Occasionally we rejoice to find a book not written to fulfill any need or with any audience in mind, but simply because the subject has seized the author's imagination and he had to write it. These are usually books that quietly take hold of us and make our lives the richer for having read them. Such is "Island of the Blue Dolphins." We will never forget the quiet courage and resourcefulness of Karana, creating a beautiful and satisfying existence for herself during eighteen solitary years on a rock island in the Pacific. Scott O'Dell, basing his story on a true incident which occurred in the early nineteenth century, wisely lets Karana tell in a simple, matter-of-fact way the details of her extraordinary experience. It is hard to imagine a young girl who would not be held spellbound by its quiet poignancy or a boy who would not be...