My Side of the Mountain
About
Fifteen-year-old Sam Gribley has decided to run away from his crowded apartment home, but unlike most kids who rarely get beyond their block, Sam goes from New York City all the way to the ruined farm of Great-grandfather Gribley in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. Sam learns to live off the land, and in the course of a year, discovers just how much he values freedom, independence, and adventure when faced with the challenges of blizzards, loneliness and fear.
Read one section at a time, then discuss the questions to review understanding. These questions are a starting place for conversation, not a complete test of the chapter.
Chapter 1
Comprehension questions
Describe Sam’s home.
Page 3 — It’s in a tree he dug and burned out that’s six feet in diameter; his bed is on the right made of ash slats and deerskin; fireplace on the left made of clay and stones; chimney
3
How did Sam know that a blizzard was coming?
Page 7 — The animals were silent and in hiding; his hawk was nervous; it was darker than usual during the daytime
7
Tell me about Sam’s family.
Page 8 — He has a mom and dad, four sisters and four brothers
8
Tell me the story of Great Grandpa Gribley and how it effects Sam?
Page 9 — He owned the land in the Catskill Mountains and built a home and plowed the land; the farm failed and he went to be a sailor; Sam found the land with the tree that had Gribley carved into it and lives 300 feet from it; he wanted to live on his great grandfather’s land
9
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
What did the truck driver say to Sam as he dropped him off in the forest?
Page 10 — He was surprised and told him how he ran away as a child as well; Said he’d be back in the morning if Sam wanted a ride home
10
Describe Sam’s first night in the woods?
Page 17 — He was able to catch fish, but couldn’t start a fire to cook them; he made a shelter, but was so cold because of the winds and he couldn’t sleep because of a whippoorwill calling
17
How would you have felt in this situation?
Page 17 — Listen to your child’s answers
17
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
How did Miss Turner respond to Sam when he told her he wanted to live on his great grandfather’s farm?
Page 22 — She believed him and supported him; told him to come back if he needed any books to learn about plants, trees and animals
22
How did Sam find his great grandfather’s property?
Page 22 — From Miss Turner’s hand drawn maps
22
How did having a fire during the night compare to not having a fire?
Page 24 — It made the woods friendly and warm; filled the woods with brightness when the first night was dark and frightful
24
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
What did Sam find as he explored his great grandpa’s farm?
Page 26 — Hickory trees; a small stream; the foundation of the house; apple trees; walnut trees; a marsh; giant trees
26
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
Why was Sam so careful and deliberate on where his home was?
Page 29 — He didn't want it to be seen by people as they came through the mountains
29
Why did Sam feel like he didn’t plan his time very well in those first few days of his adventure?
Page 29 — He had started a home, but didn’t have any food; he would work himself so hard he hardly had energy to find any food; he’d get hungrier
29
How did Sam put out the fire as he burned out his tree house?
Page 35 — he’d smother it with dirt
35
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
What was the story the old woman told Sam?
Page 38 — The mountain was haunted; little men play ninepin in the gorge at twilight
38
Give me three characteristics the old woman has. Explain why you chose those.
Page 38 — She was determined; strong; fierce; forceful; bossy; talked a lot; listen to your child's answer
38
How did Sam get away from the old woman?
Page 40 — He walked her to her home and then headed to the library in town
40
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
What did Sam do while he waited to see a peregrine falcon?
Page 42 — Ate apples, went fishing and cooked his fish
42
How did Sam escape the mother falcon as he stole her chick?
Page 44 — He used his shoe to protect himself from her dive, jumped to a ledge below, sat down and slid to the next ledge; she saw her other chicks and left him alone
44
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
Who was the man at Sam’s camp and why was he there?
Page 48 — A fire warden come to check the area since they saw smoke from Sam’s fire; they were worried about forest fires
48
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
Who is The Baron and how did Sam meet him?
Page 51 — A weasel and Sam caught him in a trap
51
Why did Sam want to catch a deer?
Page 52 — To make a door for his home; make tethers for Frightful and a blanket for Sam
52
How was Sam careful so the warden wouldn’t come back?
Page 52 — Put pine needles in bare areas; cleaned up front yard; used dry firewood so it wouldn’t smoke much
52
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
How did Sam get his door?
Page 56 — Someone shot a deer but left it; he got to the meadow and dragged it to the woods and covered it to look like a bush; then he cleaned his camp and hid in his tree
56
How did Sam know the poacher had left his camp and probably wouldn’t return?
Page 57 — He heard a gunshot far down the mountain
57
How long did it take Sam to get the deer ready for smoking and the hide ready for tanning?
Page 57 — Many, many days
57
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
What did Sam do to get the deer hide ready to be a door?
Page 59 — Soaked it in water and wood chips in a stump for 5 days; chewed, rubbed and jumped on it to make it soft; he had to cut it down to fit the door opening
59
How did Sam train Frightful to fly to his hand?
Page 62 — He’d hold food in his hand and whistle
62
Why did hikers come to the area during the summer?
Page 64 — To hike through the meadow to the gorge
64
When the two hikers were just about to have lunch on The Baron’s boulder, they left. What made them leave?
Page 64 — The Baron running all over and around them
64
Why didn’t Sam want Frightful to eat what she catches?
