Island of the Blue Dolphins

Books | Young Adult Fiction / People & Places / United States / Native American

3.7

(4.8K)

Scott O'Dell

Scott O’Dell's Newbery Medal-winning classic is a gripping tale of survival, strength, and courage. Based on the true story of a Nicoleño Indian girl living alone on an island off the coast of California, Island of the Blue Dolphins has captivated readers for generations.On San Nicolas Island, dolphins flash in the surrounding blue waters, sea otter play in the vast kelp beds, and sea elephants loll on the stony beaches. Here, in the early 1800s, a girl named Karana spent eighteen years alone.Karana had to contend with the ferocious pack of wild dogs that killed her younger brother, constantly guard against Aleutian sea otter hunters, and maintain a precarious food supply. Her courage, self-reliance, and grit has inspired millions of readers in this breathtaking adventure.As Smithsonian magazine put it: "For kids all over the country, reading the book in language arts classes, Karana is a powerful symbol of their growing independence. Through her, they can imagine themselves making their way in the world alone—and thriving."

Historical Fiction

Books For Kids

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Author

Scott O'Dell

Pages

192

Publisher

HarperCollins

Published Date

2010-02-08

ISBN

0547488890 9780547488899

Ratings

Google: 4.5

Community ReviewsSee all

"I read this one personally because I enjoy “Singing Down The Moon”, so decided to read other works by him. It was great. Summer reading during my middle school years."

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Norma Blanco

"Boring af had to read in elementary school"

O R

Olivia Riddle

"This book was so well wittern "

Gidget

"I’ve heard many people talk about how amazing this book is yet I personally, did not feel that way. I do have respect for the author and the way of which the story is told, but it didn’t grip my attention like I hoped it would. It was an interesting subject matter to read about but the concept of time was hard to grasp and it was hard to get an understanding of the main characters emotions as they were scarcely described. This type of story focusing on survival has never been a book I long to read. I have read books similar to this and I’ve had this experience with those as well. If you’re someone who likes books about survival and the main character being some form of stranded, this is probably something you will enjoy. It isn’t super action packed but it is interesting in some places. Though I didn’t really enjoy this book, I hope you do."

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Dana B.

"i read this book as a kid (maybe 7th grade?) but it wasn’t required reading. i remember reading this book and falling in love with the island and the characters and wishing i was as cool as the main character haha. strongly recommend this book :)"

Lucky

"This was a required reading when I was a kid. It’s very good and even tho it’s not historically accurate it’s worth the read. "

"This book started my love for dolphins and my want to be a marine biologist. Then I moved to CO 😜 I even wrote fan fiction about this, before I knew what it was. "

B L

Becca Louden

"Can I be honest? I read this back in school, probably in 5th or 6th grade. (At least I think I did.) I just finished it at the age of 29 and I found myself fighting to get through it. When I started it in June, I was excited but I couldn't keep up the enthusiasm past a few chapters. It was incredibly boring. It just plodded along and didn't get better. How do middle grade children get through this book? I don't think it's a classic because it truly failed to engage me. The 2 stars are for the relationship the MC had with the wild dog. That was the only part I enjoyed. Just being honest."

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Allison Barilone

"Very adventurous and colourful! 10/10"

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"Yes! Even though it was a really sad part, I think my favorite was when her wolf died, and adopted the wolf’s son 🥹♥️"

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Natalie Mcvillian

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