Please purchase, or borrow, a copy of Island of the Blue Dolphins written by Scott Odell. The ISBN number is 978– 0–547–32861–4

Please look up a book summary online to make sure that the topics covered in this book are appropriate for your learner. Please be aware that this novel is written for young adults who are mature and able to handle reading and discussing life challenges.This book deals with loneliness, struggles for survival, and death of family members. This book covers serious topics, however it also focuses on the importance of believing in yourself and staying strong and fighting through your challenges.

Please note that there are stereotypes and cultural inaccuracies of Native Americans within this book. We will use the words 'Native Americans' and 'Indigenous People' instead of 'Indians' when we discuss the people in this text.  

In class, we will talk about the different themes that are found in this book. Students will learn about the difficulties that the main character encounters and how she finds inner strength to deal with the hardships around her. We will discuss how everybody encounters difficulties in their own lives and how we all have to make choices and set our minds to persevere.