Island of the Blue Dolphins is a tale of survival and courage. Twelve-year-old Karana lives on the Island of the Blue Dolphins with her family in a peaceful hunter-gatherer society until Aleuts, led by a Russian named Captain Orlov, come there to trade goods with the islanders for the right to hunt otter. However, Orlov and the Aleuts are greedy—they kill far too many otters and then attempt to cheat the tribe. A battle between the natives and the Aleut hunters ensues and Karana’s tribe is devastated.With many of her people left dead (Karana’s father, the Chief of the tribe, included), a new leader is selected. The new Chief decides that subsistence on the island is too difficult, and he arranges for the remnants of the tribe to leave for a new land. Just as the ship is about to set sail, Karana’s little brother, Ramo, cannot be found. Karana refuses to leave without him, so she swims ashore. The ship departs and they are left alone on the island.
Matters only get worse. It isn’t long before Ramo is killed by a pack of wild dogs and Karana is left with no one—she is the last member of her tribe on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Though she must endure loneliness, danger, and grief, Karana learns to survive on the island through self-reliance, resourcefulness, and her relationships with the animals of the island. —Jacqueline Danziger-Russell
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