Island of the Blue Dolphins
Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins, winner of the 1961 Newbery Medal, is one of the great middle grade survival novels and a fictionalized account of the real Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island. When a Russian Aleut hunting expedition turns hostile and the men of Karana's small Pacific Coast tribe are killed, the survivors are evacuated by missionaries to the mainland. In the chaos of departure Karana realizes that her younger brother Ramo has been left behind and dives off the rescue ship to swim back to him, only to lose him as well to a pack of wild dogs. The novel then follows Karana's eighteen years alone on the island, learning to make weapons, fashion shelter, tame animals, and slowly transform her grief into a quietly powerful self reliance. O'Dell writes in a sparse, dignified voice that respects both Karana's Indigenous heritage and her unsentimental practicality. The book has remained a classroom staple for more than sixty years.
Themes & atmosphere
What you might want to know about Island of the Blue Dolphins
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
When her people are taken off their California island and her younger brother is left behind, twelve-year-old Karana jumps off the boat to stay with him. She ends up alone on the island for eighteen years.
Yes. Island of the Blue Dolphins won the 1961 Newbery Medal. It is one of the most-taught middle-grade novels in American schools and has been continuously in print for over 60 years.
Yes. The novel is based on the real story of Juana Maria, a Nicoleno woman who lived alone on San Nicolas Island off the coast of California from 1835 to 1853. Scott O'Dell drew on documented historical accounts of her life.
Island of the Blue Dolphins was written by Scott O'Dell, published in 1988 by Sandpiper.
Island of the Blue Dolphins is 177 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Island of the Blue Dolphins takes most readers 3 to 4 hours to finish.
Island of the Blue Dolphins is a standalone novel by Scott O'Dell, not part of a series.
Island of the Blue Dolphins is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.