Gordon Korman- Island: Shipwreck (Scholastic 2001) 3.5 Stars
Six kids are placed on a boat that they have no desire to be on, whether to avoid going to jail, for fighting too much, or for watching too much T.V. Now they must work harder than they have ever worked and learn to love these strangers who are now their shipmates. Trapped in the middle of the Pacific Ocean a huge storm strikes and they must fight to stay afloat. Ultimately for them it is now all about surviving the storm and it’s after effects.
I liked the way Korman introduced Shipwreck and ultimately the whole Island series. It was teaching the reader about sailing to prepare them for what they are about to read, but he does it at the same time as a couple of the characters are learning. The whole read is a sailing-learning experience for children and includes some good life lessons. The kids all manage to stay within their age bracket and yet they still are full of depth. The jokes that they make at the First Mate’s expense is typical of kids their age. I was looking for a little bit more plot to the book, but I guess he has a whole series to develop the plot. The overall storyline was an interesting one and the ending leaves the reader with enough questions to want to read more of the series. Korman seemed to really know what he was talking about in Shipwreck so either he knew the information before, or he did enough research to understand all about sailing.
I recommend Shipwreck to young readers who like adventure.
For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com
Tony Peters
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