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    Island of the Blue Dolphins
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    Island of the Blue Dolphins
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    Island of the Blue Dolphins
    Audiobook3 hours

    Island of the Blue Dolphins

    Written by Scott O'Dell

    Narrated by Tantoo Cardinal

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    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 birds abound. Karana is the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Hers is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.


    From the Trade Paperback edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJul 5, 2000
    ISBN9780553751758
    Author

    Scott O'Dell

    Scott O’Dell (1898–1989), one of the most respected authors of historical fiction, received the Newbery Medal, three Newbery Honor Medals, and the Hans Christian Andersen Author Medal, the highest international recognition for a body of work by an author of books for young readers. Some of his many books include The Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Road to Damietta, Sing Down the Moon, and The Black Pearl.

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    Reviews for Island of the Blue Dolphins

    4/5

    2,959 ratings136 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Island of the Blue Dolphins is about a young girl who is faced with the challenge of surviving on an island after the Aleut hunters killed many men in their tribe. This causes the other people on her island to leave in search of a new beginning. Karana finds herself to be strong and capable of surviving many situations. As time passes she becomes the caretaker of many animals on the island. This companionship makes being alone somewhat more bareable.
    • 5/5
      This was the first book that I ever really loved. I first read it when I was about 10 or 11, and I fell in love with Scott O'Dell's writing, getting my hands on any of his books that I could find at my elementary school library. It really made me into a reader. But I hadn't read it in about a decade, and I was curious how well it would hold up to my adult mind.

      IT WAS EVEN BETTER!!!

      I originally rated this 4 stars, rather arbitrarily, but this reread proved that this is truly an amazing piece of historical fiction, especially for children. Even for its time, it does a great job at portraying Native American peoples in a humanizing light, as well as young girls (which is amazing, because Scott O'Dell was clearly a white adult male).

