Scott O'DellCritiques

This was a favorite of mine when I was young, and I loved reading it with my daughter this month. As an adult, I was struck by how determined, resourceful, and brave Karana is. I also researched the true story behind the book a bit and was fascinated to learn more about the history. There are some dark moments, but it led to great discussions.

A kid just asked me for a book about the Iditarod and I immediately thought of this. I probably read it five times when I was eleven years old. I remember it being soooo good, but I'm a little afraid to reread it. It's so depressing when your childhood favorites don't measure up to your standards as an adult.

Native American, Historical, Survival

AR: 5.4

On San Nicolas Island, dolphins flash in the surrounding blue waters, sea otter play in the vast kelp beds, and sea elephants loll on the stony beaches. Here, in the early 1800s, a girl named Karana spent eighteen years alone.

Karana had to contend with the ferocious pack of wild dogs that killed her younger brother, constantly guard against Aleutian sea otter hunters, and maintain a precarious food supply. Her courage, self-reliance, and grit has inspired millions of readers in this breathtaking adventure.

I've been on a nostalgic kick, re-reading all the books I read as a girl. As I woke up this morning in a pile of cats and dogs, in a house I rarely leave except to forage for food, I realize it is possible that this book has had the most significant long-term influence on my life. RONTU LIVES! *SOBS*

All that being said, I would like to read the new definitive version, which gives a more complete history of the real events and history of the indigenous people involved in the story.

READING LEVEL: 5.4 AR POINTS: 6.0
(Ages 8-11, grades 3-7)
Winner of John Newberry Medal

A classic novel originally published in 1960 for young readers and inspired by the true story of Juana Maria, also known as the Lone Woman of San Nicolas. She was of the Nicoleno tribe, who lived for generations on the three-by-nine mile island of San Nicolas Island about sixty miles off the coast of Southern California, in the Channel Islands. So little is known about her, even her true name, because of the language barrier. She was the last of the Nicoleno tribe.

There are many speculations about Juana Maria’s life and why she jumped from the schooner that took away the Nicoleno tribe from the island. Some believe her little brother was left behind on the island, or some say she was left behind because of an approaching storm and the captain made the decision to leave quickly. It's not even confirmed why exactly the tribe was ordered to be removed from the island by the Spanish. Records must be scant. Occasionally, Aleut fir trappers, working for the Russian-American Company, from Alaska would land there to hunt sea otters for their pelt. They even massacred a majority of Nicoleno’s in 1814 after accusing them of killing one of the Alaskan hunters. And it appears that Captain Hubbard was given orders in 1835 to remove this tribe from the island. The ship carrying the tribe off the island may have sunk in the approaching storm.

The only true fact known about Juana Maria was she did live on the island alone for 18 years...from 1835 to October 19, 1853, when finally rescued by Captain George Nidever and removed to the Santa Barbara Mission, where she was cared for by George Nidever and his wife.

They believe Juana Maria to be about 50 years old when found. Unfortunately, she died on October 19, 1853 of dysentery in Garey, California, only 7 weeks after arriving on the mainland. The Spanish missionary, Father Sanchez, baptized and christened her with the name Juana Maria before she died. Today, there is a plaque commemorating her life at the Santa Barbara Mission cemetery, where she is buried on a hill in the Nidever family plot in an unmarked grave. There is also a statue of Juana Maria in Santa Barbara at the corner of State and Victoria Street. Unfortunately, many of her belongings, such as her basket, clothing and bone needles and other artifacts brought from the island were all destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Today, the San Nicolas Island serves as a U.S. Navy Base.

This novel was completely inspired by Juana Maria’s life on the island and may be the closest we’ll ever get to knowing how she was able to survive alone on this remote island for 18 years without her people. Here, she is named Karana. I love how the author draws in the wild animals as her companions, especially the wild dog, Rontu. This is a wonderful and well-written story for young readers!

The fact that this book was based on a true story - this girl was real, she really did live alone for years on an island - makes my mind reel. Almost made me cry. Loved loved loved.

I appreciated this reader's edition and learning "the rest of the story." I found the Introduction a little long and dry, though the information was valuable. After reading the two chapters excised from the original book, I am glad they were omitted from a book intended for young adult readers. The two essays at the conclusion of the book were enlightening

Island of the Blue Dolphins is an incredible book about survival. It left me with a haunted feeling, and I felt the need to read it through as quickly as possible.
I seriously could not put this one down.

-incredible and stark survival story
-emphasis on the meaning of human/animal connections.
-has some very sad and scary moments
-material for upper middle grade readers
-description of a battle where a significant number of people die.
-people and animals die or are killed

Very well written. Reminded me of the Pearl by John Steinbeck. Lot of imagery.

