Ever wanted to read a book that feels like it was written by a young Captain America? Well now you can! Donn Fendler was a 12-year-old Boy Scout who, as the title says, was lost on a mountain in Maine and found help 9 days later. The book is written in Fendler's voice, as he told it to Joseph B. Egan. So the strongest language in it is when Fendler exclaims "Christmas!" over some hardship. It's incredibly cute.

The book is a very fast read, which isn't surprising at all. There are roughly 1-2 chapters for each day, and it's told almost in a steam-of-consciousness format. So just imagine a 1939 12-year-old Boy Scout detailing his harrowing journey to you.

When I was young I loved books about a kid surviving in the wilderness on their own: Hatchet, My Side of the Mountain, The Island Keeper, etc. If I had read this as a child I would have loved it as much as those other books. Despite the age of this one (published in 1939), if you enjoy those types of novels or know a kid who does, this would be a great addition to their library.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was written by someone other than the main character of the story, but it is written through the eyes of the lost boy. It's simple style and detailed account of what happen is fascinating. I've read some books about Maine wilderness, but this one taught me a few things. It is a story about survival, willpower to survive, determination, and faith in God. It has a happy ending and I would encourage teenagers and adults to read it.

This is a true story told by Donn Fendler about his experience when he became lost on a mountain in Maine when he was 12 years old.
The story takes place in July 1939. Donn gets separated from his dad on the highest peak of Mount Katahdin in Maine. He is lost for 9 days on his own before he finally stumbles upon an inhabited cabin.
The book is told in 1st person as Donn tells all that he endured during his time lost.
The book had real photographs taken at the time of the area and of Donn after he was found.
I definitely cried when he was finally able to talk to his mom. (Which he calls mommy throughout the book)
I loved that Donn felt God's presence and just knew his guardian angel was there to keep him going. He prayed daily and never lost hope.

We loved this book! Incredible true story of 12 year old Donn who gets lost on the summit of Mt Katahdin and spends 9 days bushwacking through the wilderness across 30+ miles trying to find help. What I think is particularly remarkable is that this was written "as told by Donn" to the writer very shortly after his misadventure. There is a lot of detail and you get a great sense of went through the mind of this 12 year old during his harrowing ordeal. Loses his shoes, his pants(!), continually attacked by bugs, eats a meager diet of wild strawberries, encounters various wildlife, etc., staves off exhaustion and insanity, etc. Incredible!

Short story but told well from the memories of the lost boy and peppered with commentary.

Short memoir rich in the lingo of 1930s white American youth. His editor/transcriber did well in keeping a good pace to the story. I didn't think I was all that invested in the tail until I got emotional upon his finding people again.

Lost on a Mountain in Maine by Donn Fendler is a true story about himself as a boy hiking up Mt. Katahdin. When he gets to the top he turns around to go back to his father and brother, clouds conceal the path and he takes a wrong turn. He continues and when he realizes he’s lost, Donn is already too deep to find his way back. He continues walking for a while, then the sun starts going down and by then his sneakers are cut up and bugs have been biting the living daylights out of him. He has amazing encounters and starts to go insane, but he somehow manages to keep a clear head.

This wasn’t my favorite book, I much prefer fiction, but it was an incredible journey and I enjoyed reading it. Donn is lost for 9 days! If I were in that situation, I would have handled it so bad, I can’t imagine being able to keep my head. The writing style uses quite a bit of figurative language and good imagery. Reading this book you get to relive his incredible journey lost on the mountain in Maine.

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Simple, repetitive, and practically no creativity to keep the book afloat.

This story is about a boy who was lost on a mountain, in, well, Maine. You can probably guess what happens from there as the traditional fight for survival plays out, and the narrator becomes more and more dull and boring. Surprisingly, I found myself enjoying the analytical footnotes more than the book itself.

Written as almost a translation of an interview or something along those lines, I believe that this aspect is its weakest point. I was bored to read our protagonist drone on and on about the same five details throughout the entire book until the very last page. Despite being his story and struggle, I found it to be very dry.

Honestly, I don't have too much to say about this book. Did it hold my interest? I guess. Did I think very deeply or become invested? No. There's not much to pick apart in a simple story like this one. All there is to do is respect the boy for making it through such an awful experience.


*2 out of 5*

Well done audio book about a young boy who is lost on Mt Kathadin for 9 days. The adventure took place in 1939 as Don and his family were hiking on Mt Kathadin, a very bleak and treacherous place. Don decides that he is leaving his group leader to scoot down the path and find his father. I cringed when I considered that as a scout he left his group to set out on his own, took off a layer of clothes and gave it to another, is hiking in blue jeans which when wet leach away your body warmth, and is wearing sneakers on a path that is known for its boulders and sharp rocks. If I hadn't read the back of the package and saw he survived I would not have believed it.
This is a great story for upper elementary readers and a good story to share in a family setting. The story is short and very encouraging. The young man goes through a very difficult ordeal and the description of it is detailed but not gross. He maintains a positive outlook throughout and I enjoyed the inclusion of his experiences with God and his strong belief that he was being cared for. I am going to hand this over to my grandson and see what he thinks of it.

A great read! Although written with a young audience in mind, I enjoyed listening to the audio edition. Not sure how I missed this one while growing up in Maine.

Donn Fendler was 12 when he climbed Mt Katahdin in 1939. After reaching the summit he decided to climb down alone to meet his father below, leaving his brother and another climber to follow him down. He disappeared in the fog and sleet. A couple of quick wrong turns left him alone and totally lost, and no one else had a clue where he might be. This booklet ( under 100 pages) is the true account of his 9 day survival ordeal.

So the booklet's title tells the story. It all boils down to the details of how a 74 pound, 12 year old could survive alone in the wilderness of central Maine. The conditions were horrific, since the boy had no modern day "mountain gear', no food, not even a proper jacket in July, and the temp did reach 40 degree F and less a few times.

But it was the terrain, swarms of biting dangerous insects, lack of food and the despair and terror of isolation for NINE harrowing days that were debilitating. Donn's Boy Scout training helped him a bit, as did his previous experiences climbing with his dad and brothers which aided him the most.
He managed to keep resourceful, relatively calm and alert enough to fight for his survival.

Donn made it a life goal to visit schools and libraries and share his amazing story with others. Thanks to Joseph B Egan this book is a testament to those nine days. Living in New Hampshire, the mountains here and in Maine and Vermont remain surprisingly dangerous. Many people are naive and unaware of the dangers of altitude climbing. Ignorance, denial and plain bad luck all lead to yearly, preventable tragedies.

This book was a bit dated. The map was especially difficult, but it looked like the real map drawn by Don Fendler himself. I think even with cell phones, warning and tracking devices and GPS accidents still happen. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Donn's story is that his ordeal and survival were all long before any of those safety features were invented or available.