When the freighter on which they are traveling is torpedoed by a German submarine during World War II, an adolescent white boy, blinded by a blow on the head, and an old black man are stranded on a tiny Caribbean island where the boy acquires a new kind of vision, courage, and love from his old companion.

Tells the story of a 12-year-old, blinded by a blow on the head when the freighter on which he is traveling is torpedoed by a German submarine during World War II. Shows how he finds himself on a raft with an old black man and how he finds deeper understanding of himself during their struggle to survive on a remote desert island in the Caribbean.

Organized alphabetically, this work provides examples of recent challenges, review sources, related articles, standard reference sources, and recommended reading lists for 23 frequently challenged books, from Judy Blume's Blubber to Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia.