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Stranded
Koby's whole life changed after the accident four years ago. Between the smothering concern of her separated parents and the awkward glances from the kids at school, Koby only feels at home when she is on the ocean in her dinghy.
That all changes when she rescues two dying pilot whales. Day after day, she visits the whales as they begin their long road to recovery. She finds a new friend in Dr. Tracy Michaels, a veterinarian, and gains the admiration of her classmates. But most importantly, Koby starts to recognize her own strength and courage.
That all changes when she rescues two dying pilot whales. Day after day, she visits the whales as they begin their long road to recovery. She finds a new friend in Dr. Tracy Michaels, a veterinarian, and gains the admiration of her classmates. But most importantly, Koby starts to recognize her own strength and courage.
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 24, 1995
19 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
April 12, 2023
The ending of this one made me have a little tear in my eye
November 20, 2009
Stranded by Ben Mikaelsen is a young adult fiction book about a Jr. High girl who has lost her foot in an accident and finally gets accepted at school when everyone hears about her saving two whales. The story delves into her feelings about her parents separation, school, fears of what others think about her and how she finally accepts herself. In reading this book, I learned a bit more about whales and liked the theme that was not to judge people by how they look on the outside, but to look deeper at who people really are. Her special relationship she had with the whales was interesting. I enjoyed this light, fast read very much. I think the author did a fantastic job at getting inside the head of a young girl.
August 1, 2011
I absolutely loved everything about this book--the plot, the setting, the characters--everything! I could not put it down once I started it. Koby is a preteen girl who has a lot on her plate: her parents just separated, she lost her leg in a car accident four years ago, and she feels like an outcast at school. But when she's out on the open ocean in her dinghy, she feels normal and whole again. Everything changes one night when she rescues two stranded pilot whales. As she spends time visiting and nursing the whales back to health, Koby begins to realize that whatever happens to her, she is strong, brave, and uniquely her.
I think most 5th-7th graders would really love this story. Koby is a perfectly written main character--she is engaging and relatable, and goes up against some very dangerous situations. The book as a whole is well-written and full of rich description and vocabulary. The supporting cast of characters (including the wonderful whales!) are well-developed and likeable. I highly recommend this adventure-filled and inviting story.
I think most 5th-7th graders would really love this story. Koby is a perfectly written main character--she is engaging and relatable, and goes up against some very dangerous situations. The book as a whole is well-written and full of rich description and vocabulary. The supporting cast of characters (including the wonderful whales!) are well-developed and likeable. I highly recommend this adventure-filled and inviting story.
March 2, 2011
This was a book I read over and over again in elementary/middle school. Set in the Florida keys about a misfit girl who finds a family and friends in the least expected of places and circumstances and becomes a hero. What more could a misfit girl, such as myself, want in a book? So excited to find it still in print!
Recommended for:
*ages 8-14
*Fans of misfit adolescents (or readers who are misfits themselves)
*Fans of 'Island of the Blue Dolphins' or 'Julie of the Wolves'
Elements included:
*Amputees
*Not fitting in
*Parents divorce/separation
Recommended for:
*ages 8-14
*Fans of misfit adolescents (or readers who are misfits themselves)
*Fans of 'Island of the Blue Dolphins' or 'Julie of the Wolves'
Elements included:
*Amputees
*Not fitting in
*Parents divorce/separation
November 13, 2015
Personally, I was not a fan of the book Stranded, by Ben Mikaelsen. I thought that it did have a few pretty good parts, but in the end, it was disappointing, based on his book Touching Spirit Bear, which was a great book. Stranded, I feel, didn't have enough characters to make the book more interesting, or more exciting parts. I have to say that I would not recommend this book to a friend.
October 9, 2018
If you want to learn about how a twelve year old girl saved two whales, you should try reading the realistic fiction book Stranded by Ben Mikaelsen. The main character Koby Easton loves to go out in her dinghy onto the ocean to escape all of her problems, like her parents arguing about her. Koby lost her foot in an accident and her mom always worries about her, and her dad says she doesn’t have to worry. But when she is sailing she discovers a whale named Lady, who is giving birth to a whale named Squirt. She helps them give birth, and then returns to find out she is moving away to a place where she can’t go on the ocean. She then goes out one more time and finds out that Lady and Squirt are both stranded on a rock, with cuts, scrapes, and are lying there, waiting to die. She then stays with them and cares for them for an entire night before help comes and saves them. Before this, Koby wasn’t really known by anyone and had no friends, but after everyone heard how she saved two whales, she became a hero.
One of Koby’s problems is her fake foot. This is an example of character versus nature or character versus self. Before she saved the whales, her school thought she was a weirdo and had no idea she had a fake foot. But once word got out that she saved two whales, word that she has a fake foot also got out. She is worried she will be made fun of and laughed at by the kids at school.
Another one of Koby’s problems is her arguing with her mom. This is an example of character versus character. Koby’s mom has worried about her since she lost her foot. And she literally worries about everything Koby does. Koby is sick of it and wishes her mom would stop worrying.
The entire book was decent but the ending bit was really good. I didn’t like the story behind it that much, but I enjoyed it when Koby was out on the water because I love going on boats and going on the water. Although I didn’t love this book, other people might. This book is good for both genders and for middle school and up. I say it’s better for middle school and up because it is kind of boring for people who don’t really understand it that much.
One of Koby’s problems is her fake foot. This is an example of character versus nature or character versus self. Before she saved the whales, her school thought she was a weirdo and had no idea she had a fake foot. But once word got out that she saved two whales, word that she has a fake foot also got out. She is worried she will be made fun of and laughed at by the kids at school.
Another one of Koby’s problems is her arguing with her mom. This is an example of character versus character. Koby’s mom has worried about her since she lost her foot. And she literally worries about everything Koby does. Koby is sick of it and wishes her mom would stop worrying.
The entire book was decent but the ending bit was really good. I didn’t like the story behind it that much, but I enjoyed it when Koby was out on the water because I love going on boats and going on the water. Although I didn’t love this book, other people might. This book is good for both genders and for middle school and up. I say it’s better for middle school and up because it is kind of boring for people who don’t really understand it that much.
August 23, 2018
Not quite as good as the author's other works. A fuller development of the characters would have been nice to encourage a stronger connection with the reader. While I found my interest waning towards the end which makes me think the younger crowd will as well because they want to read about someone who shares their feelings and interests, which Ben Mikaelsen does so well in Touching Spirit Bear and Ghost of Spirit Bear. Still, the story has a good plot which encourages further reading and engagement. So for instance, it would be a good lead into further research on marine life. I read adolescent literature to keep up with what interests that age group and this book, in that regard, fills the bill with a touch on challenging issues with parents, trauma, and finding ways to fill personal needs.
August 24, 2017
Koby hasn't felt the same since her accident four years ago. She was in a bike wreck and lost her leg. Now she just has a plastic foot, what she calls footy. She saves a dolphin by cutting her free, seconds later the dolphin gives birth. This book has twists and turn but it wasn't my favorite.
October 2, 2017
Oy!!! When you need a break during long services and this is the only book you can find in the Youth Lounge. What a piece of dreck. Not sure I would have even liked it as the 12yo this was intended for.
May 28, 2019
I really enjoyed reading the book.She lost her one foot called legy. She found dolphins and saved them.Then her parents are not agreeing with eachother.So she stays at the ocean because she feels free.I really liked the book.
November 25, 2024
I just finished reading this today, and I loved it! I love how brave Koby was and how interesting the plot was, I couldn’t stop reading! Also, there’s a ton of action in this book and there’s always something happening to keep readers engaged.
February 1, 2018
NOT VERY GOOD
August 9, 2022
3-4 stars. Listened to it on a road trip. I think the kids liked it much better than I did. An interesting story about a girl who tries to save some whales and her parents' marriage.
October 8, 2022
Beginning was confusing but it's almost as good as rescue Josh maguire
October 28, 2025
Probably not a timeless classic; it's never subtle, but it's sensitive and exciting and challenging. A very good book for a middle grade reader (or listener.)
December 17, 2025
I simply really loved it, it was like I was hanging out with Koby
November 22, 2022
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Chapter book
Grade:3-6
I love this book! I grew up living on a lake, sailing, and loving marine life and this book peaked my interest. It's themes include different ways one might become "stranded," as well as how it can be hard to fit in with the crowd when you are different. This little girl has had a rough life, but is extremely strong and self-reliant. She is an example of how anyone can do hard things and make a difference.
Grade:3-6
I love this book! I grew up living on a lake, sailing, and loving marine life and this book peaked my interest. It's themes include different ways one might become "stranded," as well as how it can be hard to fit in with the crowd when you are different. This little girl has had a rough life, but is extremely strong and self-reliant. She is an example of how anyone can do hard things and make a difference.
April 10, 2013
I was introduced to Koby, Lady, and Squirt at the age of eight or nine: a teacher read it to my fourth-grade class. I was enchanted: (and still am, for a matter of fact.)it's a well-woven story with a lot of simple elements in it that add up to a rich book fit for kids and adults alike.
Koby lost her foot in a bike accident when she was eight, resulting in a (by now) chipped and plastic "leggy." This causes familial tension: her mother is overprotective and hates living on the ocean, her father believes she needs freedom and lets her off the houseboat in her own little dinghy.
Well, one night out on her little dinghy, Koby makes a startling discovery - those shadows she thought were sharks were actually a mother and baby pilot whale stranded in the shallows.
So Koby stays - all night. Leggy carefully secured in the boat, Koby stands from late night to extremely early morning with the whales, holding Lady up with her back so she can breathe.
Finally rescued, things still aren't better: Lady and Squirt might die even at the hands of world-class marine biologists, and Mom has insisted that she and Koby move out.
Will a couple rollerskating middleschoolers, a kind old man and a hurricane be enough to fix Koby's family and finally give her friends at school? Maybe.
Koby lost her foot in a bike accident when she was eight, resulting in a (by now) chipped and plastic "leggy." This causes familial tension: her mother is overprotective and hates living on the ocean, her father believes she needs freedom and lets her off the houseboat in her own little dinghy.
Well, one night out on her little dinghy, Koby makes a startling discovery - those shadows she thought were sharks were actually a mother and baby pilot whale stranded in the shallows.
So Koby stays - all night. Leggy carefully secured in the boat, Koby stands from late night to extremely early morning with the whales, holding Lady up with her back so she can breathe.
Finally rescued, things still aren't better: Lady and Squirt might die even at the hands of world-class marine biologists, and Mom has insisted that she and Koby move out.
Will a couple rollerskating middleschoolers, a kind old man and a hurricane be enough to fix Koby's family and finally give her friends at school? Maybe.
Want to read
February 22, 2017Hi
Ghhh
Ghhh
June 6, 2013
I like Ben Mikaelsen. His YA books teach good values and problems that young people encounter every day. It isn't as good as Touching Spirit Bear, but it's OK. ** stop here for spoilers **** Koby faces the troubles of being accepted at school as well as having only one leg after being in a bicycle/car accident. She likes to swim because there she doesn't feel out of place. She has a small motor boat that she roars around in and one day finds a mother whale caught in a net who has just given birth to a baby whale. Kody cuts the net loose and dives to bring the baby up for air. Without her help he would have died. Then a couple of days later they are beached (Stranded--the title) and would have died again, except she holds the find up and keeps them breathing all night long. They save the whales and the day they release them into the ocean, is the climax and end of the book. Her parents fight and the story goes through how we all have problems and differences. A little too much. OK.
April 8, 2014
I absolutely loved everything about this book--the plot, the setting, the characters--everything! I could not put it down once I started it. Koby is a preteen girl who has a lot on her plate: her parents just separated, she lost her leg in a car accident four years ago, and she feels like an outcast at school. But when she's out on the open ocean in her dinghy, she feels normal and whole again. Everything changes one night when she rescues two stranded pilot whales. As she spends time visiting and nursing the whales back to health, Koby begins to realize that whatever happens to her, she is strong, brave, and uniquely her.
I think most 5th-7th graders would really love this story. Koby is a perfectly written main character--she is engaging and relatable, and goes up against some very dangerous situations. The book as a whole is well-written and full of rich description and vocabulary. The supporting cast of characters (including the wonderful whales!) are well-developed and likeable. I highly recommend this adventure-filled and inviting story.
I think most 5th-7th graders would really love this story. Koby is a perfectly written main character--she is engaging and relatable, and goes up against some very dangerous situations. The book as a whole is well-written and full of rich description and vocabulary. The supporting cast of characters (including the wonderful whales!) are well-developed and likeable. I highly recommend this adventure-filled and inviting story.
July 22, 2010
Very nice book about a girl who learns to cope with several obstacles. She lost a foot in an accident a few years ago and is very selfconscious at school, so she has no friends. But she loves plying her boat on the water; she and her parents live in the Florida Keys on a boat! When she rescues a stranded mother pilot whale and her calf, she bonds with them, but has to be careful or they'll kill her, and also has to deal with her parents' increasingly strained marriage. Lots of good nautical and ocean life stuff; loosely based on the true story of a stranded whale duo.
April 24, 2011
Koby lost her leg in an accident and can only find peace in the ocean. Where she is away from her parents arguing. One day she meets two dying pilot whales stuck so she stays with them all night until the rescue boat finds them both. The whales go to an organization that saves them and eventually lets them go back to the ocean. Also Koby makes friends with the most popular girl in school because she becomes less self conscious about her fake leg. Also her mom moves off the boat that they live on because of her dad but in the end they all make up and everything is good again!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2012
AMAZING!!!!!!! The book is about a girl who gets hit by a car at age eight and her leg had to be amputated. One day she goes out on her little boat and helps a mother dolphin give birth. Shortly after that she went to search for the whales and finds them with another whale severely injured. The Coast Guard finally comes and finds her 'STRANDED' in the ocean. Marine Veternarians help the two whales. All of a sudden a hurricane is headed straight towards them. What will happen next? That's for you to find out.
December 14, 2016
I recently picked this book again. I loved it when I was in grade school and now, as a recent college grad, I still do!
I love the characters. The author does a great job of portraying challenging life events and family dynamics from a young girl's perspective.
The book is a quick read, which sometimes leaves development of characters wanting. But overall, the book is really good and encouraging. It's a great way to show that life's difficulties can be overcome and only get the best of us if we let it.
I love the characters. The author does a great job of portraying challenging life events and family dynamics from a young girl's perspective.
The book is a quick read, which sometimes leaves development of characters wanting. But overall, the book is really good and encouraging. It's a great way to show that life's difficulties can be overcome and only get the best of us if we let it.
October 5, 2009
This book was required reading in my son's fifth grade class. It was a good book for children of that age to read and discuss with their classmates. It covers many issues relevant to the issues that may be confronting young students or their peers: disabilities, parental discourse, fitting in, etc. It takes place in the keys of Florida which made it more relevant for my son's Florida classroom.
April 2, 2014
Stranded was about a girl's humungous change in life. It's a lll due to her accident and her love for all animals and the sea. She has a metal contraption for a foot due to a car accident. She then on keeps to herself and spends a lot of time at sea. When she helps 2 whales survive after almost dying she becomes popular. Then the most popular girl, Becky helps her become less full of herself. This book is about how the whales changed her life forever.
May 8, 2008
I remember reading this book multiple, multiple times- I probably picked it up at a book fair at school. It was about a girl who loses her foot, sails around on a dinghy, and saves whales.
I just gave my copy to one of the girls I tutor at Metz and now I'm thinking of buying another copy on Amazon because it's only five bucks. . .
I just gave my copy to one of the girls I tutor at Metz and now I'm thinking of buying another copy on Amazon because it's only five bucks. . .
July 23, 2016
Koby's family has been in transition since she lost part of her leg four years ago. Now it looks like the pressure is getting too much and her parents may separate. As she struggles to accept herself and her parents situation, she discovers two injured pilot whales. The lives of the whales are in her hands and she risks her own lives to say theirs.
May 20, 2013
This book is very exiting! you really feel like your in the book! Koby the main charter, goes through a lot! she has been through hurricanes and she spent the night with whales! Koby, also has a hard life with her parents, but she figures it out. This book has a happy ending. It's so good! Koby handles thing very well in her life! I think she is very brave!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews