The Island of Dren — James Mascia

A young boy, traveling on a ship with an expedition to Egypt, is blown off course and crashed on an uncharted island in the middle of the Atlantic. There he finds a place where lizards talk, worms act as translators, and magic is not only believed in, but it actually exists. He meets strange people there who eventually befriend the weary travelers. But when one of the travelers plots to destroy the delicate balance of the island, the boy must choose between the people from his home and his new friends on the island.