Who comes to the island of the blue dolphins to hunt otter?

(A) A Californian fur cartel

(B) Settlers from Virginia hoping to open new trade routes with Karana's tribe
(C) A Russian and a people known as the Aleuts
(D) Hunters from Alaska
What is Karana's brother's name?
(A) Rontu
(B) Ramo
(C) Chowig
(D) Won-a-pa-lei
What happens when the Aleuts try to leave the island?
(A) They get into a fight with Karana's people
(B) They pay for the otter they have killed and make plans to return next year
(C) They throw a party for the people of Ghalas-at to thank them for being so
hospitable
(D) They attack Karana's village in the night and kill many of her friends
Why do the people of Ghalas-at believe Chowig died?
(A) Because he ate poisonous mushrooms
(B) Because he swam too far away from the shore
(C) Because he told his secret name to a stanger
Where does Kiki go in the spring after the Aleuts leave Ghalas-at?
(A) To a land across the sea to the east
(B) To attack the Aleuts
(C) To find a new chief for the village
What does Ulape put on her face before she leaves the island/
(A) The mark of her tribe
(B) Lipstick to attract a boy she likes
(C) A salve to protect her from sunburn
(D) A mark that means she is unmarried
Where does Ramo go when everyone is on their way to the ship
(A) Back to the village to get his spear

(B) Ahead to the beach so he can be the first on the ship

(C) To the spring to get water
(D) Back to the spring to get his knife
Why does Karana end up back on the island?
(A) She falls of the ship and washes ashore
(B) The ship leaves her behind (they forget to take her with them)
(C) She jumps off the ship to go back for her brother
(D) She jumps off the ship to go back for her fishing spear
Who is in the village when Karana and her brother get back there after being left behind
by the ship?
(A) Chowig
(B) Foxes
(C) Matasaip
(D) The wild dogs
What happens to Karana's brother when he goes out to get a canoe?
(A) He gets lost on his way home and Karana has to go out and find him
(B) He is killed by the wild dogs
(C) He finds a new spring
(D) He meets an Aleut girl
Why does Karana hesitate to make weapons?
(A) Because the laws of her people forbid women to make weapons
(B) Because she is afraid she will hurt herself
(C) Because there are no straight trees on the island
(D) Because she should be gathering food for the winter instead
Why does Karana decide to leave Ghalas-at?
(A) Because she is out of water
(B) Because she knows the white men will not come soon because it is winter
(C) Because she knows the white men will not come for her in the summer
(D) Because she wants to try out her new canoe
What does Karana see during her trip on the ocean that helps her get home?
(A) The stars

(B) Otters
(C) The sun
(D) Dolphins
Out of what does Karana make the fence around her house?
(A) Wooden poles
(B) Whale bones
(C) Sea elephant tusks
(D) Planks from old canoes
Where does Karana build her house?
(A) Near her old village
(B) On the headland
(C) Near the wild dogs' cave
(D) On the beach
Why does Karana go to hunt sea elephants?
(A) She wants to make their teeth into spearheads
(B) She needs their skin to make clothes
(C) She has to kill them before they kill her
(D) She wants to try out her new bow
What happens when Karana goes to hunt the sea elephants?
(A) She accidentally kills two of them
(B) She kills one with her bow and arrows
(C) She runs away ad loses her spear
(D) Two of the sea elephants get into a fight, and Karana hurts herself avoiding them
What does Karana make a special spear to catch?
(A) Bass
(B) Foxes
(C) Wild dogs
(D) Devilfish
Who is Tainor?
(A) An Aleut girl who comes to Ghalas-at
(B) An otter Karana nurses back to health

(C) A bird
(D) A boy who left the island with the rest of Karana's people
What does Karana find in Black Cave?
(A) A place to store her canoe
(B) A skeleton playing a flute
(C) A skirt of Cormorant feathers
(D) A pack of wild dogs
What does Karana tell Tutok before she leaves?
(A) Her secret name
(B) Where to find the otters
(C) How much she liked having a friend
(D) The way to make a cormorant skirt
Who is Rontu-Aru?
(A) A brown dog that Karana befriends after Rontu dies
(B) An otter that Karana called Mon-a-nee before she realized it was a girl otter
(C) Ronu's son, who Karana makes into a pet
According to Karana, what sound is like the human voice?
(A) The lapping of waves on the inside of a cave
(B) The screeching of gulls
(C) Nothing in the world
(D) The sounds Rontu makes when her wants part of Karana's meal

Who comes to the island of the blue dolphins to hunt otter?

