Reviewed by Mrs. Foley
Left alone on a beautiful but isolated island off the coast of California, a young Indian girl spends eighteen years, not only merely surviving through her enormous courage and self-reliance, but also finding a measure of happiness in her solitary life. - From library catalog record

I read this book for a Children's Literature book group. It is the 1961 Newbery Medal winner and I've known about it forever, but never taken the time to read it. It is a well-written survival tale based on the true story of the "Lost Woman of San Nicolas." Definitely worth reading if you never have...

Part of starred review from School Library Journal:
A haunting and unusual story based on the fact that in the early 1800s an Indian girl spent 18 years alone on a rocky island far off the coast of California . . . A quiet acceptance of fate characterizes her ordeal. ( )

First Line: I remember the day the Aleut ship came to our island.

I'm not quite sure how I missed this one growing up. With a 1960 copyright date, it was certainly around when I was young, but somehow it got lost in the shuffle, and I never read it. I've now corrected that oversight, and I'm glad I did.

In the Pacific Ocean, there is an island that looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Blue dolphins, sea elephants, birds, otters... wildlife is abundant there. When the strangers come in their red-sailed ship, Karana's father reluctantly gives them permission to fish and to hunt for otters in their waters, but their hunting comes to a bad end. Not long afterward, a ship comes for Karana's people, and they gather their belongings and climb aboard. When Karana sees that her little brother is left behind on the island, she jumps ship and swims back.

Unfortunately Karana soon finds herself all alone on the island. She spends year after year there, but this isn't a tale merely of survival, it's a story of a girl who truly appreciates the natural world surrounding her. My eyes were riveted to the page as she built herself shelter, a canoe, fought off wild dogs, and explored the island. An author's note in the back told me that this story was based on fact, and that explanation made the book even more special.

I can see why this book is a Newbery Medal winner. Island of the Blue Dolphins has a wonderful setting and a character into whom we can all project ourselves. It wasn't just Karana building a shelter or trying to outsmart the wild dogs-- I was, too. When I finished the last page, I had to sit quietly and let the sea breeze calm and the vision of a fish-shaped island sunning itself in the sea quietly fade away. ( )

The story is about a yound native american who is abandoned on a remote island with her brother to fend for themselves. It teaches us that as humans we can overcome all the challenges that are presented to us. This story reminded me of the movie "Castaway" with Tom Hanks but the main character is a girl with many skills in place from her tibe to help her survive. ( )

Island of the Blue Dolphins was a very inspirational book. It was about a girl who gets left by her family and eventually is stranded on an island by herself. Throughout the story, she builds a relationship with an island animal and learns to live on her own and fight off any danger. This book teaches a valuable lesson about learning to improvise, being fearless and most of all, being grateful for what you have. I really enjoyed this book and would suggest this to anyone who enjoys reading intense books.

This book is about a young Indian girl who is left on a Island. She gets trapped on the island after jumping ship to safe her brother, who got left on the island. They share many adventures in the book on the island.

pädagisch sehr korrekt: Mein Sohn musste dieses Buch im Rahmen des Deutschunterrichtes lesen und es hat ihm fast das Lesen vergrault. (den anderen Jungen in seiner Klasse auch). Die kitschig verlogenen Hundepassagen fand er am schlimmsten, so verhalten sich Hunde einfach nicht. Das nahm der übrigen Geschichte ihre Glaubwürdikeit soweit vorhanden. Die zahlreichen Längen haben auch nicht zur Spannung beigetragen.
Ein weiblicher Robinson passt natürlich in einen pädagogisch korrekten Deutschunterricht, aber das Original von Defoe ist trotzdem Klassen besser.

Not the best book I have read in my life but it was a pretty good book under my reviews. ( )

“Island of the Blue Dolphins” is a multicultural, historical fiction about a young Indian girl who lives on a small island. The story beings when the young girl, Karana, is 12 years old. She and her 6 year old brother are searching for roots when the Aleut ship arrives at their island. The Aleuts are there to hunt otters. Karana’s father, chief of the village, agrees to allow the Aleuts to hunt for payment. When it is time for the Aleuts to leave the island they do not keep their bargain and kill many of Karana’s people including her father. Her people grieve the loss of so many men and are fearful that the Aleuts will return. Eventually another ship arrives. This ship is brought to the island by white men who are there to take the rest of the people off the island to a new land. Once on the ship, Karana discovers her brother is left behind and she dives off the ship to return for her brother. They are left behind to live on the island alone. After a terrible accident, Karana’s brother is killed leaving her totally alone. Many seasons pass before Karana sees another ship. Most of her life is spent gathering food, building shelter, making weapons, and avoiding attacks from the wild dogs. Karana is no longer a girl when she is finally rescued from the island.

The book is a survival story where a girl conquers her fears and survives not only nature but loneliness. She must remember what she saw when watching the men make weapons and build the canoes, overcoming the fear of punishment from the gods for doing a man’s work. The descriptions of the gathering and naturally preserving the food, the building of her shelters, making her clothing and weapons, and surviving the elements of nature are very detailed. The beliefs and the customs of the Indians are woven into the story to help the reader better understand how Karana thinks. Their spiritual beliefs are described in the use of their real names and the skeletons she discovers in the caves. The story is based on a true story about a girl, known as The Lost Woman of San Nicolas, who actually lived alone on an island near California from 1835 to 1853. The information on the woman that inspired the story is included in the “Author’s Note” at the end of the book.

