#177 in Children’s books
Island of the Blue Dolphins
- 184
- Pages
- about 3.5 h
- Reading time
- Newbery Medal
- Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis
Affiliate link: buying through it supports BookRank at no extra cost to you.
Our view
“Island of the Blue Dolphins” is a quiet, clearly written story of a girl who survives for years by herself on an island off California. Its strength lies in the patient detail of how Karana makes a life there, and it is as much about loneliness as about danger. Some adults returning to it find it less gripping than in childhood; others find parts of it very sad. Short enough to read aloud.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
Island of the Blue Dolphins is a 1960 children's novel by American author Scott O'Dell, which tells the story of a girl named Karana who is stranded alone for years on an island off the California coast. It is based on the true story of Juana Maria, a Nicoleño Native American left alone for 18 years on San Nicolas Island during the nineteenth century.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.4 across 328 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 69% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Children’s books average of 7.9. That is how 7.5 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.3 | 56 | 17% |
| Hardcover | 7.2 | 272 | 83% |
Frequently asked
What age is Island of the Blue Dolphins for?
Island of the Blue Dolphins sits on the Children shelf in the sources we use, which by convention means roughly ages 5–10. This is a guide from the book’s category, not a publisher’s age rating. It has 184 pages — shorter than 98% of the ranked books in Children’s books.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Children’s books — with scores between 7.5 and 8.2, closest to this book.
