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Stranded
Star on the rise: a pulse-racing new novel from the award-winning author of Stand Your Ground and StarsGordon (a.k.a. Gordo) Stevens is at a new school, trying to make friends and struggling to come to terms with his parents' divorce -- and his father's new girlfriend. (Her name is Amie and she's a lot younger than Gord's dad.) It's not surprising that Gord is in no mood for a week-long school trip to a remote island marine teaching station, especially when his new "friends" plot to catch him in the old "hand-in-warm-water-pee-the-bed" trick and his mom packs his old teddy bear. But there are bigger problems on the horizon for Gord -- like the fact that the marine biologist who runs the school suddenly has to leave the island. Or the fact that their radio, the only link to the mainland, expires. Or that a pod of pilot whales is beached on the island and about to die -- unless someone can help them get back to sea.
In a story that weaves action, adventure, an environmental mystery, a ghost tale, and a budding romance into one terrific read, Eric Walters also addresses with subtlety and savvy the important pre-teen issues of belonging and self-confidence, friendship and change. With its natural, realistic dialogue, believably drawn characters and exciting -- and plausible -- climax, Stranded is another kid-pleasing story from an author whose career is on a dizzying ascent.
In a story that weaves action, adventure, an environmental mystery, a ghost tale, and a budding romance into one terrific read, Eric Walters also addresses with subtlety and savvy the important pre-teen issues of belonging and self-confidence, friendship and change. With its natural, realistic dialogue, believably drawn characters and exciting -- and plausible -- climax, Stranded is another kid-pleasing story from an author whose career is on a dizzying ascent.
230 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1998
5 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Eric Walters
156 books907 followersEric was born in Toronto in 1957, which makes him "real old". But, as Eric says, "Just because I have to grow old doesn't mean that I have to grow up!" In his many roles as parent, teacher, social worker, youth sports coach and writer he is in constant contact with children and young adults. He draws from these experiences and feels that this helps him to capture the realistic interaction between young people—the conflicts, tensions, stresses and interests that make up their lives.
Eric began his writing as a teacher. He taught in classes from kindergarten up and his stories often reflect the curriculum that he was teaching. He always read stories—picture books and novels—to his students and this helped him to understand what children liked, responded to, and were inspired by. He enjoys the enthusiasm of his students and often looks at them to provide him with the inspiration to pursue a particular topic in both the classroom and in his writing.
Eric tries to write every day. When he has a story idea he starts with research. This could involve reading books, watching a documentary, or trying to experience the things that his characters are going to go through. This could include rock climbing or riding white water (for Stars), spending time in a wheelchair (Rebound), playing and walking with tigers (Tiger by the Tail), hanging around a tough biker bar (Diamonds in the Rough), standing out in his backyard in a blizzard wearing a T-shirt and shorts (Trapped in Ice), or traveling to Africa (Alexandria of Africa).
"The most important thing anybody ever told me about writing was to write what you know . . . and the only way to get to know things is to do your homework and research before you write," Eric stated.
Once the writing begins the story is always playing around in his head. He takes any opportunity, even if it's just a few minutes between presentations, to put things down, either with pen and paper or on his laptop.
Prior to entering teaching and writing Eric was a social worker (B.S.W., M.S.W., B.A.Hons—specialized major psychology). He worked in a variety of settings including child welfare, private practice, a mental health centre, and, for twenty years on a part-time basis as a Crisis Social Worker in an emergency department. He stopped teaching 4 years ago and left the ER only last year.
The majority of Eric's time is spent in the company of his wife, children and dogs (Lola a big standard poodle and a little white dog named Winnie the Poodle).
Eric began his writing as a teacher. He taught in classes from kindergarten up and his stories often reflect the curriculum that he was teaching. He always read stories—picture books and novels—to his students and this helped him to understand what children liked, responded to, and were inspired by. He enjoys the enthusiasm of his students and often looks at them to provide him with the inspiration to pursue a particular topic in both the classroom and in his writing.
Eric tries to write every day. When he has a story idea he starts with research. This could involve reading books, watching a documentary, or trying to experience the things that his characters are going to go through. This could include rock climbing or riding white water (for Stars), spending time in a wheelchair (Rebound), playing and walking with tigers (Tiger by the Tail), hanging around a tough biker bar (Diamonds in the Rough), standing out in his backyard in a blizzard wearing a T-shirt and shorts (Trapped in Ice), or traveling to Africa (Alexandria of Africa).