(A) A Californian fur cartel
(B) Settlers from Virginia hoping to open new trade routes with Karana's tribe
(C) A Russian and a people known as the Aleuts
(D) Hunters from Alaska
What is Karana's brother's name?
(A) Rontu
(B) Ramo
(C) Chowig

(D) Won-a-pa-lei
What happens when the Aleuts try to leave the island?
(A) They get into a fight with Karana's people
(B) They pay for the otter they have killed and make plans to return next year
(C) They throw a party for the people of Ghalas-at to thank them for being so
hospitable
(D) They attack Karana's village in the night and kill many of her friends
Why do the people of Ghalas-at believe Chowig died?
(A) Because he ate poisonous mushrooms
(B) Because he swam too far away from the shore
(C) Because he told his secret name to a stanger
Where does Kiki go in the spring after the Aleuts leave Ghalas-at?
(A) To a land across the sea to the east
(B) To attack the Aleuts
(C) To find a new chief for the village
What does Ulape put on her face before she leaves the island/
(A) The mark of her tribe
(B) Lipstick to attract a boy she likes
(C) A salve to protect her from sunburn
(D) A mark that means she is unmarried
Where does Ramo go when everyone is on their way to the ship
(A) Back to the village to get his spear
(B) Ahead to the beach so he can be the first on the ship
(C) To the spring to get water
(D) Back to the spring to get his knife
Why does Karana end up back on the island?
(A) She falls of the ship and washes ashore
(B) The ship leaves her behind (they forget to take her with them)
(C) She jumps off the ship to go back for her brother
(D) She jumps off the ship to go back for her fishing spear

Who is in the village when Karana and her brother get back there after being left behind
by the ship?
(A) Chowig
(B) Foxes
(C) Matasaip
(D) The wild dogs
What happens to Karana's brother when he goes out to get a canoe?
(A) He gets lost on his way home and Karana has to go out and find him
(B) He is killed by the wild dogs
(C) He finds a new spring
(D) He meets an Aleut girl
Why does Karana hesitate to make weapons?
(A) Because the laws of her people forbid women to make weapons
(B) Because she is afraid she will hurt herself
(C) Because there are no straight trees on the island
(D) Because she should be gathering food for the winter instead
Why does Karana decide to leave Ghalas-at?
(A) Because she is out of water
(B) Because she knows the white men will not come soon because it is winter
(C) Because she knows the white men will not come for her in the summer
(D) Because she wants to try out her new canoe
What does Karana see during her trip on the ocean that helps her get home?
(A) The stars
(B) Otters
(C) The sun
(D) Dolphins
Out of what does Karana make the fence around her house?
(A) Wooden poles
(B) Whale bones
(C) Sea elephant tusks
(D) Planks from old canoes
Where does Karana build her house?

(A) Near her old village

(B) On the headland
(C) Near the wild dogs' cave
(D) On the beach
Why does Karana go to hunt sea elephants?
(A) She wants to make their teeth into spearheads
(B) She needs their skin to make clothes
(C) She has to kill them before they kill her
(D) She wants to try out her new bow
What happens when Karana goes to hunt the sea elephants?
(A) She accidentally kills two of them
(B) She kills one with her bow and arrows
(C) She runs away ad loses her spear
(D) Two of the sea elephants get into a fight, and Karana hurts herself avoiding them
What does Karana make a special spear to catch?
(A) Bass
(B) Foxes
(C) Wild dogs
(D) Devilfish
Who is Tainor?
(A) An Aleut girl who comes to Ghalas-at
(B) An otter Karana nurses back to health
(C) A bird
(D) A boy who left the island with the rest of Karana's people
What does Karana find in Black Cave?
(A) A place to store her canoe
(B) A skeleton playing a flute
(C) A skirt of Cormorant feathers
(D) A pack of wild dogs
What does Karana tell Tutok before she leaves?
(A) Her secret name

(B) Where to find the otters

(C) How much she liked having a friend
(D) The way to make a cormorant skirt
Who is Rontu-Aru?
(A) A brown dog that Karana befriends after Rontu dies
(B) An otter that Karana called Mon-a-nee before she realized it was a girl otter
(C) Ronu's son, who Karana makes into a pet
According to Karana, what sound is like the human voice?
(A) The lapping of waves on the inside of a cave
(B) The screeching of gulls
(C) Nothing in the world
(D) The sounds Rontu makes when her wants part of Karana's meal

