What do you think?
Rate this book
The Berenson Schemes #1
Jack the Castaway
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.
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.
156 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
5 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Doan
7 books78 followersI received a master’s degree in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. My first books, a children’s middle grade series titled The Berenson Schemes series - Jack the Castaway, Jack and the Wildlife and Jack at the Helm were published by Lerner. Jack the Castaway was the Independent Publisher's 2015 gold medal winner for juvenile fiction.
As a professional vagabond, I’m a dual citizen (U.S./Ireland), have traveled throughout Africa, Asia and Central America, and lived on a Caribbean island for eight years. I once backpacked alone from Morocco to Kenya. (Tip on crossing the Sahara Desert – TURN BACK.)
My jobs have included Master Scuba Diving Instructor (nobody drowned), wall street headhunter (it did not involve shrunken heads, except figuratively), Owner/Chef of a restaurant (I should have learned how to cook before I opened it), Set Medic for a reality T.V. show (I was broke, so standards had to be lowered. A lot) and Deputy Prothonotary of a county court (I’m pleased to report that lawsuits remain a popular American sport).
My dream is to dig up buried treasure, hit oil in the backyard, or discover that the fake diamond earrings I bought for five dollars are actually real. Finding myself suddenly rich, I’ll buy a series of tiny houses in far-flung foreign destinations and roam between them.
My other dream is to own a Tardis and roam through both space AND time. I would prefer it come with its own Time Lord, since you never know when you might run into one of those weeping angels. (Now that I’ve mentioned them, I’m afraid those creepy statues can read and are figuring out where I am)
What is that on my lawn…
As a professional vagabond, I’m a dual citizen (U.S./Ireland), have traveled throughout Africa, Asia and Central America, and lived on a Caribbean island for eight years. I once backpacked alone from Morocco to Kenya. (Tip on crossing the Sahara Desert – TURN BACK.)
My jobs have included Master Scuba Diving Instructor (nobody drowned), wall street headhunter (it did not involve shrunken heads, except figuratively), Owner/Chef of a restaurant (I should have learned how to cook before I opened it), Set Medic for a reality T.V. show (I was broke, so standards had to be lowered. A lot) and Deputy Prothonotary of a county court (I’m pleased to report that lawsuits remain a popular American sport).
My dream is to dig up buried treasure, hit oil in the backyard, or discover that the fake diamond earrings I bought for five dollars are actually real. Finding myself suddenly rich, I’ll buy a series of tiny houses in far-flung foreign destinations and roam between them.
My other dream is to own a Tardis and roam through both space AND time. I would prefer it come with its own Time Lord, since you never know when you might run into one of those weeping angels. (Now that I’ve mentioned them, I’m afraid those creepy statues can read and are figuring out where I am)
What is that on my lawn…
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 16, 2020
When Jack's aunt dies, he is forced to go back with his "get rich quick" parents who travel the globe in search of the next big thing. They don't believe in school, homework, or rules. Jack hates that. When they end up in a southern country, Jack tries to get them to enroll him in school but instead they bought a boat and are going to get rich doing a scuba diving business. When they take Jack out on the "boat" it capsizes and Jack learns to live on an uninhabited island with just a bird and a shark for friends. A short story but a good read.
Read
September 15, 2014Smart kid, dumb parents, and a menacing whale shark! What more could a kid want from a book?
Jack is a sheltered kid on the cusp of puberty living with his Aunt Julia safely in Pennsylvania. Or at least he was living safely until his Aunt met with misfortune and Jack was forced to call his world-traveling parents home from their latest scheme, panning for gold in the Amazon. Jack's parents are everything Jack isn't: reckless, thoughtless, careless dreamers with no grounding in reality. Since abandoning Jack with his Aunt they have gone from one dead-end business to another but now they are forced back to raise a son who has more sense than they do collectively.
So begins Lisa Doan's Jack the Castaway, the first in a series aimed squarely at the emerging, struggling, or reluctant middle grade reader looking for an adventure series with humor and a sturdy story. Playing off the trope of kids being smarter than the adults that surround them, Doan has amped up this discord by giving Jack all the typical traits of a worry-wort adult and made his parents the equivalent of hyperactive teens. Where his parents wouldn't never even think of making a list or a plan before setting out on an adventure, Jack prefers the logical order of his life and would rather spend his time in school. Reunited as a family, Jack's parents think it only natural to bring their risk-adverse son with them to a tropical island where they intend to open a snorkeling enterprise, despite having no experience. But before long Jack finds himself alone on the water, then shipwrecked on a tropical island and... is that a shark keeping watch on him from the shore?
