“In this fascinating and engaging book, Sara L. Schwebel explores the American and California history that inspired Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins. She presents never-published material about the writing and publishing history of the book, and by showing earlier drafts of the manuscript, she sheds light on the revision process. Schwebel provides the kind of scholarly study, based on archival materials and personal interviews, that is all too rarely undertaken for classic children’s books. Her important discussion of the portrayal of Native American characters in literature and the film industry needs to be read by everyone evaluating and thinking about books today.”—Anita Silvey, former publisher of Scott O’Dell and author of Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children’s Book
“It is hard to think of a work of children’s literature better served by a new critical edition than Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins. It is a wonderful combination of thought and magic.”—David Treuer, author of Rez Life: An Indian’s Journey through Reservation Life
“An invaluable edition of a classic of children’s literature. Schwebel’s masterful scholarly introduction sets this much-loved novel in a rich and fascinating historical context.”—Jill Lepore, author of Joe Gould’s Teeth
“This incisive, thoughtful, carefully researched critical edition of Scott O’Dell’s popular and problematic Island of the Blue Dolphins is incredibly timely and important. It will change the way California Indian history is taught in the public school system. Museums and cultural centers will also find the edition compelling, provocative, and useful.”—Michelle H. Raheja, author of Reservation Reelism: Redfacing, Visual Sovereignty, and Representations of Native Americans in Film
“Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins is at once a treasured American children’s book and a problematic account of Native American history and culture. For this reader’s edition, Schwebel has assembled a rich compilation of information—biographical, historical, archaeological, textual—that will inform and challenge readers.”—Clare Bradford, author of Unsettling Narratives: Postcolonial Readings of Children’s Literature
