The Goats

The Goats by Cole, Brock. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780312611910.

Harmless camp pranks can quickly spiral out of control, but they also provide a perfect opportunity for two social outcasts to overcome and triumph. A boy and a girl are stripped and marooned on a small island for the night. They are the "goats." The kids at camp think its a great joke, just a harmless old tradition. But the goats dont see it that way. Instead of trying to get back to camp, they decide to call home. But no one can come and get them. So theyre on their own, wandering through a small town trying to find clothing, food, and shelter, all while avoiding suspicious adults―especially the police. The boy and the girl find they rather like life on their own. If their parents ever do show up to rescue them, the boy and the girl might be long gone. . . . The Goats is a 1987 New York Times Book Review Notable Childrens Book of the Year.