Review of ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS by Scott O'Dell

Bibliography
O’Dell, Scott. 1990. Island of the Blue Dolphins. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780395536803

Plot Summary
San Nicolas Island is a tiny rock of an island off of the coast of California. It is the early 1800’s, and there lives an American Indian tribe called the Ghalas-at. Karana is the daughter of the Chief of Ghalas-at, and she enjoys a happy life with her younger brother and fellow tribes people. Her home seems to dance with the dolphins as it is calmly tickled by the waving arms of kelp rising from the sea. All is well until the day a red ship is seen on the horizon. The ship carries Russian hunters and a fate that will change Karana’s life forever. After a devastating string of unimaginable events, Karana finds herself in complete isolation. Alone she must grieve the loss of her family; alone she must fight and learn survival; and alone she remains for the next eighteen years.

Critical Analysis
Scott O’Dell brings to life the true story of Karana, a young Indian girl who is left behind on an isolated island for eighteen years. He sets the story on the island of San Nicolas, a mere oversized rock off of the California coast. He opens the story with Karana, and her younger brother noticing a distant object gliding through the smooth sea: “At first it seemed like a small shell afloat on the sea. Then it grew larger and was a gull with folded wings.” They soon discover that it is a Russian ship teeming with unscrupulous hunters. The hunters are in pursuit of sea-otters, and San Nicolas Island harbors a bountiful supply.
Karana’s father, the Chief of Ghalas-at, makes a deal with the Russians for a percentage of their catch; however, the deceitful Russians attempt to steal away the sea-otters. A fatal exchange of fighting ensues. It is at this point that O’Dell jerks the reader from curiosity of the foreign hunters and throws them into the unstoppable whirl of devastation that forever alters the life of Karana.

Narrated by Karana, O’Dell moves the plot along nicely, and manages to present events in a suspenseful order. The reader wonders what the red ship holds, wonders how Karana will be deserted, wonders how she will live through her family’s death, and so it goes throughout the book. However, I would have liked to have felt Karana’s emotions on a deeper level. For example, after her young brother is mauled and killed by a pack of wild dogs, Karana narrates the series of events as if it is a play-by-play of a distant memory: “I carried Romo back to the village, reaching it when the sun was far down. The dogs followed me all the way, but when I had laid him down in the hut, and came out with a club in my hand, they trotted off to a low hill.” There seems to be a disconnect between the horrific events of Karana’s life and the raw emotions that she must have felt.

A prevailing theme in the book is the uncanny ability that people have to adapt in the worst of conditions. Karana is not only isolated for eighteen years, she is relentlessly faced with horrors, dangers, and adversities that would logically destroy even the strongest of people. Yet, Karana manages to find solace in her solitude: “By the time winter was over and grass began to show green on the hill my house was comfortable. I was sheltered from the wind and rain and prowling animals. I could cook anything I wished to eat. Everything I wanted was there at hand.”

In the 1990 reprint of Island of the Blue Dolphins, Ted Lewin lends his illustrations to illuminate the writing of Scott O’Dell. Chosen directly by O’Dell, Lewin depicts the book’s most poignant events with muted tones of soft watercolor paints. Each chapter contains one painting, and each painting appears to be a snapshot of frozen animation. Because the illustrations authentically capture the spirit of the novel, they enhance the reading experience, which of particular value in children’s literature.

Review Excerpts
Newbery Medal Winner of 1961
School Library Journal: “It is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.”
Children’s Literature: “Her survival story-fighting the wild dogs and loneliness, hunting for food, and hoping to be rescued-is spell binding.”

Connections
*Excellent required reading for ages 9 to 12.
*Could be used in a themed unit that encompasses history, science, and art.
*Students could imagine themselves deserted on an island, and they might write a page describing their adventure and how they feel.