A book as sad as it is uplifting. I couldn't stop reading it. O' Dell has a deft touch in both descriptive and emotional passages. He refrains from being overly sentimental and lets his wonderful writing and the simple sad beauty of Karana's story do all the talking.

This book is a great castaway/survival story, and Karana's many adventures, indeed her daily life, proves very entertaining. But there are also lessons to be learnt, especially in the way Karana accepts and adapts to her new, solitary life- becoming resourceful, keeping her spirits up and, what I found most touching, the way she befriends the many animals, even those formerly her enemies.

Being a fan of anything to do with the sea, I also loved O'Dell's many descriptions of marine life. The way he describes the habitats, the flora, the biology of the animals is always fascinating and informative without bogging the story down.

A beautiful little book. I loved it. ( )

This story is a great read aloud for upper elementary students. It teaches about culture, independence, love, and survival. Children can relate on most levels and will not want to put down this story. Karana left along on the Island of the Blue Dolphins, is forced to survive on her own. She is a girl who lived through invasion, killing, and loss. It is so heartwarming to read about a girl so happy and never negatively thinking. I think its good for kids to read and understand that with the right attitude, they can get through anything. ( )

One of the most interesting things to me about this book was how Karana survives by herself for so many years. The author's note states that there really was a girl who lived alone on an island for 18 years. I thought Mr. O'Dell did a great job imagining what her life was like. I liked the way in which she tamed the animals that lived with her and found companionship. It's interesting to see how her feelings change - how she was glad to live on the island after her abortive trip to the mainland, and then how her willingness to leave gradually grew as her desire for human companionship grew stronger. ( )

This was read out loud to us in like the 5th grade. I remember being aggravated that the teacher wouldn't read more to us at one time, so I went to the library and checked it out, finished it that night. Taught her a lesson I'm sure. The book was awesome, waiting every day to learn just a little more about the main character (can't remember her name)was very hard for me, thus the reason I took matters into my own hands. ( )

Karana lives alone on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. The rest of her tribe escaped on a ship, but Karana had to stay behind to care for her little brother. This is short-lived, however; it is not long before the little brother wanders into trouble yet again and this time he is devoured by wild dogs.Karana is now truly alone. Quite unexpectedly, she captures and befriends the leader of the wild dogs. The rest of the book tells the story of her struggles with dangers on the island, including the elements and the arrival of foreigners, and her struggles with loneliness during her many years on the island.For me, it was the moment in the book where Karana befriends her brother’s killer that makes the book leap into excellence, into becoming Newbery-worthy. ( )