Question Excerpt
1. Why did only Karana's father speak to the Russian?
A.He was the first to reach them.
B.He was the chief of the tribe.
C.Unlike the others, he was not afraid to speak to them.
D.He lost at Rock-Paper-Scissors
2. How does Karana describe her brother Ramo's eyes?
A.They were black like midnight.
B.They were dreamy.
C.They were black like a lizard's eyes.
D.They were green as the Emerald Sea.
3. What reason did the Russian give Karana's father for coming to
the island?
A.To search for hidden treasures.
B.To search for wild dogs to take back to native country.
C.To hunt for deer, turkey, and beavers that inhabit the island.
D.To hunt for sea otters.
4. Why is the book called Island of the Blue Dolphin?
A.The shape of the island is like a dolphin.
B.There are blue dolphins that live in the cove.
C.The Russians named it when they came to hunt dolphins.
D.Karana and her brother liked dolphins, so they named it.
5. Why didn't the islanders make friends with the hunters?
A.They had troubles in the past with visitors.
B.They could not understand the language.
C.They did not like the food they brought to the feast.
D.There were too many to befriend.
6. What was the good fortune that befell the islanders?
A.a school of white bass
B.a pod of dolphins
C.a herd of deer
D.a pack of wild dogs
7. Why didn't Karana watch the Aleuts hunt sea otters?
A.She was busy picking ginger.
B.She was helping her brother gather wood.
C.She was watching the lady islanders make jewelry.
D.She was a friend to the otters, and did not like seeing them hurt

.
8. Why were the islanders working on the log that washed ashore?
A.They were chopping the wood to make fires.
B.They were making canoes from the wood,
C.They were splitting the wood to help build their shelters.
D.They were helping the Russians repair their boats.
9. Why were the islanders concerned about the Aleut hunters
leaving the island?
A.They were afraid they would leave without paying .
B.They were afraid they would leave without them.
C.They were afraid they would leave the island without cleaning
up.
D. They were afraid they would leave without saying goodbye.

10. Why wouldn't the chief agree to Captain Orlov's offer at first?
A.He felt the Captain was trying to trick him.
B.He wanted the Captain to give him one chest, instead of three.
C.He wanted the Captain to give him three chests, instead of one.
D.He was not sure what was in the chests.
11. How did the chief try to get a fair deal?
A.He kept the sea otter pelts until the Aleuts delivered the chest.
B.He had one Aleut stay back until the chest was delivered.
C.He drew straws with Captain Orlov to see who would echange
first.
D.He let one person from his tribe choose a chest.
12. What was the myth that islanders believed lessened the chief's
power?
A.If it rained during his ceremony.
B.If he wore red during battle.
C.If he spoke his real name.
D.If he caught a sea otter while out fishing with the tribe.
13. How many islanders were slain after the battle?
A.15
B.27
C.42
D.6

14. How did the role of the women change after the battle?
A.They had to cook less food.
B.They had to start teaching the young children how to speak
Russian.
C.They had to start doing more work to make up for the islanders
killed in the battle.
D.They had to start hunting wild dogs.
15. Why were the islanders unhappy?
A.They were sad from all of the memories.
B.They did not like living with the Russians.
C.They did not like having to build new homes.
D.They were scared of the wild dogs.

By Scott O'Dell

Chapter Study Guides .

Chapter 1
1. Who is telling the story?
2. What is the name of village? (4)
3. Who is in charge of the island? (5)
4. Who is Captain Orlov, and what does he want? (6)
5. What change had to be made before the chief would accept
Captain Orlov's offer? (7)
6. If you were in charge of the island, would you accept
Captain Orlov's offer? Why? Why not?

Chapters 2 & 3
1. Why did the chief warn the villagers not to visit the Aleut
camp?
2. What good fortune came to the villagers? (12)
3. Why did Wana-a-pa-lei become angry when she saw
hunters with spears? (16)
4. Why was everyone concerned when they knew the Aleuts
would soon leave the

island? (17)

5. Find these words in Chapter 2 and write the sentence that

contains the word. What do you think these words mean?
A) league (9)
b) cormorant (11)
c) school (12)
d) pelts (13)
c) carcasses (16)

Chapters 4 & 5

Vocabulary
scatter spearhead

shirk

portion

bale

echo

warrior pursue weep

decree ample mischief burden voyage

council

launch

1. What caused a fight between the Aleuts of and the villagers?

2. What happened to Chief Chowig?
3. What did Karana (Wan-a-pa-lei) say was the reason for
this? (24)
4. What are abolones? (26) tunas? (27)
5. Why was life not so peaceful at Ghalas-at after the Aleuts
went away? (27)
6. What did Kimki decide to do in the spring?

