The wreckers

Lawrence, Iain. the wreckers, New York: Delacorte Press, c1998

The wreckers is the first in a trilogy for younger teenagers, called "the high seas trilogy" focused primarily on a boy named John Spencer.
in the first book, John and his father are shipwrecked near an English coastal town which holds an evil secret that they must deal with while also trying to get back out to sea. this is an actin packed, suspenseful book well suited for younger teenagers who are reluctant to read.