Hatchet
by Gary Paulsen
- Lexile
- 1020L
- Grade range
- Grades 4–7
- Age range
- Ages 10–14
- Pages
- 208
- First published
- 1987
- Genre
- Young Adult Survival
- ISBN-13
- 9781416936473
About this book
Thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson survives a small-plane crash in the Canadian wilderness with only the hatchet his mother gave him and the clothes he is wearing. Paulsen's Newbery Honor novel is a common 5th- or 6th-grade introduction to survival fiction and first-person adolescent narration.
Themes
- wilderness survival
- resilience
- divorce and family change
- self-reliance
- coming of age
Content notes
- plane crash (described)
- animal attacks
- minor injury
Common Sense Media recommends age 11+.
Where this book is assigned
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
- recommended· 5th grade · New Yorksource: NYC DOE grade 5 ELA commonly taught text
- recommended· 5th grade · Texassource: TEKS grade 5 frequently taught text
- recommended· 6th gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 6-8 exemplar
- recommended· 6th grade · Californiasource: CA common summer-reading list — rising 6th grade
- recommended· 6th grade · Ohiosource: Ohio Learning Standards grade 6 aligned text
Similar grade-level books
Common questions
- What grade level is Hatchet?
- Hatchet is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–7, with a Lexile measure of 1020L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of Hatchet?
- Hatchet has a Lexile measure of 1020L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- What curricula assign Hatchet?
- Hatchet appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Hatchet banned in schools?
- Hatchet does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
- What themes does Hatchet explore?
- Central themes in Hatchet include wilderness survival, resilience, divorce and family change, self-reliance, coming of age. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.