Sam Gribley, an intelligent and determined boy in his early teens, is the main character in My Side of the Mountain.

Having grown up in a family of eleven in New York City, he values his privacy and independence. His mother, who once worked as a dietician in a children's hospital, and his father, a former sailor who now works on the docks, are willing to let Sam try his hand at independent living.

Sam's closest companions in the woods are Frightful, a trained peregrine falcon; Jesse Coon James, a raccoon; and Baron Weasel. These animals become his friends, providing protection and serving as partners for conversation.

Sam goes to great lengths to avoid contact with other people during his year in the wilderness, but he does make several human friends. One is Miss Turner, a librarian who helps him locate the old farmstead...