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Island of the Blue Dolphins
Cover of Island of the Blue Dolphins
Island of the Blue Dolphins
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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 elephants and sea birds abound.  Once, Indians also lived on the island.  And when they left and sailed to the east, one young girl was left behind.
This is the story of Karana, the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins.  Year after year, she watched one season pass into another and waited for a ship to take her away.  But while she waited, she kept herself alive by building a shelter, making weapons, finding food, and fighting her enemies, the wild dogs.  It is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.
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 elephants and sea birds abound.  Once, Indians also lived on the island.  And when they left and sailed to the east, one young girl was left behind.
This is the story of Karana, the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins.  Year after year, she watched one season pass into another and waited for a ship to take her away.  But while she waited, she kept herself alive by building a shelter, making weapons, finding food, and fighting her enemies, the wild dogs.  It is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.
Available formats-
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Copies-
  • Available:
    1
  • Library copies:
    1
Levels-
  • ATOS:
  • Lexile:
    1000
  • Interest Level:
  • Text Difficulty:
    5 - 7


 
Awards-
Excerpts-
  • From the book

    An Excerpt from Island of the Blue Dolphins

    There are no trees on the island except the small ones stunted by the
    wind. When a log came ashore, as happened once in a long time, it was
    always carried to the village and worked on where a chance wave could
    not wash it away. That the men were sent to hollow out the log in the
    cove, and to sleep beside it during the night, meant that they were there
    to watch the Aleuts, to give the alarm should Captain Orlov try to sail
    off without paying us for the otter skins.

    Everyone was afraid he might, so besides the men in the cove who watch
    the Aleut ship, others kept watch on the camp.

    Every hour someone brought news. Ulape said that the Aleut woman spent
    a whole afternoon cleaning her skin aprons, which she had not done before
    while she had been there. Early one morning, Ramo said he had just seen
    Captain Orlov carefully trimming his beard so that it looked the way it
    did when he first came. The Aleuts who sharpened the log spears stopped
    this work and gave all their time to skinning the otter which were brought
    in at dusk.

    We in the village of Ghalas-at knew that Captain Orlov and his hunters
    were getting ready to leave the island. Would he pay us for the otter
    he had slain or would he try to sneak away in the night? Would our men
    have to fight for our rightful share?

    These questions everyone asked while the Aleuts went about their preparations
    — everyone except my father, who said nothing, but each night worked
    on the new spear he was making.
About the Author-
  • Scott O'Dell was born in Los Angeles, California, on May 23, 1898. He attended Occidental College, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Stanford University, and University of Rome. He worked as a technical director for Paramount, a cameraman for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and a book editor of a Los Angeles newspaper before serving in the United States Air Force during World War II. The recipient of numerous book awards, he established the Scott O'Dell award for historical fiction in 1981. He died on October 15, 1989.
Reviews-
  • AudioFile Magazine Narrator Tantoo Cardinal more than succeeds in delivering a lovely listening experience. Her accent and pronunciation are first rate. The music adds to the story with an ethnic sound. When the Russians invaded the island, many islanders were killed or fled. Some, like the young girl, Karana, were accidentally left behind. Karana's survival in remote isolation is moving and unforgettable. Both the text and Cardinal's style make the listener feel he's part of Karana's isolation and maturation. S.G.B. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
  • AudioFile Magazine Christina Moore's reading does full justice to this historical novel about the courage and ingenuity of Karana. The young Indian girl lived alone for eighteen years on an island off the coast of California in harmony with the world around her. Moore delivers the first-person narration with a quiet, nearly uninflected voice, creating the sense of Karana's youth and peril. Moore measures out her words, making the space between them speak for the desperate care with which Karana builds and provisions her home. Even Karana's moments of triumph, taming Rontu the wild dog and killing the giant octopus, have a feeling of patience, solitude and dignity when read with this sensitive control. L.S. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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    Books on Tape
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Digital Rights Information+
  • OverDrive MP3 Audiobook
    Burn to CD: 
    Permitted
    Transfer to device: 
    Permitted
    Transfer to Apple® device: 
    Permitted
    Public performance: 
    Not permitted
    File-sharing: 
    Not permitted
    Peer-to-peer usage: 
    Not permitted
    All copies of this title, including those transferred to portable devices and other media, must be deleted/destroyed at the end of the lending period.

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