Chapters 6 & 7
1. Who is Kimki, and what happened to him?
2. Who is Matasaip?
3. Create a storyboard to show what the villagers planned to
do if the Aleuts came back to the island.
4. Nanko spotted a ship, but it was not the Aleuts. Who was in
this ship, and why had they come to the island?
5. Why do you think Ulape drew a blue mark on her face?
6. Why did Karana jump off of the ship into the water?

7. What do you think will happen next?

Chapter 8
1. Why did Ramo not want the ship to come back for them?
2. Describe the "rites of manhood."
3. Why was Karana afraid when Ramo went alone to get the
canoes?
4. Why did she decide not to go after him?
5. What happened to Ramo?
6. What did Karana vow to do?
7. Create an open mind to show how Karana felt when she
found her brother in the circle.

Chapter 9
1. Why do you think Karana set her village on fire?
2. Why did Karana sleep on a high rock?
3. What was she looking for when she found the chest of
jewels?
4. Why do you think she threw the jewels away instead of
keeping them?

5. It was against the law of the tribe for women to make

weapons. What did she think might happen to her if she made
weapons? (List four [4] things)
a)
b)
c)
d)

Chapter 10
1. Why did Karana decide to leave the island?
2. What did she use as a guide to find her way to the East
country where Kimki had gone? (Name three [3] things.)
3. Why did she decide to turn back to the island?
4. What good fortune did she have that helped her to get back
home?
5. What is "Magat" ?
6. How did Karana feel when she finally reached the island?

Chapters 11 & 12

1. Karana left the island because she could not bear to live
there alone another day; yet when she returned she felt happy.
List four things that made Karana feel happy.
a)
b)
c)
d)
2. Karana had to build a house since she had burned all the houses
in the village. Give three reasons why she decided to build her house
on the headlands.
a)
b)
c)
3. What did Karana use to build a fence?
4. Why did she build the fence before she built the house?
5. Describe the two (2) utensils that Karana made for cooking.
a)
b)
6. What are sai-sai? What did Karana use them for?
7. Why did she want to kill a sea elephant?

8. Read over the description of Karana's new house and fence

carefully; then draw a picture to show what it looks like based upon
the description in the book.

Chapters 13 & 14

Vocabulary
slope thrust bellow gash swallow
rival

stun waddle flank

herbs

lobe
surround

opposite venture
stalk

1. Read the description of the female sea elephant (cow) and

the male sea elephant (bull). Then compare/contrast the two in
a Venn Diagram. Show how they are alike and how they are
different,
2. Why was Karana unable to kill the young sea elephant?
3. How did she hurt her leg?
4. What happened when Karana went to the ravine for water?
5. Why did she spend six (6) days in the cave?
6. Why did she decide to make the cave another house?
7. What did Karana find when she returned to the place where
the sea elephants lived?

Chapter 15

Vocabulary
bold

trail

limp

mend

dawn

carcass gnaw wound swallow yawn

.

1. Where had the yellow-eyed dog come from?

2. How did karana get the dogs to come out of the cave?
3.What happened when the leader came out?
4. What did she do when she found the wounded dog?
5. What did Karana do when she left the house at dawn, and
what did she find when she returned each day?
a)
b)
6. What did Karana decide to name the dog, and what does
this name mean?

Chapters 16 & 17
1. Why did Karana want to make her canoe smaller?

2. List five (5) steps to tell how she did this.

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
3. What kept karana from being lonely?
4. How are the fish in the sea cave different from those on the
reef?
a)
b)
5. What do you think is the reason for these differences?
6. Why did Karana think that finding the sea cave was a great
discovery?
7. Read the description of the devil fish, and draw a picture to
match the description.
8. Nature has given all animals a natural defense. How does
the devil fish protect itself from attackers?
9. Name three other familiar animals and describe the natural
defense of each.

a)
b)
c)
10. Describe the spear that Karana made in order to kill the
devil fish.
11. Nature always gives us signs to let us know when the
seasons change. What signs of nature let Karana know when
spring began?
12. Make an open mind to show Karana's thoughts about
Rontu.
13. What happened when Rontu encountered the other wild
dogs?
14. Karana could have killed the attackers, but she decided not
to help Rontu. Why?
15. What did Rontu do after the battle was over? What do you
think that action means?

