Hatchet and survival.

When Michael Auberry's father mentioned that he knew his son had read a book that would help him survive in the wilderness, my husband and I wondered whether it was Hatchet (my choice) or My Side of the Mountain (his choice). It turns out I was right - Gary Paulsen's Hatchet was the book his father was thinking of. Of course we'll never know exactly how much inspiration Michael gleaned from the book during the four days he was lost, but if you haven't read Hatchet's exciting tale of survival after a plane crash, you are definitely missing out. (Besides, I hear Lost isn't as good these days as it was a couple of seasons ago.)