Abandoned by his parents when he was just three years old, Rob Mitchell began his journey as one of the last “lifers” in an American orphanage. He grew up with kids who were not friends but rather “co-survivors.” As Rob’s loneliness and rage grew, his hope shrank. Would he ever find a real family or a place to call home? Find out how Rob was able to overcome his past, forgiving his relatives and forging healthy family relationships of his own. Heartbreaking, heartwarming, and ultimately triumphant, this true story shows how, with faith, every person can leave the past behind and forge healthier, happier relationships.

A storm, a shipwreck, an ongoing ocean, then finally, finally a deserted isle. . . . Safety -- but wait! The fifteen swimmers braving the waves are, after all . . . kitties. They are not into cooperating until, until on this desert isle they must. Here, from the creators of the witty Old Cricket, comes a wily, wise saga of sogginess, a feline fantasy about drying off (elegantly), shaping up (grumpily), getting along (at last), and loving it.

Danny Herrera is an overweight, 13-year-old misfit from San Francisco, California who lives with his lazy, bullying uncles. They decide to send Danny away to Fat Camp during his last summer before high school as a cruel punishment. Instead, Danny gathers his group of unlikely friends and devises a plan to steal a boat and escape their horrible situation in order to have the perfect summer they feel they deserve. Rough seas, ruthless pirates, and a mysterious island turn Danny's pleasure cruise into a dangerous quest for survival he and his friends will never forget. Will this be the last summer for the Castaway Kids? Or can Danny become a strong leader and prove to everyone he's not a lost cause? This book, now in its second edition, won the 2014 Indie Excellence award for best Young Adult Fiction.

A Romantic Narrative of the Loss of Captain Grant of The Brig Britannia and of the Adventures of his Children and Friends in his Discovery and Rescue. In Search of the Castaways (French: Les Enfants du capitaine Grant, lit. 'The Children of Captain Grant') is a novel by the French writer Jules Verne, published in 1867–68. The book tells the story of the quest for Captain Grant of the Britannia. After finding a bottle the captain had cast into the ocean after the Britannia is shipwrecked, Lord and Lady Glenarvan of Scotland contact Mary and Robert, the young daughter and son of Captain Grant, through an announcement in a newspaper. The government refuses to launch a rescue expedition, but Lord and Lady Glenarvan, moved by the children's condition, decide to do it by themselves.

The Beldens discover an unknown baby in their doghouse.

Jack's parents have been chased out of Tokyo, gone broke in Greece, and hosted Nairobi's least successful safari. Next they’re taking Jack on a Caribbean vacation—whether Jack wants to go or not. The Berensons are about to start a snorkeling business. It's their latest get-rich-quick scheme. With these experienced world travelers at the helm, what could go wrong? Jack's used to staying indoors and not taking chances. When his parents take him out on the water, he ends up shipwrecked. Now Jack has to survive on a tropical island?and avoid a whale shark that's swimming near the beach.