There are many ways a story like this could go wrong, but Doan keeps a fine balance between humor and adventure, particularly when dealing with Jack's brief experience alone on a tropical island. Where many readers might find the prospect of being alone to do nothing, away from the school and responsibilities that Jack craves, it's Jack's practicality that allows him to stay calm and survive. Where Jack errs on the side of caution the reader is allowed to guess that he is overreacting, removing any real danger that would otherwise make the story too dark.
And while I wouldn't say I was much like Jack when I was young I will confess that he and I share a certain blood-chilling close encounter with a large, benign sea creature. Both Jack and I survived to laugh about it in retrospect.
There's a lot of summer reading out there that kids are having foisted on them, and while much of it is good I strongly believe that there's room for lighter, well-crafted fare. I realize this might skew a bit younger than most of what lands on Guys Lit Wire but sometimes boys need to catch the reading bug at a younger age to ensure they continue into the goods we reviewers dig up for the older teens. Put Jack the Castaway in the back seat on a long road trip and see if it isn't devoured in one single gulp.
This review also appeared at Guys Lit Wire, in case you thought you saw it somewhere else.
Also, as a matter of full disclosure, I received a review copy of this book from the author who, like myself, is a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts' Writing for Children and Young Adults program. If you find this troubling, email me, I'll be more than happy to put your mind at ease.
Jack is a sheltered kid on the cusp of puberty living with his Aunt Julia safely in Pennsylvania. Or at least he was living safely until his Aunt met with misfortune and Jack was forced to call his world-traveling parents home from their latest scheme, panning for gold in the Amazon. Jack's parents are everything Jack isn't: reckless, thoughtless, careless dreamers with no grounding in reality. Since abandoning Jack with his Aunt they have gone from one dead-end business to another but now they are forced back to raise a son who has more sense than they do collectively.
So begins Lisa Doan's Jack the Castaway, the first in a series aimed squarely at the emerging, struggling, or reluctant middle grade reader looking for an adventure series with humor and a sturdy story. Playing off the trope of kids being smarter than the adults that surround them, Doan has amped up this discord by giving Jack all the typical traits of a worry-wort adult and made his parents the equivalent of hyperactive teens. Where his parents wouldn't never even think of making a list or a plan before setting out on an adventure, Jack prefers the logical order of his life and would rather spend his time in school. Reunited as a family, Jack's parents think it only natural to bring their risk-adverse son with them to a tropical island where they intend to open a snorkeling enterprise, despite having no experience. But before long Jack finds himself alone on the water, then shipwrecked on a tropical island and... is that a shark keeping watch on him from the shore?
There are many ways a story like this could go wrong, but Doan keeps a fine balance between humor and adventure, particularly when dealing with Jack's brief experience alone on a tropical island. Where many readers might find the prospect of being alone to do nothing, away from the school and responsibilities that Jack craves, it's Jack's practicality that allows him to stay calm and survive. Where Jack errs on the side of caution the reader is allowed to guess that he is overreacting, removing any real danger that would otherwise make the story too dark.
And while I wouldn't say I was much like Jack when I was young I will confess that he and I share a certain blood-chilling close encounter with a large, benign sea creature. Both Jack and I survived to laugh about it in retrospect.
There's a lot of summer reading out there that kids are having foisted on them, and while much of it is good I strongly believe that there's room for lighter, well-crafted fare. I realize this might skew a bit younger than most of what lands on Guys Lit Wire but sometimes boys need to catch the reading bug at a younger age to ensure they continue into the goods we reviewers dig up for the older teens. Put Jack the Castaway in the back seat on a long road trip and see if it isn't devoured in one single gulp.
This review also appeared at Guys Lit Wire, in case you thought you saw it somewhere else.
Also, as a matter of full disclosure, I received a review copy of this book from the author who, like myself, is a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts' Writing for Children and Young Adults program. If you find this troubling, email me, I'll be more than happy to put your mind at ease.
April 24, 2014
Book description:
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.
REVIEW MOON SHINE ART SPOT
5 *****
I liked this book because I think many adventurous children, as well as the less adventurous ill be entertained and learn that change isn't always bad. Jack's aunt, who was raising him, passed away so he had to join his adventurous parents who did love him, but were not really good at planning and thinking things through.
Jack hated the idea of joining his "dangerously unprepared" parents because he had lived a nice peaceful, indoor mostly life with his aunt. Jack's world was being turned upside down. It was hilarious to read his descriptions of his parent's "free will" attitude. The parents were very positive minded, carefree, and "yes" quite a bit on the unprepared side concerning their own lives as well as having Jack come along too.
