Island of the Lost (2007)

In 1864, the crews of two sailing vessels had the misfortune of being shipwrecked on the same small island 300 miles south of New Zealand. Their fates couldn't have been more different. One group of 19 survivors succumbed to despair — the ensuing chaos claimed the lives of all but three. But on another part of the island, five hardy souls endured for 18 months before they devised a heroic escape. Battling the elements and privations, they exhibited the kind of courage and resourcefulness that would do Crusoe proud. Despite the generic TNT-original-movie title, Joan Druett's well-researched Island of the Lost earns its place in any good collection of survival literature.