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melissalenos 's review for:
Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O'Dell
Island of the Blue Dolphins
O’Dell, Scott
New York: Dell, 1960
189 pages
Newbery Medal, 1961
Chapter book
Genres: Historical fiction, coming of age, drama, adventure, young adult, vaguely anti-colonial, vaguely environmentalist
Karana is a 12-year-old girl living on the Channel Islands in the 1800s (estimated). A ship of Aleuts and Russians lands on her island and, after a confrontation, kills many members of her tribe, including her father, the Chief. Karana’s tribe decides to leave for another island, but while their ship is leaving, she realizes they have left her 6-year-old brother behind. She dives off the ship.
Karana and Ramo live alone on the island for a time, but Ramo is eventually killed by a pack of wild dogs. Karana vows to kill them. In the meantime, she builds a home for herself, learns to make weapons (a skill forbidden to women in her tribe’s culture), hunts, fishes and explores her island. After a run-in with the wild dogs, she wounds the pack leader, but instead of killing him, tames him and names him Rontu. Karana and Rontu travel around the island in a canoe, befriend other animals and hunt octopus. She survives a tsunami and earthquake.
Years later, the Aleuts come once more and Karana hides. She is discovered by an Aleut girl named Tutok, who admires Karana’s cormorant-feather skirt and gives her jewelry. The two women bond and trade language until Tutok leaves. Abandoned once more, Karana realizes how lonely she has been. When Rontu dies; Karana tames another wild dog, as well as birds and sea otters. She vows never to unnecessarily kill animals again.
Eventually, another ship arrives. Karana packs her belongings, takes Rontu-Aru and her birds, and meets the men. The men make her change out of her cormorant-feather skirt and put her in a full-length blue dress. Karana goes to live in a mission in Santa Barbara.
Anchor: Historical fiction. Could be useful for the history of missions in Southern California and their treatment of native peoples.
O’Dell, Scott
New York: Dell, 1960
189 pages
Newbery Medal, 1961
Chapter book
Genres: Historical fiction, coming of age, drama, adventure, young adult, vaguely anti-colonial, vaguely environmentalist
Karana is a 12-year-old girl living on the Channel Islands in the 1800s (estimated). A ship of Aleuts and Russians lands on her island and, after a confrontation, kills many members of her tribe, including her father, the Chief. Karana’s tribe decides to leave for another island, but while their ship is leaving, she realizes they have left her 6-year-old brother behind. She dives off the ship.
Karana and Ramo live alone on the island for a time, but Ramo is eventually killed by a pack of wild dogs. Karana vows to kill them. In the meantime, she builds a home for herself, learns to make weapons (a skill forbidden to women in her tribe’s culture), hunts, fishes and explores her island. After a run-in with the wild dogs, she wounds the pack leader, but instead of killing him, tames him and names him Rontu. Karana and Rontu travel around the island in a canoe, befriend other animals and hunt octopus. She survives a tsunami and earthquake.
Years later, the Aleuts come once more and Karana hides. She is discovered by an Aleut girl named Tutok, who admires Karana’s cormorant-feather skirt and gives her jewelry. The two women bond and trade language until Tutok leaves. Abandoned once more, Karana realizes how lonely she has been. When Rontu dies; Karana tames another wild dog, as well as birds and sea otters. She vows never to unnecessarily kill animals again.
Eventually, another ship arrives. Karana packs her belongings, takes Rontu-Aru and her birds, and meets the men. The men make her change out of her cormorant-feather skirt and put her in a full-length blue dress. Karana goes to live in a mission in Santa Barbara.
Anchor: Historical fiction. Could be useful for the history of missions in Southern California and their treatment of native peoples.