Product Description

In 1959, Jean Craighead George published My Side of the Mountain. This coming-of-age story about a boy and his falcon went on to win a Newbery Honor, and for the past forty years has enthralled and entertained generations of would-be Sam Gribleys. The two books that followed--On the Far Side of the Mountain and Frightful's Mountain--were equally extraordinary. Now all three books are available in one deluxe yet affordable volume for veteran devotees and brand-new fans alike.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8315 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 628 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780525462699
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
Asked why the writing of the My Side of the Mountain trilogy took Jean Craighead George more than 40 years, she responds, "My mother disapproved of sequels. 'Those are trashy books,' she told me when I was a child. So I grew up and did not write them.

"But kids are wiser than adults, I learned. Letters kept arriving from schools and homes, saying, 'We want to know more about Sam, Frightful, and the wilderness.' 'Sequels,' they said, 'are important.' They were right."

Now, all three of George's remarkable novels about the wilderness adventures of young Sam Gribley and his falcon, Frightful, are available in one handsome volume. In My Side of the Mountain, a Newbery Honor Book, Sam leaves home to fend for himself in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. For a year he lives in a hollowed-out tree, befriending animals and depending on his wits for survival. In the sequel, On the Far Side of the Mountain, Sam's sister has now joined him, and his falcon is confiscated by a conservation officer. Frightful's Mountain is an interesting departure for George. Written from the perspective of Frightful the falcon, the concluding novel in the trilogy follows her efforts to learn to depend on her own instincts in a world crawling with dangers.

Jean Craighead George is the beloved author of more than 80 books, including the Newbery Medal winner, Julie of the Wolves. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Customer Reviews

Three wonderful stories together in one stunning volume
Jean Craighead George's MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN is, quite simply, a masterpiece of children's literature. Almost half a century after its original publication, it is now available in this gorgeous hardcover edition, along with its two stunning sequels, ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN and FRIGHTFUL'S MOUNTAIN. Wendell Minor, illustrator of two of Ms. George's classic JULIE OF THE WOLVES books and many splendid picture books, has done the cover, and Ms. George herself did the fine line drawings for the three books. However, the true beauty of the volume lies with the words that grace its pages. In the first book, Sam is a young teenager who is tired of living in his crowded New York City apartment and steals away to the Catskill Mountains to live in seclusion among nature. There, he burns out a tree to make it his cozy home, learns about wild foods and how to find them, and captures a young peregrine falcon, Frightful, to train to hunt for him. The first book was written in the past tense from Sam's point of view, and is filled with details and entries from Sam's journal. Ms. George manages, in her usual way, to tell about and inspire readers about nature, without sentimentalizing it, and to develop young characters without underestimating them. The journal entries are written just as a kid would write them, in simple, yet interesting text. In fact, many readers have been led to believe that a thirteen-year-old boy actually did write the book. MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN won a Newbery Honor (later Ms. George was to be awarded a Newbery Medal for her truly magnificent JULIE OF THE WOLVES). The second book, ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, is written, even more effectively, in the present tense, as Sam finds his way into more exciting adventures. He still enjoys a life in the mountains--but he is no longer alone, as his sister, Alice, has joined him. This book is written more realistically and in a more modern settting. For example, peregrine falcons are an endangered species, and Frightful must be confiscated by a conservation officer. However, Sam isn't so sure that he really is a legal government worker, and, along with his friend Bando, he takes off to find his beloved feathered friend. At about the same time, Alice disappears, and Sam must find two of the things that mean the most to him. The ending is very exciting, but the sequel never loses the charming, easygoing coziness of its predecessor. In the third book, FRIGHTFUL'S MOUNTAIN, Sam is forced to let Frightful free, as it is illegal to own an endangered species. Frightful, having lived nearly her whole life and depended almost entirely on humans for her survival, faces many challenges in her life in the wild. There are natural dangers--other birds of prey, hurricanes--but the book's basic story relies on Frightful's increasing conflicts with humans. Telephone wires cause an eletrocution threat, DDT poison weakens eggs, and Frightful faces a harrowing few days trying to raise young on a New York bridge. The result of all three books has changed my way of looking at the world. I have started a journal, I dream of living away from the strange world of humankind, I want to try dandelion salad and acorn pancakes, and I constantly watch the skies for peregrine falcons soaring above (there is only one nesting pair in Georgia this year but I am paying attention to conservation efforts to help Frightful and her kind). With this beautiful special edition of three incredible books, I look forward to sharing the story of Sam Gribley and Frightful with my own children someday.

Awesome book
My Side Of The Mountain is a great book for all ages. If you're thinking of running away definitely take this book with you. If you're want an adventurous book this is a book for you. This book tells you what foods to eat how to make the food and how to train wild animals. This is the kind of book that you probaly won't put down until you're finished with it. So you should read this book.

best books ever!!!!
This trilogy is great for kids 7 and up . The first story is about how Sam Gribley an old boy,built a home in the woods and survied.the other two books just make you want to read more and more!