Island of the Blue Dolphins

Borrowed from the library (Support Your Local Library) because of a ning group book club read.


Island of the Blue Dolphins
Scott O'Dell

The most recently published edition:
Publisher: Thorndike Press
Illustrated by: Ted Lewin
Release Date: February 2, 2005
format: hardcover, large print
pages: 183
genre: Children's Literature


Based on a true story of an Indian girl living on an island off the California coast. This book won the John Newbery medal in 1961.

A ship comes to the island to hunt Sea otters and when the village men try to enforce the deal that had been made, they're killed. Now the village women must take up the slack which doesn't sit well with the remaining men. The headman goes off in a canoe to find help.

Time goes by and a new ship arrives but not to hunt. It is there to take the villagers to safety. All are gathered with the best of their possessions and loaded up. All except one little boy who had run back to the village (against his sister's permission) to retrieve his spear. Fearful that he would not survive alone, his twelve-year-old sister & only remaining relative, jumps ship. Her basket of prized possessions is too heavy so she leaves it at the bottom of the ocean and swims to shore.

Eighteen years later another ship arrives at the island.


My Thoughts
So much of what I want to tell you would ruin the story if you haven't read it. The story is one of respect, love, survival, courage and plain old good luck. I was fearful at times, laughed at others and cried. The story is simply told & beautiful illustrated. I'm sure it could be read, a chapter at a time, to a small child.

I only read it because of book club but I'm glad I did.


amazon.com's sales rank as of 8-23: #31,620 in Books

#4 in Books > Large Print > Children's Books
#6 in Books > Large Print > Literature & Fiction
#77 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Classics