SOLVED. Children's Fantasy chapter book, read 2015-2016. Kids that lived in their own world without any adults - similar to Lord of the Flies - train tracks. Spoiler. [s]

[Gwyneth]

I know it was quite a challenging book when I read it, but I am autistic and read at a very high level. Thinking back, it was very similar to Lord of the Flies or Peter Pan where kids were living in a fantasy world on their own and didn't want to grow up. They were organized into gangs and would run around riding imaginary horses and fighting with each other - one kid pretended to be dead in the desert for a long time; it very descriptively told us how he breathed so that his chest wouldn’t move.

There was something about them each getting tattoos when they arrived. I know there was a map in the front of the book with abandoned train tracks, and a desert, and junkyard. There was something with a magical train that would take them back to reality, but they didn't want to grow up. I read it in 5th grade so it would have to have been published in 2016 or before.

Spoiler---


Ended with the main character (boy) getting on the fantastical train with lots of buttons and going back to the real world to grow up.

[Becca]

Hokey Pokey by Jerry Spinelli?

[Gwyneth]

Yes!!!!!!!!! Omg!!!! I have been thinking about this book for 8 years and have searched countless times of Google and contacted so many teachers!! You are an absolute life saver!!!!! :)

[Rainbowheart]

Hokey Pokey for the link to Becca's find.