This was one of my favorite books when I was little. Returning to it 20 years later, it still delighted me!
Reading the other reviews—especially the negative ones—surprised me; I never thought of this as a “you can overcome anything,” a “survival,” or even a self-discovery novel. It strikes me more as just a fun and enchanting story about an earnest boy who is delighted by life and seeks simplicity and a little adventure in the forest!