Oxaliplatin, Ifosfamide and Etoposide in Treating Young Patients With Recurrent or Refractory Solid Tumors or Lymphoma

Inclusion Criteria: * Life expectancy \> 8 weeks * Albumin \> 2 g/dL * Histologically confirmed diagnosis of 1 of the following: solid tumor; histologic verification not required for brainstem tumors or optic pathway tumors; lymphoma; recurrent or refractory to conventional therapy OR no known effective therapy exists; bone marrow involvement allowed * Performance Status: Karnofsky \>= 50 % (patients \> 10 years of age) OR Lansky \>= 50% (patients for =\< 10 years of age) * Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3 (transfusion independent) * Hemoglobin \> 8 g/dL (transfusion allowed) * ALT \< 5.0 times ULN * Creatinine normal OR glomerular filtration rate \>= 80 mL/min/1.73 m\^2 * Calcium normal (electrolyte supplements allowed) * Echocardiogram and EKG normal * Shortening fraction \>= 27% OR ejection fraction \> 50% * No evidence of dyspnea at rest * No exercise intolerance * Pulse oximetry \> 94% on room air * Neurologic deficits due to CNS tumor must be relatively stable for \>= 2 weeks before study entry * Seizure disorder allowed provided well-controlled by non-enzyme-inducing anticonvulsants * No peripheral neurotoxicity \> grade 1 * Sodium, potassium, and magnesium normal (electrolyte supplements allowed) * At least 1 week since prior biologic agents * More than 1 week since prior growth factors * More than 6 months since prior allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation AND no active graft-versus-host disease * More than 3 weeks since prior myelosuppressive chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas) * More than 2 weeks since prior focal radiotherapy for symptomatic metastatic sites * More than 6 weeks since prior substantial bone marrow radiotherapy * More than 3 months since prior craniospinal (\> 24 Gy), whole pelvis, or total-body radiotherapy * Recovered from all prior therapy * No concurrent enzyme-inducing anticonvulsants, including, but not limited to, the following: Barbiturates; Phenytoin; Carbamazepine Exclusion Criteria: * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No uncontrolled infection * No history of life-threatening hypersensitivity to platinum-containing agents * No prior oxaliplatin * No other concurrent investigational agents * No other concurrent anticancer therapy * Inability or unwillingness of research participant or legal guardian/representative to give written informed consent.