This week the girls and I started a new book. We were debating between The Hunger Games and Island of the Blue Dolphins. The library was out of the former, so we didn't have to flip a coin to decide after all. After reading the synopsis (I've never read the book before), I was concerned that some of the story might feel too intense for the youngest (5 years old). The story begins with a description of the island and its inhabitants. There are descriptions of the people's way of life; the type of food they hunt and gather, how and where their village is situated, etc. The conflict begins when a ship appears on the horizon and strangers come to hunt the otter that live in the surrounding waters. Through suspicion and spying, each group keeps strict tabs on the other. The last we read, the main character, Karana, watched the men of her village fighting with the outsiders and in the end, her father, the chief, laid dead on the beach.
My daughters were well engaged in the chapters. I was wondering if the subject matter would feel too simple, slow and old-fashioned for them. They have recently read much more modern accounts full of action. The fight and the death, while sad, were handled with a minimum of gore or gratuitous descriptions of the violence, so my youngest was not terribly shaken up by it. The girls loved the descriptions of the island and the animals. I think they will enjoy this book. It is a simple and quick read so far.
5/22/11 - 25 min
5/24/11 - 40 min
5/25/11 - 35 min
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