Scott O'Dell
Island of the Blue Dolphins: A Newbery Award Winner
Stealth Science
Why this book counts
- Life Science
- Environment & Ecology
- Expedition / Survival
- Nature Narrative / Field Discovery
- Story / Adventure
Island of the Blue Dolphins leaves Karana alone within kelp beds, marine mammals, wild dogs, weather, and a limited island food supply for eighteen years. Her survival depends on learning the island's resources and animal dangers, so ecology is woven through the novel's courage and solitude.
The science inside
- Oceans & Marine Life
- Ecosystems
- Animals & Zoology
Your child will meet:
- An island ecosystem links marine and land organisms through habitat, food, shelter, and human use of limited resources.
- Kelp beds provide habitat and support a coastal food web that includes sea otters and other animals.
- Long-term survival requires adjusting resource use to seasons, animal behavior, and environmental limits.
Use it this way
Parent effort: Simple activity
Scott O'Dell's Newbery Medal-winning classic is a gripping tale of survival, strength, and courage. Based on the true story of a Nicoleño Indian girl living alone on an island off the coast of California, Island of the Blue Dolphins has captivated readers for generations.
On San Nicolas Island, dolphins flash in the surrounding blue waters, sea otter play in the vast kelp beds, and sea elephants loll on the stony beaches. Here, in the early 1800s, a girl named Karana spent eighteen years alone.
Karana had to contend with the ferocious pack of wild dogs that killed her younger brother, constantly guard against Aleutian sea otter hunters, and maintain a precarious food supply. Her courage, self-reliance, and grit has inspired millions of readers in this breathtaking adventure.
As Smithsonian magazine put it: "For kids all over the country, reading the book in language arts classes, Karana is a powerful symbol of their growing independence. Through her, they can imagine themselves making their way in the world alone--and thriving."
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