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Quick answer: If you loved Robinson Crusoe, read Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, then Gary Paulsen's Hatchet, then William Golding's Lord of the Flies, and Jean Craighead George's My Side of the Mountain and Julie of the Wolves and Steven Callahan's Adrift. All are survival and castaway adventures.
Daniel Defoe's 1719 novel follows a shipwrecked sailor who spends years alone on an island. It is a classic of survival fiction. These picks offer the same fight against the odds.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robinson Crusoe | Daniel Defoe | 12+ | older readers |
| Hatchet | Gary Paulsen | 10-14 | survival fans |
| Lord of the Flies | William Golding | 14+ | readers who like classics |
| My Side of the Mountain | Jean Craighead George | 9-13 | nature lovers |
| Julie of the Wolves | Jean Craighead George | 10-13 | nature lovers |
| Adrift | Steven Callahan | Adult | lost at sea |
| Into the Wild | Jon Krakauer | Adult | readers who want adventure and reflection |
| Treasure Island | Robert Louis Stevenson | 10+ | readers who want pure adventure |
| The Martian | Andy Weir | Adult | readers who like humor and science |
| The Coral Island | R. M. Ballantyne | Ages 10+ | Victorian castaways |
| Kon-Tiki | Thor Heyerdahl | Adult | true voyages |
| Gulliver's Travels | Jonathan Swift | Adult | satire |
| The Swiss Family Robinson | Johann David Wyss | 10 and up | castaway classics |
| The Island of Doctor Moreau | H.G. Wells | Adult | readers who like dark science fiction |
| The Call of the Wild | Jack London | 12+ | older kids |
1. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
A shipwrecked man builds a life on an island. The classic survival novel.
Best for: older readers.
2. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Brian survives alone in the Canadian wilderness after a plane crash. Fast and intense.
Best for: survival fans.
3. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
A group of boys on an island descends into savagery. A classic of human nature.
Best for: readers who like classics.
4. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
Sam runs away to live in a hollow tree in the Catskills. A classic of self-reliance.
Best for: nature lovers.
5. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
Miyax, an Inuit girl, survives on the Alaskan tundra with help from a wolf pack. A Newbery winner.
Best for: nature lovers.
6. Adrift by Steven Callahan
Callahan survives seventy-six days in a small raft. A calm, detailed account.
Best for: lost at sea.
7. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
The story of Chris McCandless, who left his life behind to live in the Alaskan wilderness. Thoughtful and tragic.
Best for: readers who want adventure and reflection.
8. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Jim Hawkins finds a treasure map and sails with Long John Silver. The pirate adventure that set the pattern.
Best for: readers who want pure adventure.
9. The Martian by Andy Weir
Mark Watney, stranded on Mars, has to survive. Sarcastic and fast.
Best for: readers who like humor and science.
10. The Coral Island by R. M. Ballantyne
Three boys are shipwrecked on a Pacific island. A source for Lord of the Flies.
Best for: Victorian castaways.
11. Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl
A Norwegian explorer crosses the Pacific on a balsa raft. An adventure told with humor.
Best for: true voyages.
12. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
A ship's surgeon visits strange lands. Sharp and imaginative.
Best for: satire.
13. The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss
A family is shipwrecked and builds a new life on a tropical island. A classic castaway tale.
Best for: castaway classics.
14. The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells
A shipwrecked man finds an island where a doctor creates human-animal hybrids. Disturbing and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like dark science fiction.
15. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
Buck, a sled dog, is taken to the Yukon and returns to the wild. A short, intense classic.
Best for: older kids.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Robinson Crusoe: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Robinson Crusoe. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For classic adventure, read Treasure Island or Lord of the Flies. For modern survival, try Hatchet or The Martian. For true stories, pick Adrift or Into the Wild.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Robinson Crusoe?
Daniel Defoe, in 1719.
Is it based on a true story?
It was partly inspired by Alexander Selkirk's real experience.
Is it long?
Moderately, with dense eighteenth-century prose.
Which book here is best for older kids?
Try The Call of the Wild by Jack London, which suits readers looking for older kids.
Which book here is best for readers who like dark science fiction?
Try The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells, which suits readers looking for readers who like dark science fiction.
Which book here is best for castaway classics?
Try The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss, which suits readers looking for castaway classics.
Which book here is best for satire?
Try Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, which suits readers looking for satire.