A classic story for young adults about Phillip, a boy living with his parents on the island of Curacao, off the coast of Venezuela, during World War II. When the Germans invade the island, Phillip narrowly escapes, but is blinded and stranded on a raft with a cat and an old West Indian. A touching and exciting story of friendship and the trials of racism well-suited for middle-schoolers.  (CRB172, $6.50)