I think this is a great book for any kid who love adventure or the wilderness but also for any kid who doubts themselves or his having a hard time. Brian shows how kids can persevere in the most impossible of situations and talks about some of the difficulties he was experiencing in his life before the crash.

I’m sure I would have appreciated this book more had I read it first as a child but as an adult I can see the value it has as well. This book was banned or challenged for many different reasons including profanity, violence, adult themes (isolation, fear, survival), and a negative portrayal of authority figures.
While some of those things are present, the much bigger message is that in times of adversity we are more capable than we think.