I have read Island of the Blue Dolphins several times. Each time I pick it up, Scott O'Dell's writing helps my imagination take me to a whole other world. In this novelization of a true story, a young woman lives alone on an island for years. She endures many hardships and fights the elements to survive. Reading this book makes me feel very thankful for the good things I have in my life, even just the simple necessities like food and shelter. If you are a parent looking for a chapter book for your young reader, this may be a good option. Warning: this book is a tear-jerker. It is impossible not to feel for the main character, Karana. I would recommend this book to almost anyone. Read it on a good day, read it on your worst day, read it waiting for a plane ...maybe don't read it on the beach, especially an island.
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.