Scott O'Dell facts for kids

Scott O'Dell (born May 23, 1898 – died October 15, 1989) was an American author. He wrote many books, especially for young people. He created 26 novels for kids and teens. He also wrote three novels for adults and four nonfiction books.

O'Dell was best known for his historical fiction stories. Many of his books were about the history of California and Mexico. His most famous book is Island of the Blue Dolphins (1960). This book won the important Newbery Medal in 1961. It also won the German Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis in 1963.

For his amazing work in children's literature, he received the international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1972. This is one of the highest honors for children's book creators. He was also a Newbery runner-up for three other books: The King's Fifth (1966), The Black Pearl (1967), and Sing Down the Moon (1970).

About Scott O'Dell's Life

Early Life and Name Change

Scott O'Dell was born with the name O'Dell Gabriel Scott. However, his name was once printed incorrectly on a book as "Scott O'Dell." He liked it and decided to keep "Scott O'Dell" as his writing name. He was born on Terminal Island in Los Angeles, California. His parents were May Elizabeth Gabriel and Bennett Mason Scott.

Education and Career Before Writing

O'Dell went to several colleges. These included Occidental College, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Stanford University, and the Sapienza University of Rome. During World War II, he served in the United States Army Air Forces. Before becoming a full-time writer, he had many different jobs. He worked as a cameraman and a technical director. He was also a book columnist for the Los Angeles Mirror and a book review editor.

Becoming a Children's Author

Scott O'Dell started writing articles and books for adults in 1934. In the late 1950s, he began writing books for children. His very first children's book was Island of the Blue Dolphins. This book became very popular and won many awards.

The Scott O'Dell Award

In 1984, Scott O'Dell created his own award. It is called the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. This award gives $5,000 to authors. It recognizes excellent historical fiction books. The winning books must be published in English in the U.S. They also need to be set in the New World (North, Central, and South America).

Later Life and Passing

Scott O'Dell was married two times during his life. He passed away on October 15, 1989, when he was 91 years old.

Movies Based on Scott O'Dell's Books

Several of O'Dell's books have been turned into movies and TV shows.

• Island of the Blue Dolphins was made into a movie in 1964. It starred Celia Kaye and George Kennedy. This book has also been translated into many different languages.
• In 1978, The Black Pearl became a film. Saul Swimmer produced and directed it.
• The King's Fifth was adapted into an anime TV series in 1982. This show was called The Mysterious Cities of Gold. It was a co-production between Japan and France.

Popular Books by Scott O'Dell

Scott O'Dell wrote many books for young readers. Here are some of his well-known works:

Nonfiction Books

• Country of the Sun (Southern California, an Informal Guide) (1957)

Children's Book Series

Karana Series

• Island of the Blue Dolphins (1960)
• Zia (1976)

Seven Serpents Series

• The Captive (1979)
• Feathered Serpent (1981)
• The Amethyst Ring (1983)
• Seven Serpents Trilogy (an omnibus of the three books) (2009)

Other Novels for Young People

• Journey to Jericho (1964)
• The King's Fifth (1966)
• The Black Pearl (1967)
• Dark Canoe (1968)
• Sing Down the Moon (1970)
• Treasure of Topo-El-Bampo (1972)
• Cruise of the Arctic Star (1973)
• The Child of Fire (1974)
• Hawk That Dare Not Hunt by Day (1975)
• The 290 (1976)
• Carlota (1977)
• Kathleen Please Come Home (1978)
• Daughter of Don Saturnino (1979)
• Sarah Bishop (1980)
• The Spanish Smile (1982)
• Castle in the Sea (1983)
• Alexandra (1984)
• The Road to Damietta (1985)
• Streams to River, River to the Sea (a Novel of Sacagawea) (1986)
• Serpent Never Sleeps (a Novel of Jamestown, Virginia Jamestown and Pocahontas) (1987)
• Black Star, Bright Dawn (1988)
• My Name Is Not Angelica (1989)
• Thunder Rolling in the Mountains (with Elizabeth Hall) (1992)
• Venus Among the Fishes (with Elizabeth Hall) (1995)

See also

In Spanish: Scott O'Dell para niños