Zia is Karana’s 14 year old niece, who desperately wants to find out what happened to her aunt. Along with her brother, she first heads [...]]]> Zia is the sequel to the Newbery-winning The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. If you have read and enjoyed that book, you’ll like Zia as well.

Zia is Karana’s 14 year old niece, who desperately wants to find out what happened to her aunt. Along with her brother, she first heads out alone, but then realizes she will need help from others if she is to find her aunt on the island. Many of you already may know this, but these stories are based on real events. “It is based on the true story of Juana María, the “Lone Woman of San Nicolas,” a Nicoleño Indian marooned for 18 years on San Nicolas Island off the California coast.” (Wikipedia)

This makes both stories so much more fascinating. Of course, it also helps that Scott O’Dell is such an amazing writer. In both books, he writes in first person as the female character. He really does a convincing job of it! I highly recommend both books as well as The Black Pearl, which I read earlier this year. I’d like to read more of O’Dell in the future, so if you can recommend another title, I’d appreciate it.

1976, 179 pp.
Rating: 4

This [...]]]> Ramon Salazar is 16 years old and lives off Baja, California. His father is in the pearl diving business, and Ramon is eager to help him by being a diver. He finds a very expensive pearl that ends up bringing a lot of trouble to his family and community. Or does it?

This was a Newbery Honor book in 1968. I enjoyed the story very much, but it is hard to write a review on a book so short without giving too many details away. It is a brief, but very enjoyable read. Scott O’Dell also wrote Island of the Blue Dolphins, a Newbery Award winner.

1967, 96 pp.

Rating: 4.5