Mark Returned Where the Red Fern Grows

And apologized for the fact the book smells like Old Spice aftershave. "It came open in my pack," he said. No harm done, Mark. He checked out Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen. It's the story of a kid who is stranded in the Canadian wilderness, after a small plane crash. He survives on turtle eggs and fish and berries, and encounters bears, porcupines, and other animals. After he's eventually rescued, he realizes that the time in the wilderness has made him more thoughtful about things.