On the Far Side of the Mountain

If you have read the first book in the series, My Side of the Mountain, compare its themes to those found in On the Far Side of the Mountain. Do any of the themes overlap, or are the books dramatically different? What about the symbols?

The mountain is important enough to make its way into the title of all three books in the series. What does the mountain itself symbolize? Use at least three specific examples from the story.

A coming-of-age story is a narrative that centers on the protagonist’s journey out of childhood and toward adulthood. How is this novel a coming-of-age story? What does growing up mean in the novel? What does maturity mean?