My Side of the Mountain characters

Appears from the start

A boy from a crowded New York City household who leaves home to live independently on land once farmed by his great-grandfather in the Catskill Mountains. Patient, observant, and resourceful, he brings a penknife, cord, flint and steel, and forty dollars, then learns the rest of his woodland life by experiment.

First appears in chapter 6

A peregrine falcon Sam takes as a nestling and trains to hunt. Her speed and developing skill make her both his companion and an important provider of food.

First appears in chapter 10

An English teacher who becomes lost while hiking and discovers Sam's tree home. Sam initially suspects he is an outlaw and nicknames him Bando, but the visitor respects Sam's independence, shares practical work, and becomes a trusted friend.

First appears in chapter 4

A wild weasel living near Sam's camp. Sam gives him a grand title and treats his bold, territorial neighbor as another member of the small community around the hemlock tree.

First appears in chapter 3

The librarian in Delhi who helps Sam research the location of his family's abandoned Catskill property. She takes his unusual question seriously and provides the information that lets him find the old Gribley farm.

First appears in chapter 2

A man Sam meets early in his journey who shows him a reliable way to make a fire. The brief lesson gives Sam one of the essential skills he needs before reaching the family land.

First appears in chapter 2

Sam's father, who once joked that the family's country land was available to anyone willing to live on it. Although he doubts Sam will remain away long, he permits the attempt and understands more of his son's determination than the rest of the family expects.

First appears in chapter 2

Sam's mother, who manages the Gribleys' large city family and expects her son eventually to return. Her concern for his safety places a limit on how completely his woodland independence can remain separate from family life.

First appears in chapter 19

A teenage reporter who tracks down the rumored wild boy living in the Catskills. Curious and persistent, he negotiates for the chance to stay with Sam and write about the experience while withholding the exact location.

First appears in chapter 12

A raccoon that repeatedly visits Sam's camp and becomes familiar enough to receive a name. Like the other animals around the tree, she is both a neighbor and a reminder that stored food must be carefully protected.