Island of the Blue Dolphins - Genre 5

Bibliography

O’Dell, Scott. 1960. Island of the Blue Dolphins. New York: Del Laurel Leaf. ISBN 0-440-94000-1


Plot Summary

This is a historical novel set on an isolated island off the California coast. This island was first settled by Indians about 2000 B.C. The story is built around a girl named Karana. The story states that a ship of white men are taking the Indians of Ghalas-at off the island when a girl sees her brother left behind on the island. She jumps into the sea to stay with her brother until they return. The story is known to history as The Lost Woman of San Nicolas.

Karana’s younger brother is killed by wild dogs very quickly. She is left alone to learn how to hunt for food to eat, build a shelter, build weapons, and survive all alone. She has to protect herself if her enemies, the Aleuts come back to hunt for otter. The story shows the reader how much courage Karana has. She makes friends with one of the wild dogs, and tames a few birds on the island. She lived eighteen years on this island all alone. She realizes at the end as she is leaving with the white men that she was happy on the Island of the Blue Dolphins.


Critical Analysis

This is a true story of a girls fight for survival on an island alone. The story is told by Karana and she explains all of the hardships she has to endure on the island. She shows us how difficult daily life is on an island. Women of her tribe were never allowed to hunt or make weapons. She has to overcome the fear of doing these jobs to survive on her own. She remembers her father saying that “the weapons would break in her hands at the moment when her life was in danger” (p.58). Women were not allowed to do this kind of work in her tribe. She befriends a wild dog which she names Rontu. She is not as lonely with him around. She keeps track of time by passing moons and seasons. After many years she stops keeping track of time. This heroine survives everything including an earthquake and a tidal wave on her own before she is rescued after eighteen years. She lived a difficult life with almost no possessions, yet she was happy. People today have an easier life with so many possessions, and some are never happy. O’Dell provides an Author’s Note at the end of the book telling the true history behind the story.


Review Excerpt(s)

John Newbery Medal 1961

Flicker Tale Children’s Book Award 1983

Children’s Literature (Marilyn Courtot): “Her survival story--fighting the wild dogs and loneliness, hunting for food, and hoping to be rescued--is spellbinding.”

Library Journal, Starred: “A haunting and unusual story.”

Chicago Tribune: “Island of the Blue Dolphins has the timeless enduring quality of a classic.”

Horn Book: “Strange and beautiful, revealing courage, serenity, and greatness of spirit.”

Booklist: “A moving and unforgettable story.”


Connections (this book is definitely for grades 6 and up)

-Geography lesson creating a map of the island based on chapter 2.

- Science lesson on the types of animals found around this island.

- Research more of the history about The Lost Woman of San Nicolas.

-Make clay models of the tools that Karana had to make to survive.

- Research to learn about the culture of the Indians on this island.

-Describe how Karana shows courage. Compare her courage to a character of another book using a thinking map.

-In small groups plan a survival strategy if they were on an island alone. Is their plan similar to Karana’s? What would they do differently.