      It's compelling and action-packed, and extremely educational. I really felt for Karana as she lives abandoned on an island for the majority of her life, missing her family but feeling unable to leave her home. Making new friends and losing them. Growing and changing as a woman. It's short but it's excellent, and I highly suggest it.
    • 5/5
      Karana planned to leave the dolphin-shaped island with her family and tribe. However, when she sees her little brother left behind on the shore, her split-second decision changes the course of her life. As Karana and her brother struggle to survive alone, she must hunt, find shelter, and contend with nature. When her brother is tragically killed, Karana perseveres as she waits for the boat to return for her. As the seasons pass, Karana realizes that no one is coming for her and she must make a life for herself. Her courage and resourcefulness allows her to survive and, ultimately, to thrive.Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell is classified as children's literature, but I recommend it to all age groups. The story is entertaining and unique. O'Dell captured my imagination from the beginning of the story and carried it through until the end. What fascinated me the most is that the story is based on real-life happenings. I could identify with Karana and admired her throughout the story. A good read for children and adults, alike.
    • 4/5
      5569. Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell (read 14 Jul 2018) Every once in a while I read juvenile books which seem to me I should read. This book is a famed book which purports to tell the story of a girl who lived on San Nicolas Island, off the coast of California alone for 18 years ending in 1853. It seems quite improbable but depicts the girl as quite a resourceful girl, as she lived her Robinson Crusoe existence. It reads easily and I even found it a bit poignant,, particularly when her dog--which she had tamed from the feral state--dies. And the girl evolves,on her own, from a killer of animals to a more likeable persona. I have read less interesting juvenile books.
    • 4/5
      This 1960 novel of a girl who is left all alone on a smallish island when the rest of her people relocate elsewhere was, I think, already considered something of a classic when I first read it as a kid in the 1970s. I think I actually read it several times, but I remembered very little about it -- just enough for me to feel a sense of deja vu on re-reading it now.And I was surprised by how well it held up. Adult me wasn't quite as enthralled with the story as I think young me was, reading what was probably the first such survival tale I ever encountered, and I did find myself wishing, just a little, for a longer, more fleshed-out and detailed telling. But I can absolutely see why kid me found it compelling, and I still liked it and even, in the end, found it unexpectedly moving. Also, how glad am I that, in reviewing a book from 1960 about a girl from an indigenous society, I don't have to add comments like, "Well, you do have to keep in mind that it's a product of its time"? Very. Very glad.What I'm really wondering now, though, is how I ever managed to forget the fact that this was based on a true story, albeit one about which very few details are known. That really does add an extra layer of poignancy to the experience of reading it, I think. You can't help but wonder about the lost story of the poor woman (probably not a girl as young as the one in the novel) who actually lived this life, or one like it.
    • 4/5
      I first read this in 3rd or 4th grade, but I didn't remember most of what happened so I don't even count it as a reread. This is a classic book about Karana, a Native American girl who is left behind on an island off the California coast in the 1800s (what I didn't know was that it was based on a true story, which is pretty cool). She spends many years (mostly) alone, surviving on her own with the occasional animal and human companion. This is a very internal book, made up mostly of descriptions of Karana's thoughts and actions. It is beautifully written, and even though you get the sense that nothing bad will happen to her, the suspense is still present. Although, the ending seems a little more ambiguous now that I'm reading it as an adult...
    • 5/5
      liked it! Sad though in some places.
    • 4/5
      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 birds abound. Karana is the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Hers is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.
    • 1/5
      I had to read this as the summer read along with my incoming sixth grade students. I read it, but it was not as impactful as I hoped. I didn't get The Big Thrill that I'd anticipated. Actually, it was boring, and I'm struggling to see how my kids could develop some cool projects out of it, besides the usual diorama of the landscape, journal entries pretending to be the protagonist, etc. This book fits right in there with Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (The Yearling) and Jean Craighead George (The Talking Earth), and I don't see how the faraway life struggle against nature is relevant to today's kids anymore; it's as distant as Harry Potter's magical fantasies.
    • 5/5
      this book is amazing i love it soo much and even though i don't usually like sad books this one was really good
    • 4/5
      My mom made me read this book in the 8th grade. At first I fought the Idea. When i finally got into the book I loved it. 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 birds abound. Karana is the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Hers is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.
    • 4/5
      this book is very venturous. its about a girl who had to go against her tradition her tradition to survive. her tradition was that women couldn't go to war and couldn't make weapons. her brother was eaten by a wild dogs. she lived on an island by herself for the rest of her life well most of her life . she was a brave girl she could make good weapons even though she was a girl and she had good aim shooting the wild dogs with her bow and arrow. when the Russians and her dad and the tribe went to war a lot of people died including the Russians that's y she had to do what she had to do
    • 5/5
      a beautiful book that demonstrates sacrifice and courage
    • 2/5
      I read this to my daughter to completion, so I added it to my collection, though I would never have chosen to read it myself. This is book is supposed to be a classic, but I did not find it interesting. But I'm sure that's just me -- I'm not into survival stories like Hatchet and White Fang. In this case, it's a native girl who was left behind on an island when everyone else fled to somewhere more mainland. She builds shelters, finds water, harvests fish and seafood, makes friends with the wildlife, all typical survival stuff.My problem is that it doesn't really build toward something. There's no rising action. There's a teensy amount of dialogue. The action is frontloaded to the beginning. And at some point, you wonder why this story is important (and you don't find out until the end that it's because this was a true story -- hence the dullness).
    • 5/5
      This is a really great book. Karana, the main character, is going to leave the Island of the Blue Dolphins with the rest of her family, but her brother is left behind and she swims back to take care of him. Then, her brother is killed by wolves, and she swears revenge on them. Later, she changes her mind when the leader makes friends with her and follows her everywhere. The wolf and Karana have many wonderful adventures together, including trying to go to the island that her family went to. Then, when the old leader dies, his son takes his place in Karana's hut. Together, they are rescued by some Englishmen, and they are brought back to the mainland (the U.S.A.) I recommend this book to girls who like adventures.
    • 5/5
      This was an amazing book it was sad happy and encouraging. I also encourage everyone to read it!??❤️
    • 4/5
      I liked Karana’s resilience, and her bravery was inspiring.
    • 5/5
      Tantoo Cardinal's narration was splendid! Brought this childhood favorite to life!
    • 5/5
      just like I remember it when I was a child.
    • 3/5
      A great classic.
    • 4/5
      Island of the Blue Dolphins is about a Native American girl named Karana who is left abandoned on an island after her tribe was attacked by Aleutian hunters. She fights to survive by herself, feeling so alone and far away from her people. I would use this book in an ELA or social studies classroom. For instruction, I would use this book to introduce my students to the cruelty Native Americans faced (along with many other minority groups). This book also teaches great lessons about perseverance and strength in times where it would be easier to just give up.
    • 2/5
      Karana is twelve years old when her people leave their island, but circumstances leave her behind. Her story of years of survival on her own unfolds in Island of the Blue Dolphins by author Scott O'Dell.After recently reading and becoming engrossed in Sing Down the Moon by the same author, I decided to revisit this Newbery Medal-winning children's classic based on true events. I remember listening to the reading of it back when I was eleven or so, but the author's writing style didn't do much for me back then.So I tried again, curious to see if adulthood would give me a new appreciation for this book. As I read, it reminded me of the movie Cast Away at times, what with a lone human being fending for herself on an island: building shelter, hunting and gathering food, facing the elements and hostile wild animals, etc. And some parts here and there moved me, particularly near the beginning.On the whole, though, this still wasn't the most interesting book for me. Lots of solitude, very little dialogue, and although the heroine is a brave, self-reliant girl-turned-woman, I wouldn't have stuck with this understated account about living in nature if I didn't know it would be a quick read.Still, because I have enjoyed one book by this author, I plan on trying at least one more.
    • 4/5
      First Line: I remember the day the Aleut ship came to our island.I'm not quite sure how I missed this one growing up. With a 1960 copyright date, it was certainly around when I was young, but somehow it got lost in the shuffle, and I never read it. I've now corrected that oversight, and I'm glad I did.In the Pacific Ocean, there is an island that looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Blue dolphins, sea elephants, birds, otters... wildlife is abundant there. When the strangers come in their red-sailed ship, Karana's father reluctantly gives them permission to fish and to hunt for otters in their waters, but their hunting comes to a bad end. Not long afterward, a ship comes for Karana's people, and they gather their belongings and climb aboard. When Karana sees that her little brother is left behind on the island, she jumps ship and swims back.Unfortunately Karana soon finds herself all alone on the island. She spends year after year there, but this isn't a tale merely of survival, it's a story of a girl who truly appreciates the natural world surrounding her. My eyes were riveted to the page as she built herself shelter, a canoe, fought off wild dogs, and explored the island. An author's note in the back told me that this story was based on fact, and that explanation made the book even more special.I can see why this book is a Newbery Medal winner. Island of the Blue Dolphins has a wonderful setting and a character into whom we can all project ourselves. It wasn't just Karana building a shelter or trying to outsmart the wild dogs-- I was, too. When I finished the last page, I had to sit quietly and let the sea breeze calm and the vision of a fish-shaped island sunning itself in the sea quietly fade away.
    • 5/5
      I love this book it’s so cool I like ita
    • 5/5
      I remembered when I first read this book over 40 years ago. I love it then and still love it now!!
    • 5/5
      This is fast becoming a classic of children’s literature. The novel is based on a true story of a woman left behind on an island off the coast of California when the rest of her Native American tribe left the island for the mainland. The real woman who was eventually rescued and taken to Santa Barbara Mission spoke a language that no one understood. She succumbed to disease just a few weeks after arriving in California, so she was unable to tell her story, except for a few basic ideas conveyed in a sort of sign language. O’Dell imagined the rest.Karana is twelve years old at the outset of the novel, used to the division of labor and cooperative work of her tribal family. She knows how to make clothing and forage for food, but tribal custom leaves the hunting and fishing to the men. Still, she is a keen observer and figures out how to repair an old canoe, build a shelter, secure stores of food, and clothe herself. Left alone on the island, she struggles with making a decision to hunt – will the gods be angry if she dares to craft a weapon and use it? I loved this young woman. She’s practical and brave, resourceful and creative. She works hard at survival, but she works “smart” as well. The village area that was ideal for a community is too exposed for her to live there alone. The large flat mesa-like rock gives her safety from the pack of wild dogs but does not provide shelter from the wind and elements. She befriends one of the dogs and has a companion at last … for the first time realizing how lonely she had been before she had Rontu to talk to. I really liked how O’Dell conveyed the importance of a connection to nature. He also gives a sense of how all-consuming the work of survival is for Karana. This is not to say that she has no elements of joy or play, but she cannot afford to be idle for long. O’Dell has crafted an enduring story of strength, courage and resilience. The book won the John Newbery Medal for excellence in children’s literature. Note: This is the second time I've read this, the first being sometime in about 1998. But I didn't record it in any way, nor write any review at that time.
    • 4/5
      I liked it.
    • 3/5
      Kind of a downer.
    • 5/5
      Evocative, convincingly emotional, and set in a world that includes sadness as well as joy, Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins is as powerful a read today as it was back in the 60s, and just as relevant. The history inspiring the story is nicely included in Lois Lowry’s prologue. But the story grows naturally into its own history – a people abused, a girl left behind, an enemy turned into a friend… plus wise lessons in relationship, convincing depictions of ancient skills and the way they’re learned and passed on, and wonderful attention to detail. Told beautifully, with a respect for nature that grows naturally into a love for animals, and a respect for humanity despite its flaws and failings, Island of the Blue Dolphins is a classic and a wonderful read for middle grade and up.Disclosure: A friend who knows me well recommended it and I love it.
    • 4/5
      An interesting take on the "last man on earth" style of trope. I know this was written significantly earlier, however there were many parallels between this and Hatchet, though I prefer the latter and feel it truly captured the theme of isolation and survival significantly better.