Characters: Sam Gribley

Sam Gribley, a perceptive and resolute teenager, is the central figure in My Side of the Mountain. Raised in a large family of eleven in New York City, he cherishes his solitude and autonomy. His mother, who formerly worked as a dietician at a children's hospital, and his father, a former sailor now employed at the docks, support Sam's venture into self-sufficient living.

In the wilderness, Sam's closest companions are Frightful, a trained peregrine...

During his year in the wild, Sam mostly avoids human contact but does form a few significant friendships. Another is Bando, a college English professor who gets lost while hiking in the mountains. Bando spends ten days with Sam in the summer and returns for Christmas; he crafts willow whistles and fires clay pots for blueberry jam.

In the wilderness, Sam's closest companions are Frightful, a trained peregrine falcon; Jesse Coon James, a raccoon; and Baron Weasel. These animals become his friends, offering protection and companionship.

During his year in the wild, Sam mostly avoids human contact but does form a few significant friendships. Sam also befriends a boy who works at the drugstore, known to Sam as "Mr. Jacket." By the year's end, this boy, whose real name is Tom Sidler, becomes a frequent weekend visitor to the woods.

During his year in the wild, Sam mostly avoids human contact but does form a few significant friendships. One is Miss Turner, a librarian who helps him find the old farmstead and even gives him a haircut with her library scissors.

Other characters include Matt Spell, a young reporter from a New York newspaper who writes an article about Sam.

Other characters include ninety-seven-year-old Mrs. Thomas Fielder, who insists Sam pick strawberries for her.

Other characters include Bill, a kindly old man who teaches Sam to start a fire with flint and steel.

Other characters include Aaron, a hiker from New York who visits the Catskills during Passover.