What do you think?
Rate this book
Island #1
Shipwreck
6 Kids.
1 Shipwreck.
1 Desert Island.
Luke, J.J., Will, Lyssa, Charla, and Ian. They didn't want to be on the boat in the first place. They didn't want to be stuck at sea with a bunch of strangers. But when you're in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there's no easy way out. And when a terrifying storm hits, there's no way to fully prepare. It's all about survival.
1 Shipwreck.
1 Desert Island.
Luke, J.J., Will, Lyssa, Charla, and Ian. They didn't want to be on the boat in the first place. They didn't want to be stuck at sea with a bunch of strangers. But when you're in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there's no easy way out. And when a terrifying storm hits, there's no way to fully prepare. It's all about survival.
144 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2001
About the author
Gordon Korman
205 books3,868 followersGordon Korman is a Canadian author of children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 481 reviews
July 25, 2008
A bunch of unlikable, incredibly stupid children end up on a boat together and continue to do stupid things until they cause a shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific. I really don't like books where the suspense comes from the characters being dumb.
June 1, 2020
Audio narrated by Holter Graham (always terrific).
Great adventure/survival story for middle grade readers on up. It kept my interest throughout. I definitely want to move forward with this series. Crossing my fingers it doesn't end up like Lord of the Flies!
Great adventure/survival story for middle grade readers on up. It kept my interest throughout. I definitely want to move forward with this series. Crossing my fingers it doesn't end up like Lord of the Flies!
September 2, 2022
This is the start of a series, which looks more like a biggish book broken up into a bunch of very short books to make more money. Six kids are sent on a boat excursion. It’s a troubled youth program of some kind, though these kids are quite young. Most of this one-act book is getting to know the characters, which then ends with the shipwreck promised by the title.
The characters are good, and the writing is solid. The book is written in san serif in block paragraphs. That was kind of strange to read.
Language: Clean
Sexual Content: None
Violence: Mild
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
The characters are good, and the writing is solid. The book is written in san serif in block paragraphs. That was kind of strange to read.
Language: Clean
Sexual Content: None
Violence: Mild
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
Read
October 12, 2017It was a good book. I read this one because it was a survival book. I'm waiting on the rest of the Stranded series.
February 26, 2020
Six children are sent on a month-long character-building/rehabilitation trip on a schooner. The goals: learn teamwork, respect for authority, and stay out of trouble.
Sounds great... until things start going wrong, and now the individuals really do have to start working together if they want any chance of surviving.
Holter Graham, as always, is a great narrator. (I wonder if I enjoyed the third book the least because I had to read it in paperback instead?)
Sounds great... until things start going wrong, and now the individuals really do have to start working together if they want any chance of surviving.
Holter Graham, as always, is a great narrator. (I wonder if I enjoyed the third book the least because I had to read it in paperback instead?)
August 9, 2023
Fun start to a trilogy. Looking forward to next 2 books
May 20, 2021
Good book for elementary school kids.
Bunch of misfit trouble makers get sent on a ship to smarten up lol because their parents have had enough of their bad behavior.
The dialogue was interesting between the kids.
How they become better people is interesting. Learn teamwork and gain respect for authority.
Story was very simple and easy to understand.
Good ending that makes you want to read the next one.
Reminded me of Lord of the Flies with the boys and trying to be civil, resourceful with ethical and social complexes.
Bunch of misfit trouble makers get sent on a ship to smarten up lol because their parents have had enough of their bad behavior.
The dialogue was interesting between the kids.
How they become better people is interesting. Learn teamwork and gain respect for authority.
Story was very simple and easy to understand.
Good ending that makes you want to read the next one.
Reminded me of Lord of the Flies with the boys and trying to be civil, resourceful with ethical and social complexes.
April 14, 2017
Frankly, these series deserve four stars just for being so addictive. Gordon Korman really does know how to build suspense and tension in his books. This series isn't anything particularly new, but the way it's told makes it so much better.
This series also manages to get in some decent character work. These characters won't win any awards, but they carry and drive the story. These six also develop a decent amount, to the point where they become much more likable by the end of the series.
Definitely recommended for any middle grade readers.
This series also manages to get in some decent character work. These characters won't win any awards, but they carry and drive the story. These six also develop a decent amount, to the point where they become much more likable by the end of the series.
Definitely recommended for any middle grade readers.
September 26, 2022
A short yet intense read of adventure and comradeship. Slight language.
February 5, 2022
An okay adventure story about some shipwrecked kids. The writer was pushing for great grammar and words which put me off at the start. Still not a bad read for the weekend and kids.
