Weekly Reader Children's Book Club Presents Island of the Blue Dolphins

1961 Newbery Medal Winner Far off the coast of California looms a harsh rock known as the island of San Nicholas. Dolphins flash in the blue waters around it, sea otter play in the vast kep beds, and sea elephants loll on the stony beaches.Here, in the early 1800s, according to history, an Indian girl spent eighteen years alone, and this beautifully written novel is her story. It is a romantic adventure filled with drama and heartache, for not only was mere subsistence on so desolate a spot a near miracle, but Karana had to contend with the ferocious pack of wild dogs that had killed her younger brother, constantly guard against the Aleutian sea otter hunters, and maintain a precarious food supply.More than this, it is an adventure of the spirit that will haunt the reader long after the book has been put down. Karana's quiet courage, her Indian self-reliance and acceptance of fate, transform what to many would have been a devastating ordeal into an uplifting experience. From loneliness and terror come strength and serenity in this Newbery Medal-winning classic. 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 elephants and sea birds abound. Once, Indians also lived on the island. And when they left and sailed to the east, one young girl was left behind. This is the story of Karana, the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Year after year, she watched one season pass into another and waited for a ship to take her away. But while she waited, she kept herself alive by building shelter, making weapons, finding food, and fighting her enemies, the wild dogs Newbery Medal winner Island of the Blue Dolphins is considered one of the greatest children's books ever written. This story of survival is as haunting and beautiful today as it was when it first appeared in print. And now, just in time to celebrate the book's fiftieth anniversary, Sandpiper is honored to bring a new paperback edition of this masterpiece to the next generation. With gorgeous packaging and an introduction by Newbery Medal winner Lois Lowry, this version will guarantee Karana's story inspires readers for decades to come. Story of a young girl abandoned on a small island by her family and her village, and of her fight for survival. The incredible courage, determination and strength of this girl is showcased throughout as she learns to do the things that only the men of her tribe did before, and battles not only the hunters who frequent the island, but also her desperate loneliness as well... Excellent read for kids 11 and older. "Left alone on a beautiful but isolated island off the coast of California, a young Indian girl spends eighteen years, not only merely surviving through her enormous courage and self-reliance, but also finding a measure of happiness in her solitary life"--Title page verso The Gripping Story Of Young Karana, An Indian Girl Who Survives By Herself For Eighteen Years On A Deserted Island Off The California Coast. A Quiet Acceptance Of Fate Characterizes Her Ordeal.