Shipwreck Island

The Swiss Family Robinson gets a modern makeover in this series opener, Bodeen’s (The Raft) first for middle-grade readers. Twelve-year-old Sarah Robinson is stunned when her father remarries after a whirlwind courtship and extremely reluctant to accept her new stepmother or stepbrothers—12-year-old Marco and 10-year-old Nacho—who are equally unhappy with the arrangement. They’re forced to coexist when their parents take them all on a cruise among the islands off Fiji, a vacation that swiftly turns into a comedy of errors. Things get worse when a storm shipwrecks them on a deserted island, which turns out to be full of mysterious dangers and inexplicable events, such as an abandoned and possibly haunted house and creatures that shouldn’t exist. There are no answers to be found, though, as this first book is almost entirely setup and worldbuilding, ending with little resolution. The point-of-view characters are well-rendered, but readers may tire of the constant squabbling and resentment. A fine start that depends on the strength of the books yet to come. Ages 10–13. Agent: Scott Mendel, Mendel Media Group. (Aug.)