81 pages 2 hours read

Jean Craighead George

My Side of the Mountain

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1959

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-5

Reading Check

1. Who helps Sam to discover the location of the Gribley farm?

2. What does Sam create to mark key locations on the mountain property?

3. What kind of house does Sam build?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Sam feel about his first snowstorm? What dangers may be associated with snowstorms in the wilderness?

2. What does Sam’s father mean when he says, “the land is no place for a Gribley”? How does Sam’s father feel about his wilderness adventures?

3. Why is Sam’s encounter with Bill essential to his survival?

4. What does Sam enjoy most about his first days in the wilderness? What can the reader infer Sam likes about his survival skills?

Paired Resource

Plant Identification

  • This 8-minute video explores plant identification, its uses, and the tools required for identification.
  • Shared themes include The Desire for Independence, Solitude Versus Society, and Survival and Connecting With Nature.
  • Why might plant identification be important for survival? What tools are needed to identify plants? How does Sam exhibit his experience with plant identification? What tools might Sam need to identify plants?