Editorial Review

When I think of survival stories, the first two that come to mind are Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. Both are classics worth reading, but there’s a great big world of other terrific survivalist stories for middle grade readers. Here are just a few:

Jack the Castaway, by Lisa Doan and Ivica Stevanovic
Jack’s parents are semi-successful world travelers. No matter the adventure, something always goes horribly wrong, but they always manage to make it out alive. For their next grand trip, they’re taking Jack on a Caribbean adventure as part of their get-rich-quick plan to start a snorkeling business. As always, something goes wrong, but this time Jack finds himself shipwrecked on a remote island, and his parents nowhere to be seen. The first in an adventure series for younger readers, Jack the Castaway is just the right combination of adventure and humor.