September 30, 2015
What would do if you were drowning on a boat in the Pacific Ocean? Could u swim for days? How would you feel? Would you give up or try to survive? The genre of the book is realistic fiction.I think it was a pretty good book.
Shipwreck took place in the Pacific Ocean. It was about 6 kids that were behaving bad at home and were send to a camp where they work and think about all the bad things they have done and 2 captains that were trapped on a boat in a big storm in the Pacific Ocean. The conflict was person vs nature
The title relates to the book because a shipwreck acutally happens in the book. In the book a huge waves hit the boat and destroy the boat. In the story many bad things happen thatare caused by the water. Many things happend to the boat and the 6 kids and both captians.
I was surprised when *spolier alert* the 2 captains died and the 6 kids made it out alive. i was surprised of this because I thought something bad was gunna happen to all of them or I thought they were all gunna die.
I rate this book a 5 because it had many shocking moments and shcoking moments and it was interesting in where and how it took place. I recommend this book to people who love to read adventureous, interesting, and shoking books. I enjoyed this book.
Shipwreck took place in the Pacific Ocean. It was about 6 kids that were behaving bad at home and were send to a camp where they work and think about all the bad things they have done and 2 captains that were trapped on a boat in a big storm in the Pacific Ocean. The conflict was person vs nature
The title relates to the book because a shipwreck acutally happens in the book. In the book a huge waves hit the boat and destroy the boat. In the story many bad things happen thatare caused by the water. Many things happend to the boat and the 6 kids and both captians.
I was surprised when *spolier alert* the 2 captains died and the 6 kids made it out alive. i was surprised of this because I thought something bad was gunna happen to all of them or I thought they were all gunna die.
I rate this book a 5 because it had many shocking moments and shcoking moments and it was interesting in where and how it took place. I recommend this book to people who love to read adventureous, interesting, and shoking books. I enjoyed this book.
June 2, 2015
This book was short but really good. It was full of action and intensity because their boat catches on fire and the main captain died and the co-captain left them and took the safety raft.
May 26, 2017
This series was a favorite read-aloud for my kids. In fact, pretty much everything we have read by Gordon Korman has been a winner!
June 12, 2017
I read this book when I was younger but wanted to read it again because it is so good. The theme in the book is to look at the bright side of things. In this book a group of friends are stuck in the middle of the Pacific island with people they don't like. But they all looked at the bright side of it and said they all had each other. Then all the friends were trapped on a Island together after a storm and their only way of survival was each other. All of the friends stayed positive and kept looking at the bright side of things and because of that all of the friends stayed alive.
November 27, 2022
Ah yes Korman writing kids in ridiculously unexpected danger...
March 8, 2022
This book was better than anticipated! Short and action packed. I think I may continue on with the trilogy to find out what happens.
Great middle grade level read.
Great middle grade level read.
Read
January 24, 2024It’s possible that this isn’t the book I thought I remembered reading as a kid
July 26, 2018
Read this one aloud to students because I remembered enjoying it when I was a kid. It kept the kids interested and I liked being able to introduce some boat lingo to them.
A few liked it enough to check out other Korman books, so I think that is a win - bumped it from 3 stars to 4 because of their interest.
A few liked it enough to check out other Korman books, so I think that is a win - bumped it from 3 stars to 4 because of their interest.
Read
February 27, 2017
Shipwreck
is a book about kids who are sent on a ship by their parents because they have broken the rules many times, they don't really seem the best of friends. But when a giant tropical storm hits them, they need to survive with everyone.
I didnt really like this book, in the beginning, at the end it god really interesting. It ends at a cliff hanger which makes me want to read the next book. I think people who like natural disaster books would find this book interesting.
I didnt really like this book, in the beginning, at the end it god really interesting. It ends at a cliff hanger which makes me want to read the next book. I think people who like natural disaster books would find this book interesting.
Read
November 6, 2008This book is very interesting. If you like islands and what to do about suviving on it with just you and your friends, then i recommend this to those. In shipwrecked there are alot of conflicts. I like The smart kid Arnney the most because he watches the discovery channel alot and knows what to do. I didnt like the dark skinnedgirl. She had a bad atitude and snotty. If this book was made into a movie i would love to act out Andrew. You arnt reallt able to to predict what happens in the end. I think its the whats going to happen if they get recued question kept me going. It kept me in a whats going to happen feeling. My favirote line has to be by Andrew "What is your problem dude, Are you special ed or something?" The scene when they enetered the island they had really no idea about eachother. I think the author wrote this book because his imagonation was based on kids who were bad or had problems get sent to an island for survival with other students they dont know with the same problems as them. This book kinda reminds me of saw the movie. I don’t know how to explain the real or main exact reason for such an insane book written in the mystery way. I loved this book a whole whole lot. There is a series of these kind of books. The island shipwrecked is the blue one, the green one is well cant remember and there a red one. There are only three. I havnt read three yet but im planning on it. I heard three is the biggest one of all three like there is a huge twist at the end. I would definitely recommend this to everyone.
May 31, 2009
I have my 4th grade teacher to thank for reading this book aloud to us in class...the adventure immediately swept me up.
Luke Haggerty is on a boat trip he never wanted to be on...a correctional journey for problem kids that need work to whip them into shape. But Luke is innocent, falsely accused of stashing a gun in his locker. His fellow crew members are no better off...Will and Lissa, whose sibling rivalry is ferociously violent, Ian, who watched too much TV, Charla, who was too into sports training, and JJ, the spoiled movie star's son. But when circumstance throws them together, not only on the boat journey but on a terrible shipwreck, they are going to have to get along and use their unique talents, or die.
The parts at the beginning are a little slow, but everything picks up from there, and the other two books continue this exciting saga. Gordon Korman is great at writing these adventure tales, making sure that his characters are strong, but still very real.
Luke Haggerty is on a boat trip he never wanted to be on...a correctional journey for problem kids that need work to whip them into shape. But Luke is innocent, falsely accused of stashing a gun in his locker. His fellow crew members are no better off...Will and Lissa, whose sibling rivalry is ferociously violent, Ian, who watched too much TV, Charla, who was too into sports training, and JJ, the spoiled movie star's son. But when circumstance throws them together, not only on the boat journey but on a terrible shipwreck, they are going to have to get along and use their unique talents, or die.
The parts at the beginning are a little slow, but everything picks up from there, and the other two books continue this exciting saga. Gordon Korman is great at writing these adventure tales, making sure that his characters are strong, but still very real.
May 28, 2014
There is six kids sent onto a boat, which crashes. There names are:Luke, J.J. Will, Lyssa, Charla, and Ian. They all didn't want to be on the boat in the first place. They were sent there as a character-building experience, because they were bad kids and didn't get along with anyone. The ship they are on drives into a storm and the boat wrecks. The killed all of the adults. The kids end up on a deserted island. So now the survival tactics begin. The only problem is none of the kids like eachother. Luke, Will and J.J. are all athletic and quiet. Lyssa, Charla and Ian are quite lazy and also don't talk very much.
This book is the first book of a three book series. It has a great storyline to it. I recommend this book to literally anyone that can read. It is a great book with two other awesome books to come. It's a must read series!!
This book is the first book of a three book series. It has a great storyline to it. I recommend this book to literally anyone that can read. It is a great book with two other awesome books to come. It's a must read series!!
January 16, 2017
Aside from two characters (Charla and Lyssa) no one in this book was all that interesting or engaging. The dialogue was boring, often a cliche take on the way children speak very obviously written by an adult. I read this book with my fourth and fifth RTI groups, and with the exception of two fourth graders who did really get into the story around the time the storm hits, all of them seemed to be just as bored as I was (a couple even asked when we could start a new book). Unfortunately there's not much in the book to redeem the lackluster dialogue and underdeveloped characters, so the whole thing just seems to drag.
May 1, 2017
I feel bad since they didn't voluntarily decide to be on the boat. I hate how they crash and how they are all split up at first. I like how they all found each other and how they are deciding what to do in order to stay alive. I like how they all stick together. I hate how they break up and one goes the one way, and the others go the other way. I like how they end up getting back together though. This was definitely an enjoyable read. I like how they didn't give up and how they discovered the food source and water source. I really like how they used teamwork to survive.
March 4, 2013
Six kids on a boat with a captain and first mate. All six kids sent because they were in trouble: one with the law, another on the verge of it, and others with their parents. When a horrible storm comes, the kids must overcome their differences and petty arguments to work as a team for survival, especially when they can't count on the adults anymore.
April 1, 2015
a heart pounding adventure to start a trilogy. kept me turning the pages all the way through and immediately reaching for book 2. some of these characters are so annoying I want to hit them but then because of the ship wreck that happens I feel bad about those feelings.this reminds me a little bit of the survivors series by Jeff Probst.
October 31, 2015
The book was great!!! This book is about six kids who are stranded on an island. All of the adults have died and they need to learn how to survive on their own, but they had to learn how to get along with each other first.
Read
October 28, 2014Classic story of shipwrecked kids, but very well written! I caught myself gripping my steering wheel with white knuckles at one point (I listened to the audio book)
October 30, 2015
a bold theme of hope and perserverince
Displaying 1 - 30 of 481 reviews