{"product_id":"island-of-the-blue-dolphins-a-newbery-award-winner-9780395069622","title":"Island of the Blue Dolphins: A Newbery Award Winner","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eScott O'Dell's Newbery Medal-winning classic is a gripping tale of survival, strength, and courage. Based on the true story of a Nicole?o Indian girl living alone on an island off the coast of California, \u003cem\u003e Island of the Blue Dolphins\u003c\/em\u003e has captivated readers for generations.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn San Nicolas Island, dolphins flash in the surrounding blue waters, sea otter play in the vast kelp beds, and sea elephants loll on the stony beaches. Here, in the early 1800s, a girl named Karana spent eighteen years alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKarana had to contend with the ferocious pack of wild dogs that killed her younger brother, constantly guard against Aleutian sea otter hunters, and maintain a precarious food supply. Her courage, self-reliance, and grit has inspired millions of readers in this breathtaking adventure.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs \u003cem\u003eSmithsonian \u003c\/em\u003emagazine put it: \"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.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eO'Dell, Scott:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eScott O'Dell (1898-1989), one of the most respected authors of historical fiction, received the Newbery Medal, three Newbery Honor Medals, and the Hans Christian Andersen Author Medal, the highest international recognition for a body of work by an author of books for young readers. Some of his many books include \u003cem\u003eThe Island of the Blue Dolphins\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Road to Damietta\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSing Down the Moon\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eThe Black Pearl\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLewin, Ted:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eTed Lewin grew up in an old frame house in Buffalo, New York, with two brothers, one sister, two parents, a lion, an iguana, a chimpanzee, and an assortment of more conventional pets. The lion was given to his older brother, Don, while he was traveling as a professional wrestler, and he shipped it home. The family kept Sheba in the basement fruit cellar until Don returned and their mother convinced him to give it to the Buffalo zoo. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTed always knew he wanted to be an illustrator. As a child he copied the work of illustrators and painters he admired, including N. C. Wyeth, Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Vel�zquez, and Goya. When it came time to go to art school (Pratt), he needed to earn money to finance his education. So, following in his brother's footsteps, he took a summer job as a wrestler -- the beginning of a 15-year part-time career that eventually inspired his autobiographical book \u003cem\u003eI Was a Teenage Professional Wrestler.\u003c\/em\u003e Ted's career as an artist began with illustrations for adventure magazines, and it's only over the last several years that he has devoted his time to writing and illustrating children's books. \"I'm having more fun doing this than anything I've ever done before,\" he says. He is an avid traveler, and many of his books are inspired by trips to such places as the Amazon River, the Sahara Desert, Botswana, Egypt, Lapland, and India. His \u003cem\u003eMarket!\u003c\/em\u003e, published in 1996, showcases markets around the world, from Uganda to Ireland to Ecuador.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTouch and Go\u003c\/em\u003e is a collection of stories about the adventures Ted had while researching his books. \u003cem\u003eGorilla Walk\u003c\/em\u003e is his first collaboration with his wife, Betsy, and is about their trek to see the mountain gorillas in Uganda. They've just completed their second collaboration, \u003cem\u003eElephant Quest\u003c\/em\u003e, set in the Okavango Delta of Botswana. Ted's current project is about a Civil War drummer boy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTed and Betsy live in Brooklyn, New York, where they share their home with two cats, Slick and Chopper.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Clarion Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50629977047314,"sku":"9780395069622","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_03988651-e4a4-43c5-878c-5f15f5851634.jpg?v=1748520173","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/island-of-the-blue-dolphins-a-newbery-award-winner-9780395069622","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}