FINISHED:

Korman, Gordon. (2001). Island: Escape. New York: Scholastic.

[I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this short series. Really, they took no time at all to read (perfect for reluctant readers!), the kids were varied in their personalities and knowledge-bases, and there was a decent amount of action and suspense. Six young people who have been deemed as "troubled" for various reasons by their families converge on a small boat for an "Outward Bound"-ish adventure. Soon after setting sail, the weather turns nasty, the ocean waves begin to swell, and then all hell breaks loose with the kids eventually finding themselves stranded on a (seemingly...) deserted island. Will and Lyssa are violently feuding brother and sister, Luke is the smart and misunderstood (and framed!) hero, Ian is the TV kid whose survival know-how comes from watching countless hours of the Discovery Channel, Charla is a super-fit all-sports star, and J.J. is the delinquent and spoiled son of a famous Hollywood actor. Together these 6 battle the elements, each other, and... other things (don't want to spoil the fun!!)... in this breezy, tense, and compelling survival series. I think I may try one of Korman's other short series.]

STARTED:
Cooper, Susan. (1965). Over sea, under stone. New York: Simon & Schuster.

[Thought that it was about time I gave this classic series a try - seems like it should be right up my alley.]

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