<Tr> <Th> OCLC </Th> <Td> 225474 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Followed by </Th> <Td> Zia </Td> </Tr> <P> Island of the Blue Dolphins is a 1960 children's novel written by Scott O'Dell and tells the story of a 12 - year - old girl stranded alone for years on an island off the California coast . It is based on the true story of a Nicoleño Native American left alone for 18 years on San Nicolas Island during the 19th century . </P> <P> Island of the Blue Dolphins won the Newbery Medal in 1961 . It was adapted into a film of the same name in 1964 . O'Dell later wrote a sequel, Zia, published in 1976 . </P>

How long did karana live on the island alone