Island of the blue dolphins comprehension questions assignment
directions: answer each question in complete sentences. points will be taken off
for responses not written in complete, correct sentences. keep the questions
numbered and with your corresponding response. note the page number for each
response as well. do your best so even if you don’t know the answer, just give
your best guess.
chapters 1-3
1) what is the main character’s name and who is her father (what is his role in the
tribe)?

2) who is ramo and how old is he?

3) who are the visitors to the island?

4) describe the island.

5) why are the visitors referenced above on the island?

6) what is karana afraid will happen if the visitors continue to stay on the island?

7) describe the interaction between karana’s father and the leader of the visitor
people. what is the outcome of that interaction?

chapters 5-7
8) after the “interaction” and the visitors have left, what happens to the tribe?

9) who is kimki and what does he decide to do? how much time passes after he
does what he decides to do?

10) who has come to the island this time and what is their mission?

11) why do the islanders have to hurry to get onto the ships?

12) what does karana realize after she boards the ship? what does she do?

chapters 8-10
13) who frequents the ghost of a village while ramo and karana are there?

14) what happened to ramo?

15) how do you think karana feels now and what does she do to the village?

16) after a while, what does karana decide to build and why?

17) at the end of chapter 9, how much time has passed since karana has been on
the island alone?

18) what does karana attempt to do with one of the canoes and why? what foils
her plan?

chapters 12-14
19) after her plan is foiled with the canoe, what does karana decide regarding the
island?

20) what does karana use for her fence? what are some things she eats?

21) what happens to karana’s leg and how long does she have to stay home until it
heals?

22) what does karana decide to do with the cave and what does she stock in it?

23) what lucky find does karana see on the shore and how does her find her?

chapters 15-17
24) what does karana do to the leader of the wild dog pack? why do you think
karana decides not to kill him?

25) what does karana do to the leader of the wild dog pack? who is rontu?

26) how do rontu and karana bond in chapter 16?

27) why doesn’t rontu go hunting with karana on the first day of spring and
where has he gone instead?

chapters 18-20
28) when karana finally catches up to rontu, what has transpired between him
and the pack of wild dogs?

29) what does karana do to the two birds and why?

30) what does karana spot when she is hunting for abalones? how and why does
she catch or kill it?

31) what does karana find inside the cave?
32) how many summers have passed since karana has been on the island alone?

33) what does karana spot on the water?

chapters 21-23
34) who does karana befriend after the aleut ship lands on the island?

35) what gifts do the girls exchange?

36) after the aleuts leave, what animal does she heal and what does she name
him/her?

chapters 24-27
37) at the end of chapter 24, what does karana decide she will never do again to
animals, especially otters, cormorants, seals, sea elephants, or dogs? why does she
decide this?

38) what happens to rontu?

39) who is rontu-aru and how does karana capture him?

40) when karana takes a nap after working on her canoe, what awakens her and
what happens after it?

41) what do you think karana and rontu-aru experience at the end of chapter 27?

chapters 28-29
42) after karana spots the ship in the harbor and decides to greet them instead of
hiding, what happens?

43) how much time passes after the occurrence in number 42?

44) when the ship returns, one of the men makes something for karana. what is
it?

45) where do they take karana?

46) what does karana find out had happened to the ship that took her people off
the island?