Scott O’dell Essay, Research Paper
1
In Scott O?Dell?s early life he had a inspiration
inside of him that was not revealed until after he
achieved success in his professional life. During his
college years he always showed an interest in words. One
way he showed that interest was by becoming an editor for
some time, then a director. During this time, all of his
ideas were stored up in his head, to then begin his
writings.
He directed his first books towards adults. In the
long run, he found that more of his interest lie in
creating children?s writings. Scott O?Dell wrote his
first book for children in 1960.
It all began in Los Angeles, California. Scott O?Dell
was born on May 23,1898, to Bennett Mason, an official of
the Union Pacific Railroad, and May Elizabeth Ordeal
(www.amazon.com). Because his dad was a railroad man, the
family moved around a lot, but never far from Los
Angeles. ?He always lived along the shore and watched the
sailing ships go by? (About an Author, vol.60 pg.)
O?Dell attended many different colleges, including
Occidental College in 1919 and University of Wisconsin.
Then in 1920, he went to Stanford University. Finally he
2
transferred to the University of Rome in 1925. O?Dell
ended up moving to New York after college, then back home
to Los Angeles.
In Los Angeles he worked as a technical director for
Paramount, and as a cameraman for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He
was a rancher and taught a mail-order course in photo play
writing. Then he became a book columnist for the Los
Angeles Mirror, and book editor for The Los Angeles Daily
News (Something 119).
In 1955, Scott O?Dell became a full time writer. He
was already sixty years old. ?Only a few other authors
can claim such instant success as he had with the Newberry
Medal winning Island of The Blue Dolphins, in 1960?
(www.bn.com). But there was so much more that led to his
long list of historical fiction.
As a result of by living by the waves and watching the
sailboats that passed by, he was inspired to create some
of the best writings and ideas for his books. He said ,
?That is why, I suppose, the fall of the frontier and the
sound of the sea are in my books? (pg. 114).
Once, Scott O?Dell moved into the country where
descendants of the first Spanish settlers lived, in
California. It was near the Mexican border, also by the
ancestral homes of the Diegueno Indians. Scott says,?
3
That is why many of the people I have written about are
Indians, Spaniards, and Mexicans? (Encarta Encyclopedia,
1999). California also became a major source of
inspiration in his books.
Scott O?Dell is one of the best known authors of
historical fiction for children and young adults. One
other author that is known for writing many books about
historical fiction is David L. Russell (www.bn.com). He
had one big problem…he wrote historical fiction for
adults. For years he had little success and didn?t know
why. It was because he wanted to write for the wrong age
group. Adults, they are not as interested in historical
fiction as young children are.
Having read three of O?Dell?s historical books, many
people can say that his historical books are very
informational. Whenever any one reads those books they
don?t realize that they were all based on true stories.
For instance, Island of The Blue Dolphins did not seem
like a non-fictional book, and yet ?Scott O?Dell based
Island of The Blue Dolphins on a true story?. He added
different events to the books, including thrills, and
different characters to the story which inspired millions
of people to read it. The islands talked about in the
book are based on the California islands, The Channel
4
Island: San Nicola, Santa Cruz, San Miguel, Catalina,
Anacapa, Todos Santos and San Martin. ?The first people
to arrive on the Channel Island were the group known as
the Chumasm? (Something About an Author, pg.115).
O?Dell was inspired by the real life story about a
12-year old, Karana, a native American girl from
California who survived alone on an island for eighteen
years. Scott O?Dell wrote twenty-five other books that
were historical fiction.
The book provided many interesting facts about the
Chumasm tribe and their expeditions. For example, Island
of the Blue Dolphoins talked about the woman of the tribe
collecting plants and shellfish for food, how they would
have to weave baskets for cooking. O?Dell told of how the
women held a high rank in society and sometimes became
chiefs. The men of the tribes also had different things
that they had to do, they were fishermen. They would also
build sewn plank boats and then seal the boats with tar.
The tribe would use the boats to transfer the fish that
they caught. They also build their houses out of sea
grass.
Another book that has many good details about
historical fiction by Scott O?Dell would be Streams to The
River, River to the Sea. There is allot that is to be
5
learned from this book . It was about the Lewis and Clark
expedition, (Something About an Author, pg.120). This
book really caught your attention at the beginning of the
book by making up a fake battle with the tribe Sacagawea
came from, and the white man.
Scott O?Dell wrote that book from the point view of
the young Indian woman, Sacagawea, who was accompanied by
her cruel husband. That way it made it a lot more
interesting for younger children to read history.
O?Dell?s historical fiction becomes almost a gothic
romance in the Spanish Smile, (www.Amazon.com). In that
book he creates different characters, compared to what
really happened in the true story. Like Lucinda, she?s a
young Spanish girl that was normally a stowaway and every
one thought that she was a guy so that she could travel
with her father. So her father keeps her in a castle along
the island of California. The adventures come when she
finds the truth about her dad and then escapes from the
Spaniards. Now in that book you can tell that the
charters, the adventures, and the plot was a little
exaggerated.
In O?Dell?s distinguished career, he has won almost
every major award possible for a children?s book writer:
6
The Newborn Medal, three Newborn Honor Awards, The William
Allen White Award, The Nee Award, The DeGrummond Medal,
The Regina Medal of Catholic Library Association, and the
German Jugenbuchpreis. In 1981 he was awarded for his
historical fiction and founded a new award. It carries a
prize worth $5,000 dollars. ?This award is to encourage
writers to write historical fiction, children to read
historical fiction, and publishers to publish historical
fiction? (www.scott odell.com).
?History has a very valid collection with what we are
now. Many of Scott O?Dell?s books are set in the past, in
fact almost all of them, but the problems that need to be
isolated are the problems of today? (Something about an
author, pg.118). He thinks that there is a normal
backdrop for readers to make their own decisions.
Historical fiction has extreme value for children.
There?s this saying, ?Anything of the past is old hat. But
no educated person, however, can live a complete life
without knowing where they come from? (pg.119). History
has a direct bearing on children?s lives, and what Scott
O?Dell has done with his writings is great.
Throughout his last twenty-nine years, he wrote until
7
he died and still had more ideas in his head. Scott
O?Dell passed away on December 15, 1989 of prostate cancer
at the age of ninety-one. I leave you with this quote
from Scott O?Dell: ?Writing for children is more fun than
writing for adults and more rewarding. Children have the
ability, which most have lost, the knack to be someone
else, of living the stories the lives of other people.
Six months after the publications of an adult book, there
was a big silence. But children books are the opposite
children respond by thousands of letters. It is this
response, this concern and act of friendship, that for me
makes the task of writing worth the doing? (Something
About an Author, pg.121).
SCOTT O?DELL
By Heidi
1
In Scott O?Dell?s early life he had a inspiration
inside of him that was not revealed until after he
achieved success in his professional life. During his
college years he always showed an interest in words. One
way he showed that interest was by becoming an editor for
some time, then a director. During this time, all of his
ideas were stored up in his head, to then begin his
writings.
He directed his first books towards adults. In the
long run, he found that more of his interest lie in
creating children?s writings. Scott O?Dell wrote his
first book for children in 1960.
It all began in Los Angeles, California. Scott O?Dell
was born on May 23,1898, to Bennett Mason, an official of
the Union Pacific Railroad, and May Elizabeth Ordeal
(www.amazon.com). Because his dad was a railroad man, the
family moved around a lot, but never far from Los
Angeles. ?He always lived along the shore and watched the
sailing ships go by? (About an Author, vol.60 pg.)
O?Dell attended many different colleges, including
Occidental College in 1919 and University of Wisconsin.
Then in 1920, he went to Stanford University. Finally he
2
transferred to the University of Rome in 1925. O?Dell
ended up moving to New York after college, then back home
to Los Angeles.
In Los Angeles he worked as a technical director for
Paramount, and as a cameraman for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He
was a rancher and taught a mail-order course in photo play
writing. Then he became a book columnist for the Los
Angeles Mirror, and book editor for The Los Angeles Daily
News (Something 119).
In 1955, Scott O?Dell became a full time writer. He
was already sixty years old. ?Only a few other authors
can claim such instant success as he had with the Newberry
Medal winning Island of The Blue Dolphins, in 1960?
(www.bn.com). But there was so much more that led to his
long list of historical fiction.
As a result of by living by the waves and watching the
sailboats that passed by, he was inspired to create some
of the best writings and ideas for his books. He said ,
?That is why, I suppose, the fall of the frontier and the
sound of the sea are in my books? (pg. 114).
Once, Scott O?Dell moved into the country where
descendants of the first Spanish settlers lived, in
California. It was near the Mexican border, also by the
ancestral homes of the Diegueno Indians. Scott says,?
3
That is why many of the people I have written about are
Indians, Spaniards, and Mexicans? (Encarta Encyclopedia,
1999). California also became a major source of
inspiration in his books.