"The most important thing anybody ever told me about writing was to write what you know . . . and the only way to get to know things is to do your homework and research before you write," Eric stated.
Once the writing begins the story is always playing around in his head. He takes any opportunity, even if it's just a few minutes between presentations, to put things down, either with pen and paper or on his laptop.
Prior to entering teaching and writing Eric was a social worker (B.S.W., M.S.W., B.A.Hons—specialized major psychology). He worked in a variety of settings including child welfare, private practice, a mental health centre, and, for twenty years on a part-time basis as a Crisis Social Worker in an emergency department. He stopped teaching 4 years ago and left the ER only last year.
The majority of Eric's time is spent in the company of his wife, children and dogs (Lola a big standard poodle and a little white dog named Winnie the Poodle).
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 6, 2024
It actually took me a few chapters to realize I'd read this book before. I shouldn't be surprised; I did consume a lot of Eric Walters novels in elementary school and grade nine. Based on the original rating (left the same) and review of "This book was very good. I loved the ghost story! I also loved when they saved the whales!", this one went over really well.
I enjoyed it a second time. Eric truly is one of Canada's master storytellers. He understands kids and I know that because I understood Gordon then as much as I understand him now, maybe even more. I understand Chuckie, Mike, and Christina better now but I remember I could relate to them then too. Being stranded on the island brings up a lot of conflict in the characters and forces them to find strength in each other and themselves. They learn just how resilient they are.
Learning about whale stranding was fascinating. I delight in Mike being the one to know about whales and lead the charge in saving them. Nature is not always kind so not every whale is saved. Eric handles the reality of this difficult situation with great grace. Explanations are given for all important choices regarding the whales and the characters are forced to accept their limits. Mother Nature always has the final say and we have to accept her ruling. However, this isn't a tragedy story and I think many kids will enjoy the suspense of the story and enjoy finding themselves in this incredibly lucky class of grade sevens.
I enjoyed it a second time. Eric truly is one of Canada's master storytellers. He understands kids and I know that because I understood Gordon then as much as I understand him now, maybe even more. I understand Chuckie, Mike, and Christina better now but I remember I could relate to them then too. Being stranded on the island brings up a lot of conflict in the characters and forces them to find strength in each other and themselves. They learn just how resilient they are.
Learning about whale stranding was fascinating. I delight in Mike being the one to know about whales and lead the charge in saving them. Nature is not always kind so not every whale is saved. Eric handles the reality of this difficult situation with great grace. Explanations are given for all important choices regarding the whales and the characters are forced to accept their limits. Mother Nature always has the final say and we have to accept her ruling. However, this isn't a tragedy story and I think many kids will enjoy the suspense of the story and enjoy finding themselves in this incredibly lucky class of grade sevens.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2014
Gordon finally finds a way out of his worries about his parents' separation by going on a camp with his classmates. One day, he hears a story about a ghost living on "the island with the lighthouse", and his friends persuade him to go. An angry figure comes out of the abandoned house on the island, carrying something that looks like an axe. Is the island really haunted?
August 13, 2017
another good read by Eric Walters. I really enjoyed the progression of the relationship between Gordon and his 2 roommates as he struggles to make friends while also working through his feelings about his parents' separation.
February 9, 2022
This is an earlier book from Eric Walters, but a good one. Great story with lots of action and suspense. Also learned a lot about pilot whales.
Read
February 15, 2022I thought it would be better.
January 23, 2015
Eric Walters’s novel “Stranded” is a novel that presents an admiring story of Gordon Stevens or “Gord”, a seventh grade student brought into a completely new school. No one at school seems to want to get friendly with Gord except for Chuckie and Mark, two troublemakers that pulls pranks on Gord at every given chance. Not only that, but Gord is devastated that his family is being torn apart by the divorce of his parents. Despite the amount of drama in his personal life, Gord’s decides to join his school in a week-long field trip to a marine station out on an island, though he is in no mood for it. Perhaps field trips can be cheerful and fun, right? Wrong. If the fact that a hurricane storm was coming wasn't concerning enough, the trip is supervised by Ms. Fleming and Mrs. Murphy, two teachers who are either extremely under-aged or extremely over-ages. Along with a horrible boat ride, Gord is stuck being room-mates with Chuckie and Mike, who along with their multiply overnight pranks are plotting on a night-time exploration of the ghost Mr. Amos, which could get Gord into tons of trouble. As if this was bad enough, unfortunately things get even worse. With one of the researchers about to give birth, the researchers on the marine station must leave the island. Combined with the power going out and the radio getting cut off, all connections to the mainland are lost. This becomes a problem when Mike, Gord, and Chuckie find a group of whales beached on the shore. With only a limited amount of students and a limited amount of time, everyone has to work their hardest to get these whales back in the sea before they die.
“Standed” brilliantly shows the situation of a troubled kid looking to find an answer to all his problems. In the novel Gord just can’t accept the divorce of his parents, even though they can’t have a conversation without their voices being raised. He just hopes and wishes that just like that, they will both just make up and come together as a family for his sake, even though his father already has a girlfriend. Over the course of the field trip, however, Gord is faced with other problems and through these problems you begin to see a boy realise his own childish thoughts and start to make the best out of the situation. This can be very relatable to many others going through troubled and harsh times, and can perhaps enlighten a few spirits in the process of reading.
In my opinion “Stranded” by Eric Walters is a novel that is easy to pick up and read yet hard to put down. The characters in the novel seem very unique from the beginning, which is why I found it so desirable to read and learn more about them. As the novel progresses it begins to reveal characteristics of certain characters that begin to make them feel much more “human” in a way in which the readers begin to care for them and begin to relate to them. Gordon, like mentioned before, is a clear example of this. The plot of the story was one of the most interesting components of this novel. When first observing this book I thought the idea of having the problem of saving whales didn't seem to exciting. However, as I moved through the novel, reading about the students trying to save the whales changed that theory. The detail Eric Walters uses to describe the efforts of the students make the reader think as if they were in the exact same situation, making them begin to care and hope for their success. Overall, “Stranded” by Eric Walters is a novel that I would definitely recommend. The novel shows the inspiring tale of a group of students trying to save the lives of whales while also maturating and discovering their own responsibilities, which will appeal to many teenagers and young adults.
“Standed” brilliantly shows the situation of a troubled kid looking to find an answer to all his problems. In the novel Gord just can’t accept the divorce of his parents, even though they can’t have a conversation without their voices being raised. He just hopes and wishes that just like that, they will both just make up and come together as a family for his sake, even though his father already has a girlfriend. Over the course of the field trip, however, Gord is faced with other problems and through these problems you begin to see a boy realise his own childish thoughts and start to make the best out of the situation. This can be very relatable to many others going through troubled and harsh times, and can perhaps enlighten a few spirits in the process of reading.
In my opinion “Stranded” by Eric Walters is a novel that is easy to pick up and read yet hard to put down. The characters in the novel seem very unique from the beginning, which is why I found it so desirable to read and learn more about them. As the novel progresses it begins to reveal characteristics of certain characters that begin to make them feel much more “human” in a way in which the readers begin to care for them and begin to relate to them. Gordon, like mentioned before, is a clear example of this. The plot of the story was one of the most interesting components of this novel. When first observing this book I thought the idea of having the problem of saving whales didn't seem to exciting. However, as I moved through the novel, reading about the students trying to save the whales changed that theory. The detail Eric Walters uses to describe the efforts of the students make the reader think as if they were in the exact same situation, making them begin to care and hope for their success. Overall, “Stranded” by Eric Walters is a novel that I would definitely recommend. The novel shows the inspiring tale of a group of students trying to save the lives of whales while also maturating and discovering their own responsibilities, which will appeal to many teenagers and young adults.
January 4, 2017
Stranded-Review
Rating: 4/5
Gordon is a boy who is seventh grade who has recently moved to a new school. Gordon has been lately dealing with his parents divorce which he does not like because he has to bounce back and forth from both his parents houses. Gordon’s dad recently bought a new house with his girlfriend named Amie. His first friends that he made were Mike and Chuckie. They were not the brightest kids around but those were his roommates for the whole trip and enjoy playing pranks on all their friends. Gordon and his grade were going on a week long trip to an island. There are suddenly bigger problems on the way for Gordon. Like the fact that the marine biologist (Dr.Resney) who runs the school suddenly has to leave the island to be there for birth of her child. Or that their radio, the only link to the mainland expires. Or that a bunch of pilot whales is beached on the island and about to die unless someone can help them get back to sea. Without Dr.Resney the students and Mr.Amos must bring these whales back to the sea and back to life. In the end they are all more responsible and realized that they have matured over this week. I think this book was an interesting read and had a good straight forward storyline. I would recommend this book to my friends and kids the same age as me or even younger. I like this book because Eric Walters is a great author and one of my favourite book writers.
Editors: Eric Walters.
Rating: 4/5
Gordon is a boy who is seventh grade who has recently moved to a new school. Gordon has been lately dealing with his parents divorce which he does not like because he has to bounce back and forth from both his parents houses. Gordon’s dad recently bought a new house with his girlfriend named Amie. His first friends that he made were Mike and Chuckie. They were not the brightest kids around but those were his roommates for the whole trip and enjoy playing pranks on all their friends. Gordon and his grade were going on a week long trip to an island. There are suddenly bigger problems on the way for Gordon. Like the fact that the marine biologist (Dr.Resney) who runs the school suddenly has to leave the island to be there for birth of her child. Or that their radio, the only link to the mainland expires. Or that a bunch of pilot whales is beached on the island and about to die unless someone can help them get back to sea. Without Dr.Resney the students and Mr.Amos must bring these whales back to the sea and back to life. In the end they are all more responsible and realized that they have matured over this week. I think this book was an interesting read and had a good straight forward storyline. I would recommend this book to my friends and kids the same age as me or even younger. I like this book because Eric Walters is a great author and one of my favourite book writers.
Editors: Eric Walters.
December 7, 2016
Stranded review
Gordon was just a normal boy going on a school trip when everything got flipped upside down. It all started when Dr.Resney, one of the people helping run the camp immediately has to leave. His wife is going into labour and he needs to be there for the birth. That leaves no whale experts on the island, one that will soon be filled with them. Gordon gets stuck with his only friends in a room, Chuckie and Mike. They were the class clowns, and loved to mess with Gordon. Mike and chuck decided to leave to find the ghost of captain Amos, an axe murderer from the island. Their journey takes another turn when mr.amos emerged from the house and yelled at one. The next morning, they wake up and the beach is filled with them. Whales line the beach like stars in the sky, and more plan to beach themselves. Without a whale expert the crew and mr. Amos must bring these creatures back to sea, whilst Gordon falls in love. I think that the story is filled with interesting plot twists and a good straight forward plot line. I would recommend this book to my friends and family, because they are always listening for good books. I would rate this book a 7.5/10, and I plan on reading more Eric Walters books.
Gordon was just a normal boy going on a school trip when everything got flipped upside down. It all started when Dr.Resney, one of the people helping run the camp immediately has to leave. His wife is going into labour and he needs to be there for the birth. That leaves no whale experts on the island, one that will soon be filled with them. Gordon gets stuck with his only friends in a room, Chuckie and Mike. They were the class clowns, and loved to mess with Gordon. Mike and chuck decided to leave to find the ghost of captain Amos, an axe murderer from the island. Their journey takes another turn when mr.amos emerged from the house and yelled at one. The next morning, they wake up and the beach is filled with them. Whales line the beach like stars in the sky, and more plan to beach themselves. Without a whale expert the crew and mr. Amos must bring these creatures back to sea, whilst Gordon falls in love. I think that the story is filled with interesting plot twists and a good straight forward plot line. I would recommend this book to my friends and family, because they are always listening for good books. I would rate this book a 7.5/10, and I plan on reading more Eric Walters books.
May 19, 2010
LOVE ERIC WALTERS!
ABOUT ANIMALS-WHALES!
Life is a beach, try not to get sranded.
ABOUT ANIMALS-WHALES!
Life is a beach, try not to get sranded.
May 14, 2013
Love this book a little slow at the start but once you got in you couldn't get out
September 9, 2013
This is a great story about learning to take responsibility, learning to fit in and doing the right thing. This was an enjoyable read.
February 9, 2017
This book wasn't terrible, but it wasn't anything extraordinary either. Quick and easy read. 3.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews