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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
adventurous
This was such a short read but I went through a whirlpool of emotions because I've had this book since 5th grade but I don't remember ever reading it. I found it at the back of my bookshelf and randomly decided to read it.
SO this book is actually inspired by the Lone woman of San Nicolas Island who lived alone on the island for 18 years and was the last surviving member of her tribe. Her real name is unknown (I think) but in the book she's named Karana who was a native American woman living in the village of Ghalas-at on the coast of California with her two siblings and father. One day a ship with Russian hunters arrive to the Island and tells the tribe they're going to be hunting sea otters. Karana's father proposes a deal to let them hunt in exchange for goods. However, the hunters attempt to leave the Island without compensating the natives with goods and battle breaks out which causes many tribe members to die. Then one day bunch of missionaries come and take the remaining tribe members away from the island on a ship. However, one of Karana's siblings gets left behind to retrieve his fishing spear as the ship prepares to leave. Anxious about leaving her brother, Karana jumps off the ship and swims back to shore to find her brother but by then the ship leaves them both.
The remaining of the book focuses around Karana as she struggles with isolation, grief and trying to survive on the island. It portrays the raw emotions of a lonely human as she grapples through revenge and forgiveness and guilt and betrayal.
This book was truly empowering and highlights many important techniques of survival and I am upset that I didn't read this in 5th grade because it would've totally helped my young brain. Guess I will just have to force my ten year old cousin to read this.
I was trying to remember why I had this book then it hit me that I did my 5th grade mission project on the Santa Barbara mission which is her burial place. Back then I got this book as part of my "research" on the mission but I guess I never actually read it? So here I am finally reading the book 12 years later!
SO this book is actually inspired by the Lone woman of San Nicolas Island who lived alone on the island for 18 years and was the last surviving member of her tribe. Her real name is unknown (I think) but in the book she's named Karana who was a native American woman living in the village of Ghalas-at on the coast of California with her two siblings and father. One day a ship with Russian hunters arrive to the Island and tells the tribe they're going to be hunting sea otters. Karana's father proposes a deal to let them hunt in exchange for goods. However, the hunters attempt to leave the Island without compensating the natives with goods and battle breaks out which causes many tribe members to die. Then one day bunch of missionaries come and take the remaining tribe members away from the island on a ship. However, one of Karana's siblings gets left behind to retrieve his fishing spear as the ship prepares to leave. Anxious about leaving her brother, Karana jumps off the ship and swims back to shore to find her brother but by then the ship leaves them both.
The remaining of the book focuses around Karana as she struggles with isolation, grief and trying to survive on the island. It portrays the raw emotions of a lonely human as she grapples through revenge and forgiveness and guilt and betrayal.
This book was truly empowering and highlights many important techniques of survival and I am upset that I didn't read this in 5th grade because it would've totally helped my young brain. Guess I will just have to force my ten year old cousin to read this.
I was trying to remember why I had this book then it hit me that I did my 5th grade mission project on the Santa Barbara mission which is her burial place. Back then I got this book as part of my "research" on the mission but I guess I never actually read it? So here I am finally reading the book 12 years later!
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Island of the Blue Dolphins is a classic for a reason- the story of Karana surviving on an island on her own for years, with only wild dogs for company, is a wonderful look at the determination of man's will to survive. How the leader of the wild dogs went from for, to her most trusted companion, is also a tug at the heartstrings. A good, fast read, and definitely a must-read.
A fantastic middle-grades book. ODell kept his first person narrator,s voice low key, contrasting. her stoicism and acceptance of her life with the harrowing adventures she lives through. Her pleasure in creating a cormorant-feather skirt is juxtaposed with the work of killing the cormorants; her loneliness is broken only by animals, so eventually she comes to avoid hurting animals. The resourcefulness she shows is very inspirational, and ODell’s understated lyricism elevates the book to literature.
A favourite book from my childhood. I often gift it to kids and xan't wait to read it to my own sons.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
I like books with survival. This book had lots of it. I was surprised it was a true(ish) story.
adventurous
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It’s been fun rereading some of my favorite books from childhood.
