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 to the Caribbean, whether Jack wants to go or not. The Berensons have devised their latest get-rich-quick scheme - a new sport called 'drift-snorkeling.' 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 cruising along his beach. Gr 4–6—Jack's parents have been all over the world in an effort to get rich quick, while leaving him with his aunt and uncle. Following the death of Jack's Aunt Julia, the boy must now live with his parents and participate in their latest scheme: snorkeling tours in the Caribbean. Unfortunately for Jack, they run out of fuel on an excursion together and, as the title suggests, Jack and his family find themselves shipwrecked. Will the Berensons escape unscathed? Will Jack actually befriend a whale shark named Tom? The story is a well-written debut novel and an introduction to a fun cast of characters and a series certain to be full of adventure. Pencil illustrations bring life to Jack and all of the craziness he and his family experience. This will likely entertain even the most reluctant of readers.—Wayne R. Cherry, Jr., First Baptist Academy Library, Houston, TX Many children’s books feature young protagonists who are thrust into turmoil after being orphaned. In Doan’s entertaining debut, Jack’s misadventures begin once his absentee parents show up and whisk him off to the Caribbean. A sensible 11-year-old, Jack would much rather stay in Pennsylvania than risk his life in one of his parents’ dangerous get-rich-quick schemes. Stuck on a deserted island with a rather irritating parrot, Jack learns survival skills as well as some more mundane coping skills, like not always automatically assuming the worst. Doan’s swiftly paced narrative is well matched by Stevanovic’s cartoony illustrations, the first of which showcases the skeletal frames of Jack’s parents (victims of Amazon jungle intestinal parasites) as well as the deep distrust Jack has for his parents. By the end of the book, Jack and his folks have been reunited and have agreed on some important rules for one another—the bending of which should make for amusing continuations of the Berenson Schemes series. Grades 4-6. --Abby Nolan The story is a well-written debut novel and an introduction to a fun cast of characters and a series certain to be full of adventure. Pencil illustrations bring life to Jack and all of the craziness he and his family experience. This will likely entertain even the most reluctant of readers." School Library Journal "In Doan's entertaining debut, Jack's misadventures begin once his absentee parents show up and whisk him off to the Caribbean. A sensible 11-year-old, Jack would much rather stay in Pennsylvania than risk his life on one of his parents' dangerous get-rich-quick schemes." - Booklist "Launching the Berenson Schemes series, Doan's debut novel pits cautious Jack Berenson against his reckless parents with uproarious results." - Publisher's Weekly http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-4677-1076-3 "Readers will be charmed by Jack, whose flair for checklists and self-preservation is both humorous and endearing." - Kirkus https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/lisa-doan/jack-the-castaway/ "If you want to laugh until your sides hurt, rush out and find a copy of Jack the Castaway..." - Margaret Nevinski, author of The Eve of St. Agnes and Floating http://www.margaretnevinski.com/ "Jack takes life seriously - sometimes too seriously. His parents don't take life seriously at all. The result is Lisa Doan's very fun and funny comedy of errors, Jack the Castaway." - Brent Hartinger, author of The Geography Club https://www.lernerbooks.com/products/t/13031/9781467710763/1-jack-the-castaway "So funny that at first you'll pee your pants, and then you'll pee somebody else's pants." - Clete Barrett Smith, author of Aliens on Vacation Lisa Doan received a master's degree in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. As a professional vagabond, she has traveled extensively through Africa and Asia and lived on a Caribbean island for eight years. Her variety of professions have included Master Scuba Diving Instructor, New York City headhunter, Owner/Chef of a Chinese restaurant, television show Set Medic and Deputy Prothonotary of a county court. She wrote her first book during a Caribbean slow season while waiting for restaurant customers. She currently lives in Pennsylvania with a Great Dane who stares her down for biscuits. Ivica Stevanovic has illustrated numerous picture books, as well as book covers and graphic novels. He lives in Veternik, Serbia, with his wife, who is also a children’