Island of the Blue Dolphins
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Island of the Blue Dolphins is a novel for children, written by Scott O'Dell. It was published in 1961 and won the Newbery Medal that year. It is based on the true story of Juana Maria, a Nicoleņos woman marooned for 18 years on San Nicolas Island, off the coast of California.
The main character, a girl named Karana, lives on the island when in 1835 a Russian seaman, Captain Orlov, lands on the island with Aleutian men. They kill Karana's father, the chief, and the other islanders are forced to evacuate. Karana jumps off the ship when she realizes that her little brother, Rammo, has somehow been left behind. Rammo is soon mauled to death by dogs, and Karana lives alone on the island for 18 years, in which she learns to appreciate nature. She is taken off the island when other foreigners land there at the end of the book. The book notably does not mention that Karana's real-life counterpart died just weeks after leaving the island.