Reading
Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O'Dell
illustrated by E. B. Lewis
Overview
| Genre | Historical Fiction |
| Vocabulary Strategy | Dictionary/Glossary |
| Comprehension Skill | Theme and Setting |
| Comprehension Strategy | Visualize |
Vocabulary
| gnawed | bitten or worn away |
| headland | narrow ridge of high land jutting out into water; promontory |
| kelp | any of various large, tough, brown seaweeds |
| lair | den or resting place of a wild animal |
| ravine | a long, deep, narrow valley eroded by running water |
| shellfish | a water animal with a shell (oysters, clams, crabs, lobsters) |
| sinew | tendon |
More Words to Know
| brackish | slightly salty |
| cove | a small, sheltered bay; inlet on a shore |
| deafening | very loud; amazingly noisy |
Summary (English)
Karana lived alone on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. She needed to find a place to build a shelter. One place was too close to the wild dogs. Another place was too noisy. The sea elephants' barking would keep her awake. Then Karana found a safe place near some big rocks.
First, Karana used branches to make a place to sleep. Then, she used whale ribs to build a fence next to a big rock. The fence would keep animals away from the food she gathered.
Then, she gathered wooden poles and big leaves. She tied these together to make the walls and roof of her house. Karana made bowls for cooking and shelves to hold her food. Now she had food and shelter. She was alone but she had what she needed.
Summary (Spanish)
Karana vivía sola en la isla de los delfines azules. Necesitaba encontrar un lugar para construit su refugio. Uno de los lugares estaba muy cerca de los perros salvajes. En otro había mucho ruido. Los ladridos de los elefantes marinos la despertarían. Luego, Karana encontró un lugar seguro cerca de unas rocas grandes.
Primero usó ramas para hacer un lugar donde dormer. Luego, usó costillas de ballena para hacer una cerca al lado de una roca grande. La cerca mantendría a los animales alejados de la comida que recolectara.
Después buscó palos y hojas grandes. Amarró todas esas cosas juntas para hacer las paredes y el techo de su casa. Karana hizo ollas para cocinar y armarios para guardar su comida. Ya tenía comida y refugio. Estaba sola, pero tenía lo que necesitaba.