Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
September 11, 2026Short & citedBlog
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Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
Everyday Life • Tool

Hatchet

Hatchet is a 1987 young adult survival novel by American author Gary Paulsen.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

Hatchet is a 1987 young adult survival novel by American author Gary Paulsen. It follows thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson, who survives alone in the Canadian wilderness after a plane crash.

What it is

Hatchet is the first book in Paulsen’s Brian’s Saga series. It centers on Brian Robeson, a teenager stranded in the northern Canadian wilderness after the pilot dies mid-flight. A hatchet his mother gave him becomes a crucial tool for building shelter, making fire, and finding food.

Why it matters

The novel earned a Newbery Honor in 1988 and remains a staple in Canadian classrooms. Its themes of survival, self-reliance, and coming of age resonate with readers. The Canadian setting—a flight to the oilfields and the remote bush—makes it especially familiar to Canadian audiences.

Key details

Published in 1987 by Bradbury Press, Hatchet is the first of five books in Brian’s Saga. Later titles include The River, Brian’s Winter, Brian’s Return, and Brian’s Hunt. The story is widely discussed as a survival and coming-of-age novel.

In short

  • Hatchet is a survival novel set in the Canadian wilderness.
  • It was first published in 1987 and won a Newbery Honor in 1988.
  • The book is the first in Gary Paulsen’s five-book Brian’s Saga series.
  • A hatchet is the protagonist’s key survival tool.
Canadian angle

The novel is set in the Canadian wilderness and involves a flight to the Canadian oilfields, making it especially familiar to Canadian readers and classrooms.[1][5]

Quick questions

Who wrote Hatchet?
Hatchet was written by Gary Paulsen.
When was Hatchet published?
It was first published in 1987.
Is Hatchet part of a series?
Yes. It is the first book in Brian’s Saga.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatchet_(novel)
    Supports: Publication year, author, series position, publisher, and Newbery Honor
  2. LitCharts — https://www.litcharts.com/lit/hatchet
    Supports: Setting, genre, themes, and publication year
  3. Study.com — https://study.com/academy/lesson/hatchet-summary-analysis.html
    Supports: Plot events including the flight to the Canadian oilfields and survival arc
  4. SweetStudy — https://www.sweetstudy.com/literature/hatchet
    Supports: Use of the hatchet as a survival tool