Page 68 — Because she’ll go wild and he wants her to rely on him for food
68
Chapter 12
Comprehension questions
How did Sam always know something was wrong in the forest?
Page 72 — Frightful would be alerted
72
Describe Bando.
Page 80 — A college English teacher who got lost in the forest; friendly smile; kind; blue eyes; likes birds; knows how to swing an ax and build a raft
80
Why does Bando call Sam Thoreau?
Page 77 — Thoreau’s an old poet and writer
77
Name five things Bando and Sam did together?
Page 81 — Made jam; made the raft; smoked fish; gathered white oak acorns and groundnuts; harvested the blueberry crop; went fishing; made willow whistles
81
Chapter 13
Comprehension questions
What did Sam decide to use to keep warm for the winter?
Page 89 — A clay fireplace
89
What was Sam looking for as he dug around the old Gribley farmhouse?
Page 90 — Anything metal to help him with his fireplace
90
What did Sam find to help with his fireplace?
Page 92 — A flat, narrow, long rock
92
Chapter 14
Comprehension questions
What did Sam do to celebrate Halloween?
Page 96 — He had a party by leaving out nuts, crayfish, smoked rabbit and apples for the woodland animals
96
What was the result of the party?
Page 99 — Raccoons came in Sam’s tree house and made his bed and floor messy; Sam got sprayed by a skunk; animals found Sam’s camp and food
99
Was his party a good idea?
Listen to your child's answer
How did Sam get rid of the animals?
Page 100 — Made the fire big; yelled; growled and snarled, hissed and snorted
100
Chapter 15
Comprehension questions
What is this chapter about?
Page 104 — Deer hunting season and how Sam gets three deer
104
How does Sam get three deer?
Page 104 — Hunters shot the deer, but couldn’t find them after they dropped dead
104
Describe how Sam made his deerskin hide jacket?
Page 105 — Cut a rectangle with a hole for his head and sewed on straight sleeves
105
What does Sam compare this jacket to?
Page 106 — A Russian military blouse and a carpenter’s apron
106
Chapter 16
Comprehension questions
When Sam went into town, what made people stare at him?
Page 108 — His clothing
108
Who is Mr. Jacket?
Page 108 — A young man Sam met in the drugstore
108
What important thing did Sam forget to do to prepare for the winter season? Why did it matter?
Page 112 — Stack up a big woodpile; because he didn't prepare, he had to go out into the cold and snow to gather and chop wood
112
Chapter 17
Comprehension questions
Why did Sam place “x’s” outside his tree house?
Page 112 — It was where he wanted to pile the firewood so he could reach it when the snow was deep and then tunnel to other firewood piles
112
How did Sam and Frightful spend their winter days and evenings?
Page 113 — Ate breakfast; went to the gorge; went ice fishing; dug up plants to eat; went to the field and Frightful would fly while Sam would kick the grasses and sometimes a rabbit or pheasant would come up and Frightful would dive to get it; experiment with food; watch Frightful; write notes; go to bed
113
Sam thought he would tunnel to get to his firewood, but what did he end up doing instead?
Page 115 — Walked on the snow and dug for wood
115
Chapter 18
Comprehension questions
Who does Sam compare the birds of the forest to?
Page 117 — People who lived at his apartment house on Third Avenue home
117
Who was Sam’s first visitor during the Christmas holiday?
Page 119 — Bando
119
Bando brought up newspaper articles. What did they report?
Page 120 — A young man living in the Catskill Mountains
120
Who also came to visit Sam?
Page 124 — His dad
124
Chapter 19
Comprehension questions
During the winter months what helped Sam know what to expect in the weather?
Page 134 — The birds and animals
134
Why did Sam oversleep after the rain had frozen into ice?
Page 139 — His home was in a block of ice and he couldn’t hear any morning sounds
139
Find an example of a simile on page 139.
ice on a limb like shattering crystal; sky like Indian soup
What was the consequence of the ice storm in the forest?
Page 141 — broken trees and limbs lay everywhere; birds and animals died of starvation
141
Chapter 20
Comprehension questions
Why couldn’t Sam let Frightful go?
Page 149 — He needed her still; she would have been killed by another female since she didn’t have a territory; he had trained her to have instincts made for man; she was a captive bird, not a wild bird
149
What information did Sam tell Matt Spell?
He saw the wild boy wearing a bearskin coat who ran away and lives in a cave. The boy has long matted hair and wears a coon-tail hat. The boy wears newspapers for shoes and does a lot of fishing. He lives off of fish, roots, berries, rabbit and nuts.p.154
What was the deal Matt made with Sam?
Page 156 — Matt would come stay with Sam during spring break and would print what Sam told him to
156
Chapter 21
Comprehension questions
What does creating the guesthouse mean to Sam?
Page 166 — That he was not a runaway anymore; he wouldn’t be alone anymore and hiding in the wilderness
166
How did Sam know his time on the mountain was coming to an end?
Page 168 — Matt said photographers may be on the mountain; more and more newspaper articles were out about him; now that people knew about him, they would move him back to the city
168
Chapter 22
Comprehension questions
Why did Sam’s family come to the mountain?
Page 176 — They missed him; wanted to see what he was doing; his mom still wanted to take care of him and be his mom
176
What is a theme from this story?
Coming of Age; Survival; Independence and Self-Reliance
Summarize your favorite part of this story.
Listen to your child's answer
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