The overarching motif in Stranded is humans versus nature. This survival story forces four children to reckon with natural forces and the elements of nature when a storm and a coral reef violently interrupt their family sailing trip. After the shipwreck, the children become stranded on an island with no adults to guide or help them. This motif connects to the themes of Bravery as a Tool for Survival and Using Individual Strengths to Create a Team. Carter, Jane, Buzz, and Vanessa are each brave in their own way, and each has unique skills and abilities that contribute to the team’s strength.

The storm is the children’s first natural foe, and they barely survive it. It separates them from Dex and Joe and challenges their ability to stay calm in a dangerous situation. On the island, the children scale a slope, climb across a gorge, build a fire, and search for fresh water. These tasks all require that the children work with nature rather than against it to stay alive. Along with the physical threats of violent weather, starvation, dehydration, and the ocean itself, the children must endure isolation and the knowledge that they have no idea how long they’ll be stranded and when (or even if) they’ll be rescued.