This book is a great example of parents and children communicating, meeting in the middle, and figuring things out. I love that. Jack even learns (through a hilarious mishap of unpreparedness on his parent's part) to try new things. I can relate to this because my son is one of those boys who hates change and refuses to try new things most of the time. There is plenty of adventure and humor for the children who don't know there could be a lesson buried in the story! Haha. Jack's very descriptive details of his parent's near criminally negligent & unorganized way of thinking and living is so hilarious. The crazy part is you think it's a funny exaggeration that happens to be accurate. He does, after all, end up stranded a few days on an island accidentally because of the parents being unprepared. It's not a "scary" story and Jack's misguided parents do love him & learn a lesson themselves about the need for thinking ahead.
I was provided this book free from the publisher for an honest review.
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.
REVIEW MOON SHINE ART SPOT
5 *****
I liked this book because I think many adventurous children, as well as the less adventurous ill be entertained and learn that change isn't always bad. Jack's aunt, who was raising him, passed away so he had to join his adventurous parents who did love him, but were not really good at planning and thinking things through.
Jack hated the idea of joining his "dangerously unprepared" parents because he had lived a nice peaceful, indoor mostly life with his aunt. Jack's world was being turned upside down. It was hilarious to read his descriptions of his parent's "free will" attitude. The parents were very positive minded, carefree, and "yes" quite a bit on the unprepared side concerning their own lives as well as having Jack come along too.
This book is a great example of parents and children communicating, meeting in the middle, and figuring things out. I love that. Jack even learns (through a hilarious mishap of unpreparedness on his parent's part) to try new things. I can relate to this because my son is one of those boys who hates change and refuses to try new things most of the time. There is plenty of adventure and humor for the children who don't know there could be a lesson buried in the story! Haha. Jack's very descriptive details of his parent's near criminally negligent & unorganized way of thinking and living is so hilarious. The crazy part is you think it's a funny exaggeration that happens to be accurate. He does, after all, end up stranded a few days on an island accidentally because of the parents being unprepared. It's not a "scary" story and Jack's misguided parents do love him & learn a lesson themselves about the need for thinking ahead.
I was provided this book free from the publisher for an honest review.
April 25, 2014
Jack is a very responsible, sensible, eleven year old who lives with his Aunt Julia, until she passes away by getting hit by a bus. His biological parents are irresponsible, scattered globe-trotters who are coming back to claim him and try to integrate him into their care-free lifestyle. You see his parents have been chased out of Tokyo, gone broke in Greece, and hosted Nairobi's lease successful safari. But do not fret they have a brand new get-rich scheme which means moving to the Caribbean and inventing a new sport called "drift snorkelling" that the tourists will be enamoured by and they want Jack to join them in their newest escapade. Jack hesitantly goes with them because he knows exactly what they are like and fears for his educational future and his very life. Once in the Caribbean he is put in charge of driving the boat (which he knows nothing about) and sadly becomes the brunt of his parent's negligence because they forget to fill the gas tank of the boat with fuel. Jack is stranded and drifts away in the Caribbean Sea only to land on a deserted island. He is not alone because Loco, a parrot keeps him company with a very limited vocabulary, and together they have to learn how to survive and ultimately how to get back to civilization with very little help from his parents.
Jack takes life very seriously and through planning and check-lists and foresight discovers he has the gift of self-preservation despite the lack of any common sense his parents may or may not possess. Luckily they become a much stronger family unit when Jack passes his knowledge and wisdom onto his parents who receive it graciously from their son.
Doan's debut novel is well written and entertaining. The Berenson's Schemes series will be a great one to watch unfold and I am sure will be an amazing hit with the kids ages 8-12. The pencil illustrations are just brilliant and are a great asset to the printed text. I highly recommend this book and am sure the following books in the series will be equally as great.
Jack takes life very seriously and through planning and check-lists and foresight discovers he has the gift of self-preservation despite the lack of any common sense his parents may or may not possess. Luckily they become a much stronger family unit when Jack passes his knowledge and wisdom onto his parents who receive it graciously from their son.
Doan's debut novel is well written and entertaining. The Berenson's Schemes series will be a great one to watch unfold and I am sure will be an amazing hit with the kids ages 8-12. The pencil illustrations are just brilliant and are a great asset to the printed text. I highly recommend this book and am sure the following books in the series will be equally as great.
September 13, 2014
Jack's parents are a disaster. They jump from one get-rich-quick scheme to the next, searching for their golden ticket that will make them wealthy enough to buy Jack a pony. Jack, who doesn't even like ponies, is up tight and paranoid. He likes school, rules, and order. Regardless of their differences, Jack goes with his parents on their latest adventure/disaster. After a series of irresponsible choices made by his parents, Jack finds himself stranded on an uninhabited island. He learns to survive while waiting for his easily distracted parents to come rescue him.
This is a short, quick read for kids starting on chapter books. It's humorous and entertaining. The irresponsible parent theme is quite popular in chapter books and it continues to be a funny scenario, having the parent/child roles reversed. Jack and his parents grow as characters as the story progresses. The parents learn to be more responsible and Jack learns to ease up a bit. They all learn to work together to create a system that works for their family.
Jack the Castaway didn't blow me away, but it was a decent story. Kids will enjoy the humor and the adventure/survival scenes.
Source: The publisher provided me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content: Clean
My blog: Batch of Books
This is a short, quick read for kids starting on chapter books. It's humorous and entertaining. The irresponsible parent theme is quite popular in chapter books and it continues to be a funny scenario, having the parent/child roles reversed. Jack and his parents grow as characters as the story progresses. The parents learn to be more responsible and Jack learns to ease up a bit. They all learn to work together to create a system that works for their family.
Jack the Castaway didn't blow me away, but it was a decent story. Kids will enjoy the humor and the adventure/survival scenes.
Source: The publisher provided me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content: Clean
My blog: Batch of Books
August 7, 2014
When Jack's parents decide to take him to a Caribbean island to start a new business Jack is far from happy. Especially since he is well aware that his parents are seriously lacking in common sense. He dreads the possible consequences of being dragged with them on one of their 'adventures' which are more like disasters. And unfortunately for him, he's right. I think what I found so funny about this book was the fact that Jack was more parent-like than his parents and his parents more childlike. The adventure side of things was surprisingly believable for such a quick read. I especially enjoyed the well-presented setting. For an survival adventure like this the setting is very important. But a book this short and for such a young audience also needs to be careful not to get bogged down in the details. I thought the book found a good balance between setting details and keeping the plot moving, especially since Jack is alone for a good chunk of the book. A fun adventure story that blends humor and excitement in a way that will appeal to reluctant readers.
October 10, 2014
For years, Jack Berenson's parents have flitted about the world trying one get-rich-quick scheme after another. Jack was quite content to live a peaceful and stationary life with his aunt. Unfortunately she died and Jack's parents made the decision to reclaim him before moving onto their next venture - a snorkeling business in the Caribbean. Without any other options Jack tries to make the best of his situation and keep himself and his parents safe. However, that is quite difficult as his parents have no concept of rules and safety. As a result, Jack ends up stranded on a deserted island. He uses his smarts to make a shelter, find food and water and even friends of a sort. The big question is, will his parents find and use their smarts to retrieve their one and only son?
This series opener is a fast and fun read for kids around 3rd grade. The black and white illustrations well-done and add to the quirkiness of the story.
This series opener is a fast and fun read for kids around 3rd grade. The black and white illustrations well-done and add to the quirkiness of the story.
January 4, 2015
Jack has lived with his aunt Julia most of his life, until her untimely death at the beginning of the book. Saying that Jack’s parents are irresponsible is an understatement. Now that Julia has died, Jack’s parents must take him along on their impractical, ill-planned, get rich quick adventures. Jack likes order and the predictable. He is NOT happy being in the Caribbean with his parents. Because of the thoughtlessness of his parents, Jack gets stranded in a small boat in the ocean and spends some time alone on a deserted island. This experience causes Jack to loosen up and his parents to, ever so slightly, be more careful. Getting through this book was a chore. The humor seemed forced and everything is over the top. Perhaps younger students will like this and the series could get better, but my third grader just shrugged his shoulders when I ask ed if he liked the parts I read to him.
May 9, 2014
This book would be perfect for the 8-year-old in your life. It's an exciting adventure tale of Jack, a young boy whose aunt dies, which means he unfortunately has to live with his crazy, continent hopping parents. It doesn't take long of living with his parents until he gets stranded on a deserted island. This reads a bit like A Series of Unfortunate Events to me--some of the characters (mostly the parents) are extreme to the point of being borderline ridiculous for an adult reader, but that is part of the joy of the tale. I think I would've adored this book when I was 8, and I look forward to passing it on to my daughters once they start reading chapter books. There's also some really nice arcs for the characters (and even for the shark), which makes me happy.