Chapters 18 & 19

Vocabulary
cluster

globe

quarrelsome

pouch

sandals

twine

wreath

singe

mourning

faggot

prey

scallops

urchins

injure

flailing

1. Where did Karana get the birds that became her friends?
2. Why did she cut the tips of their wings?
3. What names did she give to her two new friends
4. What did Karana use to make her clothes?
a) skirt
b) belt
c) sandals
d) for her hair
5. How does the devil fish swim/
6. How did Rontu get caught by the devilfish?
7. Why are devilfish dangerous in the water?
8. How did karana save Rontu from the devilfish?

Chapters 20 & 21

1. Karana created an illusion in order to keep the gulls away

from her food. Explain how she did this and how it worked.
2. What are cormorants? Why did Karana kill them?
3. What did Karana discover in the cave that made her afraid?
4. Why did she move everything from her house to the cave at
the ravine?
5. Karana wanted to make it look as if no one have lived in her
house for a long time. Why do you think she did this?
6. Why did Karana leave Rontu in the cave at night?
7. How did she occupy herself while hiding out in the cave?
8. Create a storyboard to show what happened when the Aleut
girl came to the cave where Karana lived.
9. Why did karana leave the cave and go to the the west part of
the island?
10. What did Karana find when she returned to the cave?
11. What do you think will happen next?

Chapters 22 & 23

Vocabulary .
loop

peer (v) gesture farewell bore (v)

bale

deserted

harbor

squint

gash

glossy reproachfully

1. Who is Tutok, and what game did Karana play with her?
2. What do you think these phrases mean?
a) "Mah-nay"
b) "Pah-say-no"

3. Why do you think Karana revealed her secret name to

Tutok?
4. What gift did Karana make for Tutok?
5. Why did Tutok leave and not return?
6. What did Karana find after the Aleut hunters had left the
island?
7. Why did she not try to treat its wounds?
8. What name did she give to the otter, and what does the
name mean?
9. Why did the otter leave the pool where Karana had cared for
it?
10. Make an Open Mind to show how Karana thought of Tutok
and the end of this chapter.

Chapters 24 & 25

Vocabulary
speckled fledgling teetering hobble hollow pebbles

1. Who are Tainor and Lurai, and why did Rontu hide from
them?
2. Who made up Karana's new family?
3. Why did Karana change the otter's name to "Won-a-nee"?
4. What made her decide never to kill another animal?
5. Why did the herd of otter leave Coral Cove in the
summertime?
6. How did Karana keep account of the days and years that
she lived on the island alone?
7. Rontu went off and did not return. Where did Karana find
him and in what condition?

Chapters 26 & 27

Vocabulary

notched bait (v) shield(v) terror crest vanquished

1. What are snares, and why did Karana make them?

2. Karana made a mixture called "xuchal."
a) What is is made of?
b) How did it help her to capture the dog she wanted?
3. What did she name her new dog, and what does this name
mean?
4. How did Karana shield her eyes from the hot sun?
5. What happened when she went to sleep under her canoe?
6. How did Karana escape the tidal wave?
7. What happened as she was coming back from the spring?

Chapters 28 & 29 (+ Author's Note)

1. What did Karana lose from the great waves?
2. Where did she get wood to build a new canoe?
3. What did she see when she went to gather seaweed?
4. Create and Open Mind to shoe Karana's thoughts and
feelings as she was deciding whether or not to hide.

5. Was she rescued? - Why?

6. How long was it before the ship returned?
7. Karana painted marks on her nose. What did they indicate?
a)
b)

8. The man in the Gray robe wore an ornament around his

neck. Who was his man, and what do you think this ornament
was?
9. What had happened to the ship that had taken her people
away from the island many years ago?
10. How long had Karana lived on the island alone?
11. Karana is now known in history as
_________________________.
12. The Island of the Blue Dolphins is also known as "La Isla
de San Nicolas." It is part of what group of islands?
13. Where is the Island located? (Identify its longitude and
latitude.)
14. How is the island now being used?
15. Write a letter to Karana, and tell her how you feel about
her.