But, when pressed, Scott would say that he had two favorites, Island of the Blue Dolphins and The Road to Damietta. Scott always said that asking a writer which was his favorite book was like asking a mother which is her favorite child! Meaning, it's very hard to choose. Which of Scott's own books was his favorite? His favorite books by other authors were Moby Dick, Billy Budd, The Great Gatsby, and The Good Soldier. That became My Name is Not Angelica, the story of a captured African princess.īesides Sir Walter Scott, Scott found his greatest inspiration in the works of Herman Melville, Joseph Conrad, D. Virgin Islands, he heard about the rebellion of 1733, when the slaves rose up against the Danish plantation owners. That was the start of The Serpent Never Sleeps, his story about Pocahontas and Jamestown.When he was on the island of St. The survivors came ashore and lived there for more than a year before they built a boat and went on to Jamestown. When he was in Bermuda, for example, he heard about the English ship that was wrecked off the coast on its way to Jamestown, Virginia. Most of the ideas for his books came from reading history or biography or from stories he heard on his travels. When Scott heard about his famous ancestor, he decided that he would write historical novels, too. It happened while he was still in elementary school. Scott always loved to read, but he didn't think of becoming a writer until his parents told him that he was related to the great British writer, Sir Walter Scott.

We hope this additional information will answer your questions. Through her, they can imagine themselves making their way in the world alone-and thriving.There are many questions that readers have about Scott O'Dell and his work. Her courage, self-reliance, and grit has inspired millions of readers in this breathtaking adventure.Īs Smithsonian magazine put it: 'For kids all over the country, reading the book in language arts classes, Karana is a powerful symbol of their growing independence.

Karana 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.

Here, in the early 1800s, a girl named Karana spent eighteen years alone. On 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. Based on the true story of a Nicoleño Indian girl living alone on an island off the coast of California, Island of the Blue Dolphins has captivated readers for generations. Scott O’Dell's Newbery Medal-winning classic is a gripping tale of survival, strength, and courage.

My Name Is Not Angelica by Scott O'Dell