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Hatchet Book

What is hatchet book?

· Sarah Mitchell

Key facts

Title Hatchet[1]
Author Gary Paulsen[1]
Publication year 1987[1]
Main character Brian Robeson[1]
Setting Canadian wilderness[1]
Genre Young-adult survival novel[1]

A hatchet book is Gary Paulsen’s 1987 young-adult survival novel *Hatchet*, about 13-year-old Brian Robeson, who is stranded in the Canadian wilderness after a plane crash and must survive with only a hatchet.[1] [3]

Context

The novel follows Brian Robeson, a 13-year-old boy, who is the sole survivor of a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness.[1] He must rely on a hatchet given by his mother to survive.[1] The conflict begins when the pilot suffers a fatal heart attack mid-flight.[3] *Hatchet* is the first installment in a five-book series.[2]

Documented claims

  • Brian is stranded after a plane crash and survives alone in the wilderness. [1]
  • The pilot dies of a heart attack during the flight. [3]
  • The book is the first of a five-book series. [2]

Questions and answers

What is the Hatchet book about?

It is about 13-year-old Brian Robeson, who survives a plane crash and must live alone in the Canadian wilderness with only a hatchet.[1]

Is Hatchet based on a true story?

The sources do not indicate that the book is based on a true story.[1]

What grade level is Hatchet for?

The sources describe it as a young-adult survival novel, but they do not specify a grade level.[1]

Sources

  1. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen Plot Summary — litcharts.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen - Summary and Analysis — audible.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen | Overview & Analysis - Lesson - Study.com — study.com (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Culture