December 6, 2014
Pages: 140
Lexile Level: 620L
Summary:
Jack is 11 years old and his parents are always trying to come up with get rich quick schemes. This time they take Jack to the Caribbean Islands with plans to open a snorkel shop. However, their plans never work, and this time Jack winds up stranded on a deserted island.
Comments:
It would be a great books for beginning readers, because it is shorter, and there are really nice illustrated pencil pictures, but the words are just too hard for your beginning reader. This would be a good book for the "Get Guys Reading" campaign. It is funny, and many of the kids would be drawn to the wacky personalities of Jack's parents.
2 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by: Jen T.
Lexile Level: 620L
Summary:
Jack is 11 years old and his parents are always trying to come up with get rich quick schemes. This time they take Jack to the Caribbean Islands with plans to open a snorkel shop. However, their plans never work, and this time Jack winds up stranded on a deserted island.
Comments:
It would be a great books for beginning readers, because it is shorter, and there are really nice illustrated pencil pictures, but the words are just too hard for your beginning reader. This would be a good book for the "Get Guys Reading" campaign. It is funny, and many of the kids would be drawn to the wacky personalities of Jack's parents.
2 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by: Jen T.
December 6, 2014
Jake is 11 years old and his parents are always trying to come up with get rich quick schemes. This time they take Jake the Caribbean Islands with plans to open a snorkel shop. However, their plans never work, and this time Jake winds up stranded on a deserted island. It would be a great books for beginning readers, because it is shorter, and there are really nice illustrated pencil pictures, but the words are just too hard for your beginning reader.
January 11, 2015
Jack's far from responsible parents are always trying get-rich-quick schemes, and the latest is starting a snorkeling business in the Caribbean. A boat trip with his parents turns disastrous when the family runs out of gas and Jack is stranded on an uninhabited island. This is a good book for reluctant readers and readers who enjoy adventure and humor. Beware of the super conservative parents who might not like their kids reading about adults who drink beer.
May 27, 2015
Jack's mom and dad are awful parents. This book highlights Jack's personal growth which is necessitated by his parents' ineptitude. Points for innovation, Jack, but the second book in the series should have been "The Emancipation of Jack". Many of the risks this 11-year-old takes have a far greater chance of horrific outcomes than the heightened self confidence and reliance which result. This book inspired my DNR shelf.
November 26, 2017
Fun middle grade romp.
Poor Jack is cursed with irresponsible parents who want nothing more than an adventure and a successful get-rich quick scheme. Jack just wants a “normal”, boring childhood.
In this first book in the series, Jack is whisked off to a Caribbean island populated by colorful characters. The author gives us a richly detailed island life. Will Jack and his zany parents survive? (spoiler: yes!) Will they learn to live with each other? Ah, now, that would be telling...
Poor Jack is cursed with irresponsible parents who want nothing more than an adventure and a successful get-rich quick scheme. Jack just wants a “normal”, boring childhood.
In this first book in the series, Jack is whisked off to a Caribbean island populated by colorful characters. The author gives us a richly detailed island life. Will Jack and his zany parents survive? (spoiler: yes!) Will they learn to live with each other? Ah, now, that would be telling...
September 8, 2014
Oh man, Jack's parents are crazy! They go from job to job, barely escaping with their lives and no legal ramifications. This time though, he can't avoid their crazy. So he'll do his best to keep them all alive in the Caribbean. As you can tell by the title, things don't go according to plan.
February 22, 2015
A humourous MG novel about an 11-year-old boy who is struggling to survive being cared for by his irresponsibly parents. Title of the first chapter is "In which Jack is unfortunately reunited with his parents"! Lots of fun!
April 25, 2014
This novel doesn't seem like it parts personal interest towards myself
September 10, 2016
Great for my third grader.
October 26, 2014
Great boy book. Smart kid, irresponsible parents, a quick move to the Carribean what could go wrong?
February 22, 2015
For middle grade readers, an accessible survival-lite adventure story with an industrious main character who is clearly more wise than the parents who are(n’t) raising him.
July 26, 2015
Totally unbelievable story about a kid acting like the parent and the parents acting like irresponsible kids. This would be appealing to many children. The parents have no common sense in the story.
March 13, 2014
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Read
January 22, 2019Poor Jack. He just can't seem to get a break with his parents always on the search for get-rich schemes and adventures. This introduction to the series features Jack and his parents heading down to the Caribbean snorkeling business. Things just don't work out the way they planned though and Jack ends up marooned on a desert isle...….
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews