Adrift by Julie Burtinshaw

In the novel Adrift by Julie Burtinshaw, David and his younger sister, Laura, are plagued with having to deal with their mother’s depression. He must assume responsibility for his sister after his father separates his mother due to being unable to deal with her depression. One weekend, David goes up to his father’s new cabin for the weekend. After meeting his father’s new girlfriend, Kathleen, David takes an immediate disliking to her. To make matters worse, he soon learns that his father will be shipping him and his sister from Toronto to their Aunt Jennifer in Vancouver for the remainder of the summer in order to give their mother time to stabilize.

Once the children get there, things aren’t as bad as they had expected. Aunt Jennifer, who is the opposite of their lethargic mother, makes David feel content and at home. They meet a seaplane pilot named Paul whom David bonds with. Over time, David and Laura slowly adjust to their new residence and learn to act like the children they are again. However, things take a turn for the worse when the kids’ father decides to come to Fern Island with Kathleen. One night, David overhears a conversation between his aunt and father and learns that he is leaving back to Toronto with his father the following day. He makes a drastic decision and flees to Dragon Island with Laura. They steal Drifter’s dinghy and after some trouble in the water, finally make it to the island with limited supplies and clothing. After spending two days on the island, David decides to let them be found and brought back to safety