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Island of the Blue Dolphins
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Island of the Blue Dolphins Hardback - 1990

by Scott O'Dell

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This seller has earned a 3.67 of 5 Stars rating from internet customers.
3.67 / 5 (162 total reviews)

The gripping story of young Karana, who survives by herself for eighteen years on a deserted island off the California coast.

Summary

The gripping story of young Karana, who survives by herself for eighteen years on a deserted island off the California coast.

Reader reviews for Island of the Blue Dolphins

Review summary

This seller has earned a 3.67 of 5 Stars rating from internet customers.
3.67 / 5 (162 total reviews)

Readers praised the vivid survival detail and steady pacing, calling it an engaging read-aloud for children and a nostalgic school favorite. Some felt the episodic structure and limited interiority kept the emotions at a distance, while others criticized cultural inaccuracies and a white-savior framing. Memorable moments—such as Karana bonding with a former threat—stood out, yielding overall positive but qualified reactions.

Readers say this book is:
engagingnostalgicmovingepisodickid-friendlysurvival-focusedemotionally restrainedculturally problematicdatedabsorbing

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From the publisher

Far off the coast of California looms a harsh rock known as the island of San Nicholas. Dolphins flash in the blue waters around it, sea otter play in the vast kep beds, and sea elephants loll on the stony beaches.

Here, in the early 1800s, according to history, an Indian girl spent eighteen years alone, and this beautifully written novel is her story. It is a romantic adventure filled with drama and heartache, for not only was mere subsistence on so desolate a spot a near miracle, but Karana had to contend with the ferocious pack of wild dogs that had killed her younger brother, constantly guard against the Aleutian sea otter hunters, and maintain a precarious food supply.

More than this, it is an adventure of the spirit that will haunt the reader long after the book has been put down. Karana's quiet courage, her Indian self-reliance and acceptance of fate, transform what to many would have been a devastating ordeal into an uplifting experience. From loneliness and terror come strength and serenity in this Newbery Medal-winning classic.

Details

  • Title Island of the Blue Dolphins
  • Author Scott O'Dell
  • Binding Hardback
  • Edition ILL
  • Pages 192
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Harcourt Brace and Company, Boston
  • Publication date 1990-10-29
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9780395536803 / 0395536804
  • Weight 1.29 lbs (0.59 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.36 x 7.26 x 0.82 in (23.77 x 18.44 x 2.08 cm)
  • Age range 10 to 12 years
  • Grade levels 5 - 7
  • Reading level 1000
  • Category Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction
  • Library of Congress subjects Islands, Indians of North America
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 90035331
  • Dewey Decimal Code FIC

Media reviews

"A haunting and unusual story based on the fact that in the early 1800s an Indian girl spent eighteen years alone on a rocky island far off the coast of California . . . A quiet acceptance of fate characterizes her ordeal." School Library Journal, Starred

"O'Dell tells the miraculous story of how Karana forages on land and in the ocean, clothes herself (in a green-cormorant skirt and an otter cape on special occasions), and secures shelter. Perhaps even more startlingly, she finds strength and serenity living alone on the island. This beautiful edition of Island of the Blue Dolphins is enriched with 12 full-page watercolor paintings by Ted Lewin, illustrator of more than 100 children's books, including Ali, Child of the Desert. A gripping story of battling wild dogs and sea elephants, this simply told, suspenseful tale of survival is also an uplifting adventure of the spirit." Amazon.com
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Island of the Blue Dolphins
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Island of the Blue Dolphins

by Scott O'Dell

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780395536803 / 0395536804
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Used - Good. . Good. All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.
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Island of the Blue Dolphins
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Island of the Blue Dolphins

by Scott O'Dell

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1990T. hardcover. Good. 0.9449 in x 9.1339 in x 7.4016 in.
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Island of the Blue Dolphins

Island of the Blue Dolphins

by Scott O'Dell

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 1990. Hardcover. Acceptable. Missing dust jacket; Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Island of the Blue Dolphins

Island of the Blue Dolphins

by Scott O'Dell

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  • Hardback
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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 1990. Hardcover. Acceptable. Disclaimer:Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Island of the Blue Dolphins

Island of the Blue Dolphins

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Island of the Blue Dolphins

Island of the Blue Dolphins

by Scott O'Dell

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 1990. Hardcover. Good. Missing dust jacket; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Island of the Blue Dolphins

Island of the Blue Dolphins

by Scott O'Dell

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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Island of the Blue Dolphins
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Island of the Blue Dolphins

by O'Dell, Scott

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780395536803 / 0395536804
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Used - Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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Island of the Blue Dolphins
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Island of the Blue Dolphins

by O'Dell, Scott

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780395536803 / 0395536804
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Better World Books
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Used - Very Good. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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Island of the Blue Dolphins
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Island of the Blue Dolphins

by O'Dell, Scott

  • Used
Condition
Used
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780395536803 / 0395536804
Quantity available
1
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Better World Books
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Item price
A$11.12
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Description:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Used - Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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