Island of the Blue Dolphins | 
| Author: Scott O'dell
Publisher: Yearling
Category: Book
List Price: $6.99
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $6.98 (100%)
New (55) Used (246) Collectible (5) from $0.01
Avg. Customer Rating:  607 reviews
Sales Rank: 1352
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 192
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5 x 0.6
ISBN: 0440439884
EAN: 9780440439882
ASIN: 0440439884
Publication Date: March 1, 1987
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More.
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Amazon.com Review
Scott O'Dell won the Newbery Medal for Island of the Blue Dolphins in 1961, and in 1976 the Children's Literature Association named this riveting story one of the 10 best American children's books of the past 200 years. O'Dell was inspired by the real-life story of a 12-year-old American Indian girl, Karana. The author based his book on the life of this remarkable young woman who, during the evacuation of Ghalas-at (an island off the coast of California), jumped ship to stay with her young brother who had been abandoned on the island. He died shortly thereafter, and Karana fended for herself on the island for 18 years. O'Dell tells the miraculous story of how Karana forages on land and in the ocean, clothes herself (in a green-cormorant skirt and an otter cape on special occasions), and secures shelter. Perhaps even more startlingly, she finds strength and serenity living alone on the island. This beautiful edition of Island of the Blue Dolphins is enriched with 12 full-page watercolor paintings by Ted Lewin, illustrator of more than 100 children's books, including Ali, Child of the Desert. A gripping story of battling wild dogs and sea elephants, this simply told, suspenseful tale of survival is also an uplifting adventure of the spirit. (Ages 9 to 12)
Product Description
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 birds abound. Karana is the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Hers is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 602 more reviews...
 Classic adventure September 27, 2008
This is a story I have read many times since I was a child. I'm sure every little girl goes through that phase where she would like nothing more than to be a wild maiden living alone with the animals, and that is probably the basis of a lot of appeal. But that does destract from the fact that this is an incredibly written, incredibly moving story of survival and the overcoming of loneliness.
Based on an old story of a woman who survived for 18 years by herself, this tells the story of a young girl who is left on an island after her people build ships and leave their homeland. She jumps off the ship to rescue her brother, who subsequently dies. While waiting for ships to return for her, she dominates the island by herself with animals for company.
The description is real and powerful, and O'Dell provides a strong character. It's great adventure and touching drama.
Dolphin book for school August 25, 2008
We received this book very quickly, in the described condition. It was an earlier print of the book with a smaller font, but overall it was a great
buying experience.
 Just didn't excite me August 2, 2008
My babysitter got this out for my 8 year old daughter who loves to read, and I started reading it first to see if she would like it. I remember reading it as a child but couldn't remember whether I liked it or not. As an adult I found it somewhat interesting but not captivating. Nothing much happens, and I didn't think it was written in a way which would excite my daughter. I found myself wishing Scott ODell were a better writer--the descriptions of how food or clothing is made from natural products are so thin, compared to the Little House books (which are masterpieces). Since so many people seem to love it, I guess you just have to check it out of the library and see.
An empowering adventure story July 27, 2008
What a great book! Virtually every part of this book is writing at it's very best.
The setting is magical. Odell seems to tell us about another part of the island and the water with each chapter. I wish he had made a companion book to just explore the island.
The young girl is amazing. She's making spears, building huts, killing devil fish, dogs, and the like, she's exploring nearby islands, trying to escape. There's so many ways to describe her, but the simplest and the best has to be: COURAGOUS.
What I like about this book, is that Odell helps the young reader talk about some issues of life that for many young people is not talked about, subjects like loneliness, independence, loyalty, and death. This is a book that can start a great many discussions between teacher and student, and parent and student.
What makes this book even cooler for me is that it is based in large part on a true story!
I have to say that this book is truly one of, if not the greatest newbery books ever written.
A Wonderful Classic July 16, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book touched me as a young girl. I think I read it about ten times growing up. It is a wonderful story about courage, survival, isolation, and trust. It is an amazing adventure and I recommend it for all children. The book is deserving of awards but I would have loved it even if it had been an obscure story that never won awards - there are a lot of good stories out there that are like that. I am going to buy an extra copy of this for a little niece, so she will have it to read in a few years. I think this type of book has the power to mold and shape lives, who we are and who we will become.
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