Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O'Dell
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Book Reviews of Island of the Blue Dolphins
Book Review: Read this wonderful book!
Summary: 5 Stars
Island of the Blue Dolphins, written by Scott ODell, is a beautifully scripted novel of adventure, survival, and courage. A young Indian girl has been left alone on an island off the California coast. She is forced to endure many miserable and exciting events. Scott O'Dell's descriptive writing style creates a lively novel.
The production of this book is super. The cover is purple, my favorite color, so my eyes went right to the book in the book store. On the cover is a picture of a young girl with sad eyes. I wanted to now why she was so sad. There is a gold medal on the cover and that made me think it had won a prize. THe printing is just the right size for second graders and is easy to read. There are no pictures, but you don't need them because Scott O'Dell writes in a very descriptive way. An example is when Ranco describes the sea as "a smooth stone without any scratches." All these things helped me thoroughly enjoy The Island of the Blue Dolphins.
Island of the Blue Dolphins is a story about the many challenges a young girl, Karana, faces while living alone on an island. In order to survive, Karana must learn to hunt, fish, build shelter, and make weapons to protest herself against a pack of wild dogs. She is threatened by a terrifyintg tsunami and harsh winter rainstorms.
This is a realistic and exciting book. Karana has to work very hard to surive on the island. It takes her "many, many days" just to find wood for shelter. Then, it takes her "half of the winter" to finish her shelter. You can get very involved with Karana's story because you root her on to survive.
In my opinion, Island of the Blue Dolphins is an extraordinary book. I would give this book five stars. I would recommend this book for children that are seven and up because it deals with the subject of death. I think girls would enjoy this book because the main character is a very courageous young lady. This is a wonderful book with lots of adventure and surprises. This book is so good that I got up every morning at six o'clock to finish it. Read this wonderful book!
Book Review: Island of the Blue Dolphins
Summary: 4 Stars
Island of the Blue Dolphins a great book and I enjoyed reading it a lot. It is about a girl named Karana and she is abandoned on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Her tribe has left her from a terrible storm accident. They promised to come back, but for many years, Karana has waited for their return, which has never come. While trying to find refuge on the island, many tragedies come upon Karana. Her brother is attacked and killed by a pack of wolves, leaving Karana all by herself. The wolves soon become her friends though. Everyday, Karana has to struggle to fine food, shelter, and other important necessities of life in order to survive. In the end, Karana makes many animal friends and survives. However, there are other many suprises in this story.The part I liked about the book was the determination that Karana had when she was alone on the island. I liked how she made her animal friends and how she made her weapons. I also liked how she used very smart and intelligent techniques that helped her survive. Those were the things I enjoyed about the book, The Island of the Blue Dolphins.
The parts i disliked about the book was when Karana made an Aleut friend named Tutok. It wasn't really that part, it was the part when she had to leave, leaving Karana alone once again. This is what Karana thinks when she found out that Tutok had left. "I often thought of Tutok, but on these days especially I would look off into the north and wish that she was here to see me." I also dont like the part when Karana gets so sad that she wished she never met Tutok. "If only I had not remembered Tutok." That part, in my opinion, was one of the saddest parts in the book.
There are many parts that I enjoyed in this book. I like it when Karana makes her animal friends and meets the otter she keeps as a pet. I also liked the part when she gives birth to other baby otters. I like Karana's love and affection for her animal friends. I also like how she took care of them if they were injured. Karana's care for the animals made me enjoy this book a lot. I would love to read it over again.
Book Review: Jonathan @ Hines
Summary: 5 Stars
Island of the Blue Dolphins is a book about an Indian woman who was left behind by her tribe and she and her brother had to live on an island alone and fend for themselves. Karana is the daughter of the chief of her village. One day her father is killed by another tribe who was making trouble on their island. A new chief named Kimki comes to power and leaves in search of a new area to settle. One day a boat full of white men come claiming that they were sent by kimki to bring them to the new settlement. Unfortunately Karana and her brother are left behind and they have to live on the island alone. Not too long afterwards Karana's brother is killed by a pack of wild dogs. Later Karana kills most of the dogs and wounds the alpha male. Karana decides to nurse the dog back to health and they become best friends and she names him Rontu. Years later Rontu dies and Karana tames his son and names him Rontu-aru. Eventually another ship arrives and Karana meets up with her tribe. I would definitely recommend this book.
Parts of this book were strange. Like the very dog that killed Karana's brother she rescues and nurses back to health. She and the dog become great friends despite the fact that its pack killed her brother, Rontu even defends her against his own pack.
Even though Rontu dies this book has a generally happy ending. First of all Karana makes her way back to her tribe. Also she leaves along with Rontu-aru Rontu's son who she tamed just like she did with Rontu.
Karana seems to feel no hard feelings towards anyone no matter what they did to her or her family. Like one day a girl from the tribe that killed her father comes and she talks to her and later they become friends. Although at first Karana is suspicious of her.
This was a very interesting book and I really enjoyed reading it. I like reading books where people have to survive in the wild so I had fun reading this book. I would definitely recommend reading this book to anyone.
Book Review: A Book That Makes You Want to Stop and Smell the Seaweeds
Summary: 5 Stars
I've found that Newberys (the kind with one r-not two) often have a bittersweet flavor to them, and "Island of the Blue Dolphins" is no different. It's the kind of story that deliciously melts into the recesses of your imagination, but at the same time makes you squint your eyes to hold back the tears.
As I'm sure most people reading this review already know, the book, loosely based on true events, is about Won-a-pa-lei, a native girl who gets left alone on an island off of the California Coast for nearly two decades in the 1800s. Actually the young woman's name is Karana. But that's her "secret name," and it would be impolite of me to wear it out.
One might imagine that an entire book about a girl living by herself on an island would be a bit boring. However, I lied above when I said she's alone. In actuality, Kara . . . uh, I mean Won-a-pa-lei, is not alone. When deprived of human contact, she turns to the creatures of the island for companionship. Dogs, birds, sea otters, and, yes, even a few dolphins, all help Won-a-pa-lei to feel like part of a community in a world without people.
Although the story is written in a first-person perspective, our narrator rarely gets lost in her emotions. Instead, readers are left to discover the emotions for themselves as Won-a-pa-lei faces the joys and sorrows of existence. The passage of time is also artfully fluctuated, slowing down to show the perils of daily life, and then speeding up to show seasonal weather patterns, animal life cycles, and the never-ending tick-tocking of mother nature's clock.
In a fast-paced society where every man, woman, child, and newborn seems to have a cellphone, "Island of the Blue Dolphins" gives us a brief glimpse into life at its most elemental level-a human being living as one with her natural environment, and surviving not only physically in the face of adversity, but mentally as well. This story is mandatory reading for anyone planning to get stranded on a deserted island. And it's not too bad for the rest of us either.
Book Review: the Instresting Islands of the blue dolphins
Summary: 5 Stars
Island of the Blue Dolphins. By Scott O'Dell. I am Jade.C and I read Island of the blue dolphins. Jade.C is in [..] and read this book for her independent reading book.
This book was about a brave [..]girl named karana who loses all her people in a fight with the Aleut's and was stranded on her home land with only her brother. When her curious [..] brother wanders of early in the morning she will have to deal with living on the island alone. One of the worst things about living on that island is there is a pack of wiled dogs on the loose that could kill her any time she turns her back. One day she decides to go against her religion and make spears and bows to fight the dogs. When she gains up the courage finally fight the pack of wiled dogs she strikes the leader with a spear. After doing so she felt bad and mended the dog to health and the dog became her friend Rontu. After a long time living on the island she spotted a ship. But sadly enough it was the ship of he Aleut's come to hunt. After building a nice little cave for her to hide in when the Aleut's were on her island she meet and girl about her age. This girl was about the same age as karana and they befriend each other quickly. After the Aleut's left she saw another ship on the horizon and it turned out to be a boat that would rescue her!
This author has an exquisite taste and is very descriptive. She can make you feel how the charters fell and see all the settings that karana can see. She also likes to use examples like "but quick as a cricket." This book rely pulls you in and you can't stop reading until the end. The emotion in her book is breath taking and heart breaking. This book is a wonder full book. You can fell the wind on your face and the pain in her hands when she is trying to canoe home. I think this book had great adventure and descriptive Writing. I thing that he could cut down on the blood and death, but I guess that's what makes the story. I would recommend this book for 5th to 6th graders.