Critical reception and impact My Side of the Mountain



many people travel delhi, new york, seek out gribley farm. gribley farm fictional. hallaway dairy farm, however, real farm near delhi.


my side of mountain won critical plaudits upon release. numerous reviewers praised novel detailed depiction of wilderness , animals, unsentimental treatment of animals , nature, , characters, maturation, , development. new york times in 1959 gave novel solid review, calling delightful flight civilization, written real feeling woods. children s author zena sutherland, writing in children & books @ time, called sam s development immature, impulsive child mature young adult wholly convincing . ruth hill viguers, reviewing book in horn book magazine, concluded in 1959, believe read year after year, linking many generations in chain of well-remembered joy , refreshment.


in addition being named newbery award honors list, book american library association s notable book 1959, placed on hans christian andersen award 1959 honors list, given lewis carroll shelf award citation (in 1965), , won 1959 george g. stone center children s books award.


the book continued praised in 1990s , 2000s. book critic eden ross lipson included in 2000 list of best children s books, , said skillfully blends themes of nature, courage, curiosity, , independence . librarians , authors janice delong , rachel schwedt listed book 1 of core collection small libraries of contemporary fiction section. author charles wohlforth, writing in 2004, agreed classic of contemporary children s literature. 1998, book had been translated numerous foreign languages, , visitors cannon free library in delhi, new york, asked see abandoned farm novel set. (the abandoned farm not exist; gribley farm entirely fictional.)


the book has not won uncritical praise. in 1999, reviewer mary harris russell noted narrator, sam, speaks tone more measured of teenagers. tone grates on readers.


robert f. kennedy jr. has cited side of mountain inspiring him become falconer, led him career in environmental law , environmental activism. television host , pet advice author marc morrone , award-winning natural history author ken lamberton credit book generating interest in falconry.


based on 2007 online poll, national education association named book 1 of teachers top 100 books children . in 2012 ranked number 77 among all-time children s novels in survey published school library journal.








Comments