If you like survival stories, then you will definitely like this book. It is a major survival story, and there is a battle in it for those of you who enjoy action stories. You would not like this novel if explanations of how things are made bore you, because there are a lot of things that are made, and almost all of it is explained. If you like animals then you might also like this book. She takes care of a lot of animals, but some parts might be sad for you, as some of the animals die. You would not like this book if, for books to be interesting, there needs to be dialogue. There isn’t much talking. Most of the book is where Karana is alone. You would also like this book if you like quick reads, not long, thick books that take forever to read.
I would rate this book a ten out of ten. I really liked this book. I love descriptive books, because I love to almost have a movie playing in my head. This book describes all of the things that she does, and I really like that in a book.
I have learned that you have to keep going even when it is very difficult. You can’t give up just because you are scared. If you want to survive when you are alone, then you have to work at it. Nothing will be handed to you, especially when you’re by yourself. I also learned that you have to be cautious if you want to stay alive. You can’t trust everything you see, and you have to be especially wary when you are around strange people.
I also learned that sometimes turning back is the smartest thing to do. It is better to turn back and survive than to keep going and fail. Failing Karana’s mission would have resulted in death, but she survived by turning back and it turns out that Karana was happier on her island. Only when she got back did she realize how much she had missed her island. People usually like to stay in places that they are familiar with: a place that feels like home.
I also learned that to make friends, all it takes is one word, and that can be the start of an entire friendship. If you try hard enough, you can be friends with almost anyone.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Island of the Blue Dolphins
I read the book Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. The name of the main character in this book is Karana, and she was abandoned on an island for eighteen years. She has had to make many decisions and choices. In the beginning of the book some white men came and were going to bring what was left of the village to the mainland, and her brother had gotten left behind, so she jumped in the ocean to go be with him. I agree with this decision whole-heartedly, but I don’t know if I would have had the courage to jump in the ocean and swim back to the island.
Another decision Karana had to make after her brother had been killed by the wild dogs was if she was going to leave the island and go to the place where her village had gone. She ended up leaving, but had to turn back because her canoe was falling apart. I agree with this decision, too, but I think that I would have been sorely tempted to keep going after I had already expended so much effort.
I think that Karana is very different from me. She has so much courage, and knows everything about the island she lives on. She knew exactly what to do and how to get food when she was left alone. I probably could manage by myself, but I would have to figure out a lot before I could live comfortably.
I think Karana is like me in that she wants revenge when she feels it necessary. When the wild dogs killed her brother she vowed to kill all of them. She didn’t end up doing that, but I probably would have vowed the same.
I liked this book because it shows how strong and smart a woman can be. Karana survived on an island by herself for eighteen years, quite comfortably. She knew how to gather all of her food, and how to make the weapons and how to make the tools she needed. Karana also had enough downtime to make herself pretty clothes, earrings, and shoes.
I also like how descriptive this book is. The author explains everything that Karana does, and everything she makes. It’s interesting to know how she survives and all of her experiences. She knows exactly how to prepare and store all of her food, and how to keep it safe from dogs and foxes, and anything else that might like a nice meal.
Another decision Karana had to make after her brother had been killed by the wild dogs was if she was going to leave the island and go to the place where her village had gone. She ended up leaving, but had to turn back because her canoe was falling apart. I agree with this decision, too, but I think that I would have been sorely tempted to keep going after I had already expended so much effort.
I think that Karana is very different from me. She has so much courage, and knows everything about the island she lives on. She knew exactly what to do and how to get food when she was left alone. I probably could manage by myself, but I would have to figure out a lot before I could live comfortably.
I think Karana is like me in that she wants revenge when she feels it necessary. When the wild dogs killed her brother she vowed to kill all of them. She didn’t end up doing that, but I probably would have vowed the same.
I liked this book because it shows how strong and smart a woman can be. Karana survived on an island by herself for eighteen years, quite comfortably. She knew how to gather all of her food, and how to make the weapons and how to make the tools she needed. Karana also had enough downtime to make herself pretty clothes, earrings, and shoes.
I also like how descriptive this book is. The author explains everything that Karana does, and everything she makes. It’s interesting to know how she survives and all of her experiences. She knows exactly how to prepare and store all of her food, and how to keep it safe from dogs and foxes, and anything else that might like a nice meal.
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