★★★★★ Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O'Dell
An extraordinarily beautiful survival story
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Scott O'Dell
I was five years old in 1961, when Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins won the Newbery Medal. Thus, I didn't read it until many years later. I still remember the impression it left on me -- like a jewel, perfect in its simplicity.
The only thing I can compare it to is Gary Paulsen's Hatchet, another survival story that left me with much the same feeling.