling him he would not have revealed so much about himself if he did not want to be found. Sam comes to the realization that he longs for community. (Chapter 20)

2. Sam has had frequent visitors after the newspapers printed stories about him. For example, he meets Aaron, a songwriter in the woods who visits him to play songs for him; Tom Sidler makes frequent visits on the weekend to spend time with Sam, and Bando also makes regular visits to Sam’s wilderness home. Sam considers his home to have an address because individuals come to his home to spend time with him, much like they did when he lived in New York. (Chapter 21)

3. At the beginning of the novel, Sam’s father tells Sam that the Gribleys, his father’s family, do not belong on the land. This statement is reinforced by Great-grandfather Gribley’s attempt to farm in the Catskill Mountains. Sam’s mother’s statement that the Stuarts love the land indicates that his family will find a way to belong where Sam is and makes living off the land part of Sam’s legacy. (Chapter 22)