Smithsonian Magazine
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4th December 2017
What Archaeologists and Historians Are Finding About the Heroine of a Beloved Young Adult Novel
A long-beloved children’s classic, Island of the Blue Dolphins is Scott O’Dell’s 1960 imagining of one of California’s most enigmatic historical figures. It tells the story of Karana, a young Nicoleño girl left behind on a remote island off the coast of southern California. Karana, only 12 years old at the book’s beginning, turns out to be adept at hunting, building and tool-making, and quickly becomes a strong, capable young woman surviving in an unforgiving wilderness. For kids all over the country, reading the book in language arts classes, Karana is a powerful symbol of their growing independence. Through her, they can imagine themselves making their way in the world alone—and thriving.