Bright Dawn is a young Inuit woman (called Eskimo in the book). Her family has recently moved from their native village by the ocean to a town further inland. Her father while out hunting had become traumatized when he got stranded on an ice floe and nearly died. He couldn’t face the sea again, so the family uprooted. Bright Dawn is troubled by all this, but in town she finds an unexpected opportunity to participate in the Iditarod with her sled dog team. The leader, Black Star, is part wolf. Her father never liked Black Star as well as the other dogs due to his willfullness and independent nature, but Bright Dawn finds that an asset in the grueling race. At the start she becomes off-and-on-again companion to another racer, an older man named Oteg. This man wants to camp with her, give her advice, tell her stories. She appreciates some of this, isn’t sure if she believes all the old stories, and then starts to feel like he’s holding her back. In the end, she has to follow her own decisions and trust in her lead dog. They face many dangerous obstacles (including encounters with a wolf pack, angry bull moose, terrifyingly bad weather, and treacherous ice). Bright Dawn really wants to win the race, but she doesn’t hesitate to stop and help others who need it on the way and to care for her dogs properly. I wouldn’t say she finds herself on the race, more that she grows into who she’s been all along. It’s nice to read details that mesh with others from stories I’ve read of Inuit in the past, or of sled-dog mushing. A lot of the traditional Inuit customs, and beliefs recounted by Oteg were ones I hadn’t heard of before. I also liked that at the very end of the story, Bright Dawn’s father has the opportunity to face his fears in order to help his daughter. That felt a little contrived, but not terribly. To me this story felt rather calm due to the somewhat understated writing style, but I bet younger readers would find it exciting.

Good YA historical novel about William Tyndale translating and printing the New Testament in English undercover. He had to leave England to do it. Was later burned for it. Most of Bibles today are based on his work.

good - Michael

Based on a true story . It is like surviving on an island with no people to help you ..it's a nice adventure story.

“More than anything, it was the blue dolphins that took me back home.”
― Scott O'Dell, Island of the Blue Dolphins

Sigh. I never read this as a kid. At least I don't think I did.

And I have long had it on my TBR. Survival stories are not usually my thing but I am aware how this beautiful story and I wanted to check it out.

I cannot say with honesty I loved it. I am sure I would have, had I read it as a kid. What I CAN say is I can see why it is considered a classic.

I had heard of Robinson Cruso. And I am not 100 percent sure I did not read it as a kid. There are so many books I read in my long ago youth. I very well may have.

I struggled with a rating. I did not just want to rate it a five because of its status as a classic. But I couldn't give it a low rating either.

Things I loved....the animals, the pet dogs, the birds and that dang fox! The little red fox made its mark on me! I love red foxes.

I felt all the animal death was a bit much. Yes, I am a wuss and do not like that even in children's books! I actually felt a bit bad for the devil fish!

I loved the sea and the beauty and tranquility of the island.

And I loved the protagonist who is a heck of a lot more gutsy then I'd ever be in that situation!

But the real reason it gets a four....and almost a five...is the unforgettable, to brief, sequence with the dolphins. That was just....I cannot even express how exquisite that little part of the book was. I do wish it had been longer.

Words cannot express how I adore dolphins....along with seals and otters and sea lions. I still have so many pictures of them taken on various vacations.

If one could be an animal for a day...wouldn't it be fun to be a dolphin? Or a sea otter? Such playful and joyous creatures.

The school of dolphin that surround, befriend and help Karana in this story were adorable and so exquisite to read about. Such a lovely story.

So I do think if this is one you've missed as a kid, you may want to do a read. Particularly if you like dolphin!

I read this book probably twenty times over when I was a kid, so it was interesting to revisit it as an adult. I'm pleased to say that, unlike a lot of other childhood reads, this held up well, though the sadness of the circumstances around the real story hit me pretty hard. O'Dell's inspiration is based on a Native American woman who, when the rest of her tribe left their remote island off the Southern California coast, stayed behind. She ended up living alone for 18 years. The way O'Dell handled her survival story and the passage of time is deftly done. You never really come to know Karana in an intimate way, which makes it easier to feel like you, the reader, are the one who is surviving alone. This newer version of the book includes a forward by acclaimed children's author Lois Lowry that adds more context for the real and fictional stories.

I remember reading this book several times as a child and being absolutely fascinated by it! It’s such a great book!

I enjoyed the look into the Navaho tribes and thought that a lot of the story overall was excellently done and tugged at my heartstrings.

O'Dell tells an interesting story, and I think part of the reason I didn't enjoy the story is the amount I would have struggled if I had been in the main characters place. Parts of the story were slow, but other parts were extremely action packed, I guess it's a good reflection of how life really can be sometimes. Definitely a great descriptive picture into a world we are not often exposed to.

A novel about St. Francis told through the narrator Ricca, a young woman who was in love with Francis. Though Francis did not respond to her romantic feelings she followed him to Egypt when he was with the 5th Crusade. This book dragged in places and while some say it was Scott O'Dell's best work I didn't compare it favorable to Island of Blue Dolphins.

I had heard of Island of the Blue Dolphins but had never been interested in reading it until I visited one of the California Channel Island. The story is set on San Nicolas Island, the most remote of the eight Channel Islands of California. The narrator is a girl who was left behind when her whole tribe were taken off the island by the Spanish after Russian and Aleut fur trappers had attacked their village and killed most of the men. In a story like Robinson Crusoe she tells how she survived alone for years while she waited for a chance to join the rest of her tribe on the mainland at Santa Barbara. She is supposed to be buried in the cemetery at the Santa Barbara Mission. She was lonely on the island but when she got to the mission there was nobody from her tribe who spoke her language left there. A sad story.

Very interesting introduction and archaeological essay and footnotes to lend context and added knowledge to a book I loved but did not think critically about as a child. Would rec