"'Already the tempest had continued six days; on the seventh its fury seemed to still increasing; and the morning dawned upon us without the prospect of hope.' The story of the Robinson family of Switzerland-- a minister, his wife, and four sons-- begins as they are tossed about at sea by raging winds and surging waves. Miraculously, they survive the storm, and the terrifying shipwreck that follows, only to be marooned on a remote tropical island. With little more than a few simple tools and their own ingenuity, the Robinsons struggle to make a new life for themselves. The family soon turns their island prison into a paradise, building an incredible multilevel tree house-- complete with a winding staircase, running water, and sash windows-- and planting corn and fruit trees in their private garden. But they soon discover that life can be dangerous on this fantastic island, where kangaroos and buffalos roam with lions and elephants, and where salmon and sturgeon spawn alongside sea turtles and walruses. The Robinsons must draw upon all their imagination, courage, and humor to survive the forces of nature."--Book jacket flap, 2006 Sterling edition.