3 Books About Castaways for Young Readers

Adventure books can teach kids how to be bold and courageous. Sergey Novikov/Shutterstock

A special thrill accompanies stories of audacious adventurers surviving on a desert island by their wits, resourcefulness, and courage. Young readers in particular seem to relish these tales of survival against all odds, especially when they feature young heroes. When children or teens read these works, they can imagine themselves as the protagonists: What would I do if I were alone on an island without my parents? Could I make it? These imaginary expeditions help young readers think about what it means to be independent, develop confidence, and foster resilience.

When a protagonist is pitted against natural forces in a life-or-death situation, their character is stripped back to its bare essentials, its raw humanity. Survival fiction allows for a unique approach to human psychology and exploring certain themes, such as humanity’s relationship to the natural world, the qualities of human society and its absence, and the human person as sojourner in the island of the world. So there is much for adults to consider in novels of island survival as well.

Here are three exciting tales of castaways that will entrance young readers—and older readers, too.

1. ‘Robinson Crusoe’ by Daniel Defoe

“Robinson Crusoe” by Daniel Defoe is the grandfather of all castaway fiction. Popular when it first appeared in 1719, it has since spawned an entire genre. Defoe likely based his narrative on the real-life story of Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor who chose to live on an island for five years. The novel tells of a strong-willed young man who defies his father’s wishes by going to sea. After an unfortunate run-in with pirates and a brief spell as a slave, he escapes to Brazil where he acquires plantations and makes his fortune.

But on a trip to Guinea, his ship encounters stormy seas and is shipwrecked. Crusoe ends up on a Caribbean island, where he spends the next 28 years living off the land. Crusoe salvages materials from the wreckage and finds resources on the island, eventually creating a fairly comfortable life for himself with extensive homesteads. Later, he meets some members of a local tribe, saving one of them from being killed and eaten by the others. This native, Friday, becomes his faithful companion—and one of the most famous characters in English literature.

While exiled, Crusoe transforms from a shivering, self-pitying survivor to the confident, resourceful master of the island who has learned to trust in God’s providence. Defoe examines questions of power, civilization, ambition, and self-reliance. The episodic novel spends a great deal of time describing the ingenious ways that Crusoe solves problems and constructs the things he needs, from a calendar system to goat pastures to boats to his elaborate hideaways. Children who are mechanically oriented or love problem-solving will find the book especially appealing. It should be noted that because the work was written in the 18th century, its prose style is complex and challenging at times. The work is best enjoyed by youths ages 12 to 16, or younger if they are strong readers.

2. ‘Island of the Blue Dolphins’ by Scott O’Dell

This title was also inspired by real events. In the early 1800s, an American Indian woman lived in isolation on San Nicolas Island, off the California coast, for 18 years. She was brought to the mainland in 1853. She was conditionally baptized by the Rev. Francisco Sánchez with the baptismal name of Juana María and later that year died in Santa Barbara, California.

O’Dell’s novel similarly tells of a young girl, Karana, whose people leave the Island of the Blue Dolphins after they’re decimated by a neighboring tribe, the Aleuts. But Karana stays behind to help her younger brother, Ramo, who couldn’t make it off the island in time. But Ramo doesn’t survive for long, leaving Karana completely alone for many years. She makes tools and weapons to defend herself, gathers food, and builds dwellings.

At one point, she attempts to take a canoe to the mainland but has to turn back when the boat leaks. Back on the island, she makes a home of whale bones, befriends animals, fills a cave with supplies, and hunts animals including giant devilfish. She endures dangers that include wild dogs, tidal waves, and earthquakes. Like Robinson Crusoe, she befriends a visitor: An Aleut girl finds Karana and they become friends. But when the girl leaves with her people, Karana finds herself more alone than ever.

O’Dell’s book is written with simple, poetic prose and is well-paced. His writing has weight and substance while still being appealing and understandable for young readers. O’Dell had originally intended the work for adults, but his literary agent correctly identified that it was better suited as a children’s book. It was published by Houghton Mifflin in 1960, and in 1961, it won the highest award for U.S. children’s literature: the Newbery Medal. It will appeal to readers ages 8 to 14, or older for sensitive readers.

3. ‘Baby Island’ by Carol Ryrie Brink

“Baby Island” was written by Carol Ryrie Brink in 1937. It tells the story of two sisters, Mary and Jean, on a ship headed to Australia. During the journey, a storm imperils the ship. With the ship in danger of sinking, the passengers must evacuate. Through various means, the girls are charged with the care of four babies with whom they are set adrift in a lifeboat. Their boat eventually lands on a deserted island, where they set to work making a shelter, finding food, and, of course, caring for the four infants. There are many delightful moments along the way, such as when they mix up the identical twins, get a pet monkey, and find and befriend a man who also lives on the island. The book has the fun and adventurous side of a castaway book, but a lighthearted charm that can be found in many of Brink’s books and would be a great read for children, especially girls ages 7 to 12.

This book will be a favorite for girls who love action-adventure books but are also drawn to books that center around children and families. As a child, my wife loved this book because it melded two genres she enjoyed immensely: adventure and family books. The babies’ presence keeps the book from being frightening, so it’s particularly good for children with a lower tolerance for peril and danger.

The three titles listed vary in content and tone, but each has something to offer young readers (and older ones as well). Children and teens who enjoy adventure stories, travel, geography, and biology will find much to absorb in these delightful and timeless tales of the beauty and power of the seas and the human will to survive.