Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O'Dell
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Book Reviews of Island of the Blue Dolphins
Book Review: Karana: Tenacious and Hopeful Hero
Summary: 5 Stars
As a child, my grade school librarian wore out from me asking to borrow so often. Later, as a private tutor, my students chose this again and again. "Island of the Blue Dolphins" lives up to its reputation as one of the greatest children's book ever.
Libraries are good for borrowing books, but some books should be on the shelf of any young reader. Scott O'Dell's magnificent "Island of the Blue Dolphins" is just that. Save your librarian some grief and buy a copy.
"The Island of the Blue Dolphins" is not the story of a foolish young girl who missed the boat when the island was being evacuated. Far from it. Karana was on the boat. Her playful little brother, Ramo, wasn't. He was only 6 years old and could never survive alone. She jumped off and headed to shore to save him. The boat left.
Every little girl or boy has been alone, frightened without a clear way of finding his or her way home. Often, the problem is fixed by turning the next corner, finding out it is the same neighborhood it has always been. In the case of "The Island of the Blue Dolphins," Karana's home never changes. Everyone she knows and loves, however, leaves.
For 18 years Karana took care of herself, and she grows from a preteen child into a woman just entering her 30s. This is that story, filled with adventures similar to "Robinson Crusoe," another true story set to fiction. Fans of "Swiss Family Robinson," will likewise enjoy this.
Karana's ingenuity to survive is surpassed by her tenacity and hope. Weathering hard circumstances, such wild dogs, storms and the constant need to find fresh food and good water. She uses what she learned from her parents and other villagers before the left, and what she learns by trial an error.
As exciting as "Treasure Island," only with a female protagonist, the book is more than a tale of heroics. Scott O'Dell's keen sense of description separates this from the rest of the bookshelf. Although sensitive that his reader is younger, he still manages to place to reader in the story, imagining the smell of sea or hearing the not-so-far off bark of wild dogs.
Like other classics as "Old Yeller" and "My Brother Sam Is Dead," not everything comes easily to Karana. There are somber times when people leave, when her brother dies, or when things look bleak. O'Dell tells the story as realistically as he can, which makes the happy times happier.
I fully recommend "Island of the Blue Dolphins," by Scott O'Dell. It won "The Newberry Medal for Best Children's Book" for good reason.
Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com
Book Review: The Island
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is good for all ages, though at times it's bit violent. Anyway, this book is about a girl named Karana who is from a village called Ghalas-at on The Island of the Blue Dolphins in the Paficic Ocean. Her adventure begins when a group of violent men come the island to hunt sea otter for their pelts.
They are led by a Russian man who proves to be dishonest: Captain Orlov.The Aluets eventually turn on the village and the two engage in war. In the end, the Aluets prevail and many men are killed; including Karana's father; Chief Chowig. Years later, a boat comes to the island. Confirming that it not an ALuet ship the villagers board the ship. Karana boards the ship aswell but cannot find her younger brother, Ramo. Karana makes a life changing desicion and jumps of the boat to find Ramo on the island. This action changes the story's events.HOpe you injoy it.
Book Review: A True Survivor
Summary: 4 Stars
Winner of the Newbery Award, "Island of the Blue Dolphins" tells the story of Karana, a young Indian woman who becomes the sole occupant on a small island in the Pacific for several years. Based on a real woman who lived alone on San Nicolas Island from 1835 to 1853, it tells a moving story of survival where a woman with little means is forced to become resourceful, physically and emotionally strong and above all kept afloat by that fragilest of threads called hope.
When a band of Russian sailors called the Aleuts land on the island, their presence quickly becomes a bad omen for the small Indian tribe who live there. After a trade disagreement goes horribly awry, several members of the tribe are killed, including Karana's father Chief Chowig. Not long after they bury their dead, another ship full of white men arrives and agrees to take them to a safer place, their bout with the Aleuts now posing a threat to their livelihood.
In their haste to leave their small village of Ghalas-at, no one notices Karana's younger brother Ramo run back for his favored fishing spear. Knowing it is far too late to turn back for him, Karana goes overboard and swims back to the island to wait with Ramo for the next ship. She would wait a great many years to be rescued, many a tragedy great and small befalling her before she would see white sails on the horizon once again.
During her fight to survive, Karana contends with climate, the acquisition of food and shelter and the wild dogs that roam the cliffs. She also contends with the beliefs of her tribe, the construction and use of weapons strictly forbidden to women. This belief is unavoidably challenged when Karana realizes she must have a spear for not only fishing but self-defense as well.
