Author: Scott O’Dell
Title: Island of the Blue Dolphins
Illustrator: none
Genre: Chapter Book
Subgenre: Adventure
Theme: Survival
Primary Character: Karana
Secondary Characters: Chowig, Ramo, foreigners (the Aleuts), Rontu
Award(s):Newbery Award Winner
Date of Publication: 1987
Publication Company:Yearling
Summary: In the novel "Island of the Blue Dolphins", the main character is Karana. She is the daughter of the chief of the tribe that lives on the island, "Island of the Blue Dolphins". She also has an older sister, a mom, and a little brother. Her and the others from the tribe hunt and gather their own food, make their clothing, and build their shelter. They are very independent and are the only people who inhabit the island. During this novel, the tribe is visited by foreigners who wish to hunt the otter who live on the island in trade for weapons and gold. The foreigners hunt for a long time and kill nearly all of the otter on the island. When the foreigners are about to leave, instead of trading with the tribe for all of the otter they have killed, they attack the tribe and make a quick get-a-way. During the attack many of the tribe members die, including Karana's father. After the hunters left, food on the island was very scarce and the tribe was forced to move to a neighboring island. While the tribe was leaving, Karana and her brother were left behind. They had to live on the island by themselves while they waited for a boat to come back for them. Karana builds herself a home, fights and tames wild dogs, hunts and makes weapons, and even more.
Use with students: I like this story because it teaches students to hold onto faith, even in the worst of times. This story also depicts women as strong and very capable of self-sufficiency, which is not a common theme among many books. This book would be a great pick for fifth graders.
