By: Scott O'Dell Publisher: Yearling Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Yearling Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 192 Publication Date: March 01, 1987 Reading Level: Young Adult Release Date: March 15, 1971
Amazon.com: Scott O'Dell won the Newbery Medal for Island of the Blue Dolphins in 1961, and in 1976 the Children's Literature Association named this riveting story one of the 10 best American children's books of the past 200 years. O'Dell was inspired by the real-life story of a 12-year-old American Indian girl, Karana. The author based his book on the life of this remarkable young woman who, during the evacuation of Ghalas-at (an island off the coast of California), jumped ship to stay with her young brother who had been abandoned on the island. He died shortly thereafter, and Karana fended for herself on the island for 18 years.
O'Dell tells the miraculous story of how Karana forages on land and in the ocean, clothes herself (in a green-cormorant skirt and an otter cape on special occasions), and secures shelter. Perhaps even more startlingly, she finds strength and serenity living alone on the island. This beautiful edition of Island of the Blue Dolphins is enriched with 12 full-page watercolor paintings by Ted Lewin, illustrator of more than 100 children's books, including Ali, Child of the Desert. A gripping story of battling wild dogs and sea elephants, this simply told, suspenseful tale of survival is also an uplifting adventure of the spirit. (Ages 9 to 12)
Product Description: In the Pacific, there is an island that looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Around it blue dolphins swim, otters play, and sea birds abound. Karana is the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Hers is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.
A Wonderful Classic This book touched me as a young girl. I think I read it about ten times growing up. It is a wonderful story about courage, survival, isolation, and trust. It is an amazing adventure and I recommend it for all children. The book is deserving of awards but I would have loved it even if it had been an obscure story that never won awards - there are a lot of good stories out there that are like that. I am going to buy an extra copy of this for a little niece, so she will have it to read in a few years. I think this type of book has the power to mold and shape lives, who we are and who we will become.
boring as hell i was forced to read this in school and i could not stand it... i got about halfway in before i was forced, out of bordom, to skim the rest of the book... save you time and effort and do not read this book.
Very Eccentric! Great Read! Alone, on a deserted island. No weapons. Animal predators lurking where you can't see. A need for food. A drive for survival. That pretty much covers Karana's life, when her tribe sails away, and leaves her in the remains of living by herself, for years to come. There's numerous things she has to teach herself how to do--and many things that she'll discover that she will not do again. She has to learn exactly how to fend for herself--it's a life or death matter. After all, no one may ever come back to find her...
Awesome book, very eccentric--Not your average read! You'll have to find out how Karana becomes courageous enough to take on her natural state of isolation.
I made my 9 year old son read this book and he loved it! Last summer my 9 year old son threw a fit because I said that he had to do a little summer reading - I literally started reading the book aloud to him while he was whinning. I read this book in my youth and remember really liking it. We ended up reading it together and he was so intrigued with what happened to Karana(the main character) and her struggles. I enjoyed reading it with him and seeing his reactions to the very grown-up situations that she had to deal with, i.e. hunting and gathering food. It is a quick read and I recommend reading it with your child.
Childhood Memories This book brings back good memories of my childhood and all the great books my teachers suggested. I am an avid reader and I bought this book so that I could have my own copy and re-read it whenever I wanted to. I plan on keeping this for my own children someday...I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.
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