When six kids find themselves crewing a sailboat in the open waters of the Pacific Ocean near Guam, it quickly becomes clear that none of them want to be there. But for some reason, their parents have decided that each of these troubled kids would benefit from the Charting a New Course program. Now Luke, J.J., Charla, Ian, and siblings Will and Lyssa have no choice but to quickly learn their way around the sixty-foot boat, guided by a well-meaning skipper and his abrasive mate. When a tremendous storm develops, things go from bad to worse, and the crew of newbie sailors find themselves fighting for their lives.

This first book in the Island trilogy is a speedy adventure read that would appeal to even the most reluctant tween readers. Each of the characters (aged eleven to fourteen) arrives at the sailboat with a troubled past; a spoiled Hollywood brat gone wild, a burned out athlete, a convicted felon (who is actually innocent), a television addict, and warring siblings. When faced with dire circumstances (the captain falls overboard and his mate abandons the kids on the sinking boat), the group comes together to help one another survive. Fans will be eager to pick up the second installment in the series, Survival, as the first book ends with quite a cliff-hanger.
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