I love this story! Based on a true story. I’ve met Donn when I was in elementary school. I’ve hiked the same mountain and have wandered his same paths. Most people will appreciate this book about a lost boy in Maine. Give it a read!

I read this in an hour and twenty minutes. A quick enjoyable read about a really crazy awful experience viewed through the eyes of faith. Great to read to elementary kids as well.

I read this book as a child and I have not forgotten it. This story traces the hardships and dire circumstances of a young boy who was lost during a camping trip in wild, unsettled territory in Maine.

I've known the basic story of this book for a while, having been in Maine for more than 25 years now. We had it growing up, and I remember listening to parts of it, but this is the first time I've read it for myself.

It's a pretty amazing story of survival, and Donn's voice feels genuine in the way the story is told, with conversational expressions and remarks. There are a few footnotes to give extra information, but the majority of the book reads as Donn simply telling his story from the beginning. There is very little lead-in -- it might have been nice to have more backstory about him or his family, but the book jumps right in at the point just before Donn sets off on his fateful attempt to return to camp alone on Mount Katahdin.

My kids liked this book, but I think in some ways it scared them more than most stories do. We can read about witches and monsters and other story villains, but knowing it's fiction gives a bit of comfort. Reading this story makes you realize it could actually happen to you or someone you love, and I am glad my kids are now more cognizant of some of the reasons for the rules we have when we go hiking.

Never give up

Donn's faith and positive attitude saved his life. Even when his situation was dire, he was still concerned for the worry that his parents were experiencing.

Christmas, I wasn’t too big of a fan! I would have eaten this up if I read it 20 years ago, but as an adult this is way too tame of a wilderness story for my taste. And way too simple; not enough details for being lost out in the woods for 9 days. Needed way more. I understand it’s from the perspective of a young boy, and maybe the narrator of my audiobook just annoyed me, but read it too late in life.

This is my second time reading this book and it's overall it is a really good book. It's about a young boy named Don who goes on a camping trip on Mt.Kahtadin. He ended up wandering away from his boy scout troops and he got lost and had to survive on his own. I would reccomend this book to anyone who likes survival stories.

Crazy to think that this 12-year-old boy was lost (and survived) in the mountains for nine days. Keeping calm (for the most part), maintaining a somewhat clear mind, remembering key hiking rules, praying, and having a guardian angel were keys to his ability to be reunited with his family. This happened in 1939, but for all intents and purposes, it could easily happen in 2025. Donn was smart to follow the stream; that ensured that he would have fresh water. He was lucky to find wild strawberries along the way, and he was fortunate to avoid dangerous wild animals. The rugged country (sharp rocks), the weather (rain and cold), and the relentless biting of flies and mosquitoes took its toll on Donn, but somehow he kept on moving (barefoot, pants less, swollen, bleeding). It's quite the story, quite the lesson.

Summary:
"Lost on a Mountain in Maine" is a nonfiction story about a boy named Donn who strays away from the trail during his walk off the summit. He goes on ahead by himself and gets trapped in the fog. He spends a little over a week trying to find his way back to camp, or just to find civilization. He has to deal with isolation, bugs, and hunger all while trying to find his way out of the woods.
Analysis:
This book was written by the man who did get lost as a boy. It was an overall good story with a exciting plot. Although the author was the boy himself, I believe that he could have had some different word choices in different parts of the book. I did like the pictures in the book as well, they helped visualize what was going on with Donn.
How I can use this book:
I can use this book in a classroom of 4th-6th graders. I could use this book to help describe the different ecosystems we have in the United States, and the different parts of the world that we can find them in. This could be used for vocab as well when talking about different habitats.

Great read along book. Moves quickly and has lots of interesting footnotes. Crazy to think it is true and took place in 1939!

In this true story, Donn Fendler is a twelve-year-old boy in 1939. He is on an expedition to climb Mt. Katahdin, at 5268 feet the highest peak in the state of Maine, with his father, brothers Tom and Ryan, and guide Henry Condon. Henry and Donn run ahead and meet another climber, Charles Austin, minister with the Church of All Nations in New York City, NY. Donn gets cold and decides to find his own way back to camp rather than wait for the rest. Henry cautions him against doing so and remains with Mr. Austin, but Donn leaves anyway. Unfortunately, a thick, fast-moving fog obscures the path. Donn falls down an embankment that hides him from sight. Then he takes a wrong turn that leaves him alone to wander aimlessly for nine days in the empty mountain wilderness. Will he make it to his camp or be found by the others?
This book is Donn's own description of his struggles to survive after being separated from his companions, as told to Joseph B. Egan. For years I saw it advertised in the Christian Book Distributors catalogue and finally decided to purchase it to read as a family read aloud. With no food and no shelter, Donn survives by remembering his Boy Scout skills and by drawing on his faith in himself, his family, and God. His shoes and then his feet were cut to shreds on the rough stone outcroppings. He was tormented by insects, encountered a bear, and tumbled in an icy river. His "dungarees" were impossible to walk in, once wet, and he lost them. He suffered from cold, hunger, loneliness, and hallucinations. Toward the end of his ordeal Donn followed telephone wires and a stream, hoping that both would eventually lead him to what civilization there was in the great woods of Maine.
Donn's harrowing story, as told to Joseph Burke Egan, who was an author and I think a journalist, apparently was first published later in 1939 and has been a beloved family and school classic in Maine since that time. Through the years, Fendler himself visited schools and libraries to share his experiences, and generations of Maine children have learned lessons about courage, faith, and will from Lost on a Mountain in Maine. I especially like the way in which Donn emphasizes the fact that he put his trust in God and said his prayers daily for God's protection and deliverance. In 2008, Donn's story wes retold with illustrations by Ben Bishop for a graphic novel entitled Lost Trail: Nine Days Alone in the Wilderness, published by Down East Books. I guess that this all right for a generation that doesn't want to read words, except for a few in a cartoon bubble every now and then, bur prefers just to look at pictures. However, we really enjoyed the original and thought it quite exciting.

4.5 read aloud. Perfect story for my wilderness-loving boys