Reddit mentions of Hatchet

Hatchet. Get him Hatchet. Perfect for middle school boys, perfect for thinking about the beauty and power of nature. He'll love it.

Hatchet meets My Side of the Mountain

The Heinlein Juveniles

1. Rocket Ship Galileo, 1947
   
2. Space Cadet, 1948
   
3. Red Planet, 1949
   
4. Farmer in the Sky, 1950
   
5. Between Planets, 1951
   
6. The Rolling Stones aka Space Family Stone, 1952
   
7. Starman Jones, 1953
   
8. The Star Beast, 1954
   
9. Tunnel in the Sky, 1955
   
10. Time for the Stars, 1956
    
11. Citizen of the Galaxy, 1957
    
12. Have Space Suit—Will Travel, 1958
    
    Also..
    
    Completely not SciFi..
    
    Hatchet

You'll love "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen! It's about a boy who gets stranded in the Canadian wilderness by himself, and how he survives. Well, more than survives - learns what it really means to live. Although the book is targeted at young adults (so it's a quick read), the themes are definitely mature, and the writing style assumes an intelligent reader. I highly recommend.

It's like this only non-fiction. Wow.