O'Dell writes with a wistful air, Karana's voice becoming a poetic surrogate for the real Lost Woman of San Nicolas (as she was so known by historians), her own story never heard or extensively documented, a thing that is regrettably due to language barriers. He also writes of the comfort of companionship and the deep and prolonged yearning we all experience in the utter absence of human relationships.
Bottom line: A survival tale for the ages, "Island of the Blue Dolphins" has been read for almost five decades and will continue to be read for many more, its themes of hope and perseverence making it a veritable cornerstone in young adult literature.
Book Review: Island of the Blue Dolphins Review
Summary: 5 Stars
I read the book the Island of the Blue Dolphins. This is a great book, I recommend everybody to read it. The book starts out slow, but will build up as it goes. In this book there is a little girl named Won-a-pa-lei. She lived in the village Ghalas-at with her tribe. Her tribe all had secrets names. Hers is Karana. She has a father, younger brother and an older sister. Her mom died when she was very young. One day she saw a big boat with huge red sails. These men were called the Aleuts. These people came to the island to catch sea otter. Won-a-pa-lei's father, the Cheif of the tribe, said they may hunt the otter if they shared half when finished hunted. Once the Aleuts were ready to leave they did not pay their fair share. There was a huge fight and many died. Won-a-pa-lei's died had died too. The new Cheif of the tribe set of to the east to new land, for if the Aleuts returned they would not be able to fight them. Suns and Moons later another big ship returned, but this time had white sails. These men were sent to bring them to the new land. As the tribe gathered on to the boat the wind started to blow hard. Every body was on. Except when Won-a-pa-lei looked upon the island she saw her brother, Ramo, jumping up and down. It was too windy to turn around. They would have to come back another day. Won-a-pa-lei jumped off the boat to catch her little brother. They were both stuck on the Island. Later in the book Ramo is attacked by the wild dogs and killed. She is all alone on the Island. She builds a knew shelter, makes weapons, collects food and catches one of the wild dogs and become friends with him. She also makes many other animal friends on the island. Then once again the Aleuts returned. She hid and slept where her canoe was and stayed there until they left. Aleuts that is what she planed. She went out to get water, but one of the Aleut's wife's sees her. Instead of telling the other Aleuts she becomes a friend with Won-a-pa-lei. They make many gifts for each other until the Aleuts have to leave. Won-a-pa-lei makes even more friends with different animals after the Aleuts leave because she feels lonely. After awhile the White men with the white sails return. They told her the other ship had sunk and never made it back. They also tell her the aren't sure if they will make it back either. Now to find this out and all the many detail I left you will just have to read this book for your self. So go get this book and keep on reading.Book Review: Island of the Blue Dolphins
Summary: 4 Stars
I have recently read a wonderful book which was called Island of the Blue Dolphins; it was written by Scott O'Dell. This book was about a tribe, and especially a young gallant irl named Karana, who lived on an island near Catalina. Karana's father is the chief of the tribe. She has an older sister named Ulape and a younger brother named Ramo. One day a large ship comes to the island from Russia to hunt for otter. The captain of the ship, Capt. Orlov, had asked Karana's father if he and his men could camp on the island while they hunted for otter. The chief said yes but only if they give the tribe half of what they killed. When the Russians started leaving for there journey across the seas, Captain Orlov said that he wouldn't give the tribe any of otter. Thus, a small battle began. Though it only lasted about 10 minutes, many of the men from the tribe had been killed from this bellicose frenzy. One of the men who died was Karana's father. That night a new chief was chosen. His name was Kimki. For the next year the tribe had to work twice as hard because of the loss of men, but they continued to make ends meet. One day Kimki told the people of the tribe that he was going to a far off country to find a new place for the tribe, and he would return when he has found the place for the tribe. Kimki did not return from expedition. Once a new chief was chosen, the tribe kept a careful eye on the water and waited for the Russians return. One day a white sailed ship came to the island. The people from the ship told the new chief that Kimki has asked them to take the tribe to the far off country from which they came from. Soon the whole tribe was ready to leave-all except Ramo. He went back to go fetch his fishing spear. Karana had asked if Ramo was already aboard and the men said yes, but as they were leaving, Karana saw her brother still on the beach. As a result of this, Karana jumps into the water and swims all the way back to her brother. Now, together they have to learn how to survive together, being alone. As they survive on the island, Ramo gets attacked by wild dogs, and dies, and now Karana is alone. She is now determined to kill the dog that killed her little brother, but instead she keeps him. Besides the wild dog, which she named Rontu, she had two black birds, a seagull and a seal. I thought that this book was one of the best I've ever read. I think that you will enjoy it to!