Scott O?Dell is one of the best known authors of
historical fiction for children and young adults. One
other author that is known for writing many books about
historical fiction is David L. Russell (www.bn.com). He
had one big problem…he wrote historical fiction for
adults. For years he had little success and didn?t know
why. It was because he wanted to write for the wrong age
group. Adults, they are not as interested in historical
fiction as young children are.
Having read three of O?Dell?s historical books, many
people can say that his historical books are very
informational. Whenever any one reads those books they
don?t realize that they were all based on true stories.
For instance, Island of The Blue Dolphins did not seem
like a non-fictional book, and yet ?Scott O?Dell based
Island of The Blue Dolphins on a true story?. He added
different events to the books, including thrills, and
different characters to the story which inspired millions
of people to read it. The islands talked about in the
book are based on the California islands, The Channel
4
Island: San Nicola, Santa Cruz, San Miguel, Catalina,
Anacapa, Todos Santos and San Martin. ?The first people
to arrive on the Channel Island were the group known as
the Chumasm? (Something About an Author, pg.115).
O?Dell was inspired by the real life story about a
12-year old, Karana, a native American girl from
California who survived alone on an island for eighteen
years. Scott O?Dell wrote twenty-five other books that
were historical fiction.
The book provided many interesting facts about the
Chumasm tribe and their expeditions. For example, Island
of the Blue Dolphoins talked about the woman of the tribe
collecting plants and shellfish for food, how they would
have to weave baskets for cooking. O?Dell told of how the
women held a high rank in society and sometimes became
chiefs. The men of the tribes also had different things
that they had to do, they were fishermen. They would also
build sewn plank boats and then seal the boats with tar.
The tribe would use the boats to transfer the fish that
they caught. They also build their houses out of sea
grass.
Another book that has many good details about
historical fiction by Scott O?Dell would be Streams to The
River, River to the Sea. There is allot that is to be
5
learned from this book . It was about the Lewis and Clark
expedition, (Something About an Author, pg.120). This
book really caught your attention at the beginning of the
book by making up a fake battle with the tribe Sacagawea
came from, and the white man.
Scott O?Dell wrote that book from the point view of
the young Indian woman, Sacagawea, who was accompanied by
her cruel husband. That way it made it a lot more
interesting for younger children to read history.
O?Dell?s historical fiction becomes almost a gothic
romance in the Spanish Smile, (www.Amazon.com). In that
book he creates different characters, compared to what
really happened in the true story. Like Lucinda, she?s a
young Spanish girl that was normally a stowaway and every
one thought that she was a guy so that she could travel
with her father. So her father keeps her in a castle along
the island of California. The adventures come when she
finds the truth about her dad and then escapes from the
Spaniards. Now in that book you can tell that the
charters, the adventures, and the plot was a little
exaggerated.
In O?Dell?s distinguished career, he has won almost
every major award possible for a children?s book writer:
6
The Newborn Medal, three Newborn Honor Awards, The William
Allen White Award, The Nee Award, The DeGrummond Medal,
The Regina Medal of Catholic Library Association, and the
German Jugenbuchpreis. In 1981 he was awarded for his
historical fiction and founded a new award. It carries a
prize worth $5,000 dollars. ?This award is to encourage
writers to write historical fiction, children to read
historical fiction, and publishers to publish historical
fiction? (www.scott odell.com).
?History has a very valid collection with what we are
now. Many of Scott O?Dell?s books are set in the past, in
fact almost all of them, but the problems that need to be
isolated are the problems of today? (Something about an
author, pg.118). He thinks that there is a normal
backdrop for readers to make their own decisions.
Historical fiction has extreme value for children.
There?s this saying, ?Anything of the past is old hat. But
no educated person, however, can live a complete life
without knowing where they come from? (pg.119). History
has a direct bearing on children?s lives, and what Scott
O?Dell has done with his writings is great.
Throughout his last twenty-nine years, he wrote until
7
he died and still had more ideas in his head. Scott
O?Dell passed away on December 15, 1989 of prostate cancer
at the age of ninety-one. I leave you with this quote
from Scott O?Dell: ?Writing for children is more fun than
writing for adults and more rewarding. Children have the
ability, which most have lost, the knack to be someone
else, of living the stories the lives of other people.
Six months after the publications of an adult book, there
was a big silence. But children books are the opposite
children respond by thousands of letters. It is this
response, this concern and act of friendship, that for me
makes the task of writing worth the doing? (Something
About an Author, pg.121).
SCOTT O?DELL
By Heidi