Customer Reviews
Very Eccentric! Great Read! 
2008-06-07
Alone, on a deserted island. No weapons. Animal predators lurking where you can't see. A need for food. A drive for survival. That pretty much covers Karana's life, when her tribe sails away, and leaves her in the remains of living by herself, for years to come. There's numerous things she has to teach herself how to do--and many things that she'll discover that she will not do again. She has to learn exactly how to fend for herself--it's a life or death matter. After all, no one may ever come back to find her...
Awesome book, very eccentric--Not your average read!
You'll have to find out how Karana becomes courageous enough to take on her natural state of isolation.
I made my 9 year old son read this book and he loved it! 2008-06-04
Last summer my 9 year old son threw a fit because I said that he had to do a little summer reading - I literally started reading the book aloud to him while he was whinning. I read this book in my youth and remember really liking it. We ended up reading it together and he was so intrigued with what happened to Karana(the main character) and her struggles. I enjoyed reading it with him and seeing his reactions to the very grown-up situations that she had to deal with, i.e. hunting and gathering food. It is a quick read and I recommend reading it with your child.
Childhood Memories 2008-04-12
This book brings back good memories of my childhood and all the great books my teachers suggested. I am an avid reader and I bought this book so that I could have my own copy and re-read it whenever I wanted to. I plan on keeping this for my own children someday...I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.
Great Book! 2008-04-03
My daughter received this book for Easter. She loved it so much that she read it on Easter night. She said it was as great book. It must have been because she read it nonstop for a few hours.
A Warm Novel 2008-03-18
I read Island of The Blue Dolphins sometime before Christmas this year. It was a pleasure to read--it was simple, brief, and the characters were fresh and realistic. O' Dell used very descriptive writing, nevertheless, it did not go to where it is tedious to read because of the overload of words.
If you do not like novels without much action besides attacks with sea critters I would not recommend this book. This book has a place in my heart because it is 'warm', and just tells about someone's life. If novels were just about a regular school child's life, it would be drab, I admit. But with the novels written in this form, the main character usually has a twist--this one is that it is about a girl who lives on an island long ago, and has to fend for herself until she finds away to leave the island.
It certainly has earned its Newbery Award.
--Willow, aged 11
Reviews by Ms. Ryan's students 
2008-03-04
In the Pacific, there is an island that looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Around it blue dolphins swim, otters play, and sea birds abound. Karana is the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Hers is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.
read this book 2008-02-22
We are a group of third grade students and we have read the book Island of the Blue Dolphins. The boys in our group would give this book 4 ½ stars and the girls would give it 5 stars. The boys would give it a 4 ½ because of the slowness at the beginning and because of the sadness throughout the book because most of the people die. Overall, though, the boys say it's a good book. The girls give it a 5 because it's sad and exciting at the same time. The main character is a girl and in many other books the main character is a boy.
This is a book about a girl named Karana and her survival by herself on an island.
It is based on a true story that happened in the mid 1800's.
If you like animals, then we recommend that you read this book because it has a lot of animals in it. The beginning is kind of slow and a little bit sad but the book does become exciting. In this book, a lot of characters die, but that shouldn't be too scary to people unless they're under the age of eight or nine. If you don't like really sad books, this may not be the best pick, but it's a really good book in part because Karana leaves her fears behind and goes on with her life in an exciting, inspiring way.
IOBD STINKS! 
2008-02-07
This book is a teachers' pet, meaning every teacher makes kids read it. The book has good material, but there is no storyline, it's just random events that don't lead up to anything. Karana shows no emotion even tough everything around her dies or leaves her.
SPOILER ALERT!!!:::
Ending is horrible because Karana leaves the island, which is just dumb.
Stay away from this book.
A beautiful edition! 2008-01-30
Even years after reading it, I still remember how this book resonated with me. The story of a young girl left alone on an island when her people are relocated seems so simple. However, the story is much deeper than that. She must find food, shelter, create tools - in short, she must survive. After reading this I finally understood the phrase, "triumph of the human spirit." She triumphed, and I imagined all the things I could accomplish if she could do that. Everyone should read this book, old and young. A true classic, in every sense of the word.
This hardcover edition is especially beautiful, and I think the best presentation of the novel I have seen. The book has several full-page, full color illustrations throughout that will help even a reluctant reader get into the story. They are done in the same artistic style as the image on the cover. The illustrations, combined with a sturdy binding and a lovely dark blue dust jacket make for a collector quality publication. The retail price of $22 is a little high, but most stores will offer a discount that makes it worth while. Highly recommended!
good book 2008-01-12
I first read this book 17 years ago, so it had memories for me. Also I am crazy about dolphins so I just felt the urge to buy this book. It is a great story.
