|
by: Scott O'Dell
Amazon.com's Price: $6.99 Prices subject to change.
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Binding: Paperback
EAN: 9780440439882
ISBN: 0440439884
Label: Yearling
Manufacturer: Yearling
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 192
Publication Date: March 01, 1987
Publisher: Yearling
Reading Level: Young Adult
Release Date: February 01, 1987
Sales Rank: 1489
Studio: Yearling
Related Items:
Editorial Review:
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.
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)
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Classic adventure
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 ... Read More
Rating: - Dolphin book for school
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.
Rating: - Just didn't excite me
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 ... Read More
Rating: - An empowering adventure story
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 ... Read More
Rating: - A Wonderful Classic
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. ... Read More
|