Brian's Winter

As I listened to "Hatchet" I thought that Brian just barely survived then I listened to "Brian's Winter," and I couldn't believe all the great lessons in dealing with nature in winter as well as life's problems and our own attitudes. This series gives many life lessons that I'll keep with me always. I loved the story and the narration and heartedly recommend this wonderful audio book.

Hatchet was so awesome that I had to hear this sequel. At first I thought it was weird that it was an alternate ending to Hatchet, but in the end I enjoyed it even more. The high detail of how Brian learned to survive was realistic and fun. You get a sense of how much the character had changed since the beginning of hatchet, so it's kind of a coming of age book. Anyone that dreams of living off the land will enjoy this. The reader was pretty good too.

My 9-year old daughter and I have been reading all three of the Brian stories. We started with The Hatchet, then Brian's Winter, and just finished The River. Taken together, the books make a complete story. Reading just The Hatchet, left us wanting the rest of the story.

The books had a good story line, lots of details, and no questionable language. There was enough yucky, gross stuff to please a kid without too much gore. The pilot's death was handled with sensitivity.

The animal encounters were at times funny and at times scary. A good mix for kids. The descriptions of Brian making and using tools was done with accuracy.

Overall, these books were great fun to listen to and discuss with a child. Both Richard Thomas and Peter Coyote did a nice job with the narrative. I thought that the music added some extra pizzaz to the story. Though at times, the score seemed to drown out some of the narrative.

Overall, this book and the other 2 books were well worth the time and money.

The encounter between the bear, skunk, and Brian.

Duh, Brian.