Review: Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
This Book Is About
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 elephants and sea birds abound. Once, Indians also lived on the island. And when they left and sailed to the east, one young girl was left behind.
This is the story of Karana, the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Year after year, she watched one season pass into another and waited for a ship to take her away. But while she waited, she kept herself alive by building a shelter, making weapons, finding food, and fighting her enemies, the wild dogs. It is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.
My Thoughts On This Book
This is a Newbery Award winner that I read when I was a kid and I loved it. It’s a very visual island survival story. I read it over 20 years ago and I still remember the scene where she’s out fishing.
Island of the Blue Dolphins is set on a California channel island during the early 1800s and is based on the life of a real young woman, Juana Maria, of the Nicoleo people.
Plot summary from Wikipedia for Island of the Blue Dolphins:
The main character is a girl named Wonapalei, and her secret name is Karana (all the people of Ghalas-at have secret names). She is marooned for 18 years. Her people live in a village called Ghalas-at on the island, gathering roots and fishing to supply the tribe. One day, a ship of Aleuts, led by a Russian named Captain Orlov, arrive and persuade the natives into letting them hunt sea otter on the island in return for other goods. However, the Aleuts lie to the islanders and try to leave without paying them. When they are confronted by Chief Chowig, Karana’s father, a battle breaks out, taking lives on both sides including Karana’s father. The tribe is devastated by the battle while the Aleuts leave the island, leaving little payment for the otters they hunted.
Later, the new Chief Kimki leaves the island for help. Eventually, he is able to send a ship to bring his people to the mainland, even though he doesn’t make it back himself. Although Karana urges the captain to wait for her brother Ramo to return, the ship must leave before an approaching storm makes it impossible to leave. Karana jumps off the ship and swims to shore. The siblings live alone on the island for a while, hoping the ship will return.
Ramo is eventually killed by a pack of feral dogs who abandoned the villagers after the battle against the Aleuts. Karana must now take on traditionally male tasks, such as making spears or building canoes, in order to survive.
In addition to the Newberry Medal, Island of the Blue Dolphins has won the William Allen White Children’s Book Award, Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (German Youth literature prize), Hans Christian Andersen Medal, and the Nene Award.
This classic work of historical fiction is a great book for kids and young adults.
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# of actual vikings in book: 0What do these levels mean? » |
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Author and Publishing Information For This Book
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This book is one of my favorite childhood reads. The protagonist’s courage and tenacity inspired me. I read it again as an adult and enjoyed the book on a whole new level.