ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS

BIBLIOGRAPHY
O’Dell, Scott.1960. ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0395536804

PLOT SUMMARY
In the early 1800’s a young girl named Karana lived for 18 years on an Island all by herself, with a dog as a companion. This is the story of the young girl who watched her father be confronted by the foreign men who came to hunt otters on the island for their pelts. Her father and many of the other men died in the battle. Resulting in the new leader leaving in search of a new home for the remaining tribe. He sent a ship back for the tribe, in the confusion loading the boat the young girls brother does not board the ship. The brave young girl dives in the water to return to the island and wait with her brother for the ship to return. The young boy dies early the next morning when he is attacked by a pack of wild dogs. For eighteen years the girl lives on the Island learning to love it after experiencing so much sorrow. She befriends the lead dog of the wield pack after, she almost killed it. The dog becomes her constant companion. During her time on the Island she learns to do all of the skills which were only taught to the men. Through her resourcefulness she survived alone, until she was rescued many years later.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The story is told in such a way that the reader is able to feel the young girls mourning and loss. The character is developed into a strong woman, who is fearful of strangers who come to her Island, and is able to learn what is necessary to survive on the island alone for so many years. The loneliness that she faced in her early days alone was challenging. Extreme Sorrow and agony. She learned to forgive the leader of the wild dog pack and befriend him. The dog developed into her constant companion. The story flows quickly keeping the reader engaged through Karana’s continual resourcefulness. She was able to keep herself busy in a quiet and lonely place. The reader will learn the history of the Indian girl from San Nicolas Island through this engaging story.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
John Newbery Medal. 1961Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. 1961
School Library Journal, Books That Shaped the Century. 2000
Reviewed in Library Journal: “a haunting and unusual story”
Reviewed in the Sunday Chicago Tribune: “This extraordinary book ... has the timeless, enduring quality of a classic."

CONNECTIONS
*Invite students to create their own story based on historical information.
*Other engaging books by Scott O’Dell:
O’Dell, Scott. THE BLACK PEARL. ISBN 0440411467 O’Dell, Scott. SING DOWN THE MOON. ISBN 0440979757