Toughboy and Sister

For fans of Hatchet and My Side of the Mountain -- kids finding ways to survive when their adults suddenly disappear. Great story, great, fast read, with Kirkpatrick Hill's evocative settings in the Yukon.

Toughboy and Sister have recently lost their mother and sibling during a complicated birth. They are living with their father, who becomes unreliable due to a drinking problem. When their dad disappears, the kids learn how to survive alone in the cabin. They encounter a hungry bear, learn to cook bread, and how to find fish until they are finally rescued.

-Contemporary Realistic Fiction Wilderness survival, Person vs. Nature
-Hill, Kirkpatrick. Toughboy and Sister. M.K. McElderry Books, 1990, 121 pages, Intermediate

-Through the eyes of Toughboy and Sister, this story is a harrowing tale of how two Athabascan children who live in the Yukon survive on their own through the summer at fish camp. The reflective and poignant tone brings a sense of admiration for the characters through a straightforward and descriptive narrative style making this a well-rounded read.
-Keywords: Bannock, Potlatch, Fish camp, Wringer washer, Clabas, Athabascan
-Activity: Have students write journal entries from the perspectives of Toughboy or Sister, reflecting on their on their experiences and emotions throughout show more the story. show less

Two children must fend for themselves in the wilderness when their father disappears.

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