In the classroom a teacher could use the book to discuss the cultures, and ways of surviving, in the primitive styles of life of the early Indians. Different types of plants and plant seeds, herbs, and dried fish could be shown to the students as items that were possibly harvested for food. The students could be given small leather craft kits to demonstrate the types of materials used for clothing and shoes and how it is sewn together to make an item. The book could be used by a teacher to support a discussion on how women have been stereotyped into certain roles even by early cultures. The discussion could continue with the students giving examples of famous women they have heard about and why they are famous. These women could be compared with women the students personally know such as their mothers and grandmothers and their roles in the home and work place. ( )

A story of a selfless girl, Karana, who left her tribe on a boat to go back and save her younger brother. Karana's brother dies soon after their tribe leaves, and Karana is left alone on the island. Karana finds it hard to survive for the first while because of the restrictions and cultural beliefs of her tribe. Karana survives for 18 years alone on the island before a ship returns. ( )

When her tribe leaves the Island of the Blue Dolphins, Karana is left behind and must survive on her own. O'Dell's writing conveys the isolation felt and struggles undertaken, as well as the animal friends Karana makes as the years go by. Told from a first-person perspective, sometimes stated emotions seem rather shallow (“I was happy”, “I felt sad”) when stated after an event that stirs much richer emotions in the reader. The situations immediately after she is left behind is particularly heart-breaking. Not only does Karana have to deal with the wind-swept environment; packs of wild dogs and her own cultural upbringing (women shall not make weapons) make life difficult. The author's note at the end informs the reader that this is his recreation of what might actually have happened to a girl marooned for 18 years on an island in the Pacific. Only the most callus of readers will be able to avoid being pulled into the loneliness of this story. ( )

This is a book about a girl Karana who got stranded on an island by herself when she went back to get her brother as their tribe was leaving. Her brother dies soon after and she is isolated on this island where her tribe once thrived and her father once led. She waited and waited for a ship to come back for her, but as years passed one had yet to come. She kept herself alive for eighteen years before a ship arrived by providing shelter, food, clothes, and protection for herself.

I liked it. ( )

This novel is great for a class read aloud or for students to simply enjoy on their own leisure time. It is a story about a 12 year old girl on a remote island with her family. A crisis soon arises when her and her six year old brother ind themselves stranded on the island... ( )

came to the island to fish but soon they took some of the natives on the island of the blue dolphins to where they live. But the woman was left on the island her name was Karana. She has to make her own weapons food and shelter. Karana becomes friends with a lot of animals like a dog, birds, and a otter.
Two years later Karana is about 27 years old and is wondering if the Aleuts will ever come and rescue her. But one day a ship come but it was not the Aleuts so Karana tries to hide herself until the leave. 1 year later she is still on the island and her dog dies, but she sees that the dog had a son so she tries to find him and keep. Then about 1 month later Carana sees a ship and it is the Aleuts to come and save her. ( )

This is a story of a 12 year old year who lives on an island with her family. A crisis arises when she and her 6 year old brother find themselves stranded on an island. She manages to survive even through many trials and tribulations that will keep the reader, and any audience, intrigued to learn what happens next! ( )

This book is about Karana, a young Indian girl who lives on the Island of the Blue Dolphins, which is actually San Nicolas. The Island of the Blue Dolphins" is not the story of a foolish young girl who missed the boat when the island was being evacuated. Far from it. Karana was on the boat. Her playful little brother, Ramo, wasn't. He was only 6 years old and could never survive alone. She jumped off and headed to shore to save him. The boat left. She and her brother are left marooned on this island when all the villagers leave to live on another island. Time passes as Karana struggles to survive on her own. Karana's home never changes, but everyone she knows and loves, leaves. For 18 years Karana takes care of herself, and she grows from a preteen child into a woman just entering her 30s. Weathering hard circumstances, such wild dogs, storms and the constant need to find fresh food and good water. She uses what she learned from her parents and other villagers before the left, and what she learns by trial an error.

I love this book because it is exciting and keeps you wondering what will happen next, it is educational, and has elements of what ancient/remote civilizations and life may be like. I think it is an excellent book to use in the classroom, the story is crafted with precision and the survival aspect may appeal to both young male and female readers. Teachers worth their salt will make sure every child has an opportunity to read this book at some point in their educational experince and parents would do well to help make sure that happens. There are a lot of great places to stop the kids and let them wonder and wait...

As an extension activity students can get hands on with technology and visit this thematic online Unit for the Island of the blue dolphins that had interactive pages that explore such things as the village, San Nicolas island and sea life Click the link or paste in your browser. The sit also has great teachers page with notes and prompts on activities.

http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_les... ( )

Story of a 12 year old girl who lives on a remote island and her family. A crisis arises when she and her 6 yr old brother find themselves stranded on the island.

the first book i really understood and loved, it was the most, its.. its just ..it left me speechless, i loved it it, i still do, it made me see my real calling. ( )

I need to re-read this book because I remember LOVING IT when I was in the 12-14 year old space. I think I had read it a few times then and was kind of rabid about it? That and Julie of the Wolves. Maybe because I was living in Alaska and was always worried that I'd be lost in the wilderness and I thought it was really important to know how to survive. I wonder why Jack London never appealed to me... ( )

1000L,GRL V,GL 5.5,25 copies

1000L,GRL V,GL 5.5,25 copies

1000L,GRL V,GL 5.5,25 copies

1000L,GRL V,GL 5.5,25 copies

1000L,GRL V,GL 5.5,25 copies

1000L,GRL V,GL 5.5,25 copies