Far off the coast of California looms a harsh rock known as the island of San Nicholas. Dolphins flash in the blue waters around it, sea otter play in the vast kep beds, and sea elephants loll on the stony beaches. Here, in the early 1800s, according to history, an Indian girl spent eighteen years alone, and this beautifully written novel is her story. It is a romantic adventure filled with drama and heartache, for not only was mere subsistence on so desolate a spot a near miracle, but Karana had to contend with the ferocious pack of wild dogs that had killed her younger brother, constantly guard against the Aleutian sea otter hunters, and maintain a precarious food supply. More than this, it is an adventure of the spirit that will haunt the reader long after the book has been put down. Karana’s quiet courage, her Indian self-reliance and acceptance of fate, transform what to many would have been a devastating ordeal into an uplifting experience. From loneliness and terror come strength and serenity in this Newbery Medal-winning classic.

What Kind of Book is Island of the Blue Dolphins

Reviews

Lauren Hancock

5.00

This is a great chapter book for readers who are becoming increasingly independent. It's a really interesting story, and gives kids a lot to daydream and wonder about. I think it's perfect for grades 4-6.

The Goodfather

5.75

Engaging survival story. Inspiring. The ending resolves a bit flat compared to the intensity of the story, but maybe that was intended. Good for fans of My Side of the Mountain or Hatchet.

Book Lists That Include This Book

The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall

Books about historical fiction

Books about United States

Books about action and adventure

The Creatives Behind the Book

Author

Scott O'Dell

Scott O’Dell (1898-1989), one of the most respected authors of historical fiction, received the Newbery Medal, three Newbery Honor Medals, and the Hans Christian Andersen Author Medal, the highest international recognition for a body of work by an author of books for young readers. Some of his many books include The Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Road to Damietta, Sing Down the Moon, and The Black Pearl.

Illustrator

Ted Lewin

Ted Lewin grew up in Buffalo, New York, and now lives in New York City. His career as an artist began with illustrations for adventure magazines, but over the last thirty-five years he has devoted all of his time to writing and illustrating children’s books. An avid traveler, many of Ted’s books have been inspired by his trips to places such as the Amazon River, the Sahara Desert, Botswana, Egypt, Lapland, and India. His illustrations in Peppe the Lamplighter by Elise Bartone were awarded a Caldecott Honor. Ted and his wife Betsy Lewin, the illustrator of Click Clack Moo and other titles, live in Brooklyn, New York.