The Black Pearl (Scott O'Dell) facts for kids
The Black Pearl is an exciting adventure book written by Scott O'Dell. It was first published in 1967. The story is about a young man who lives in the Lower California peninsula and works with his father, who buys and sells pearls. This book was so good that it won the Newbery Honor in 1968, which is a special award for children's literature.
Contents
The Story of Ramon and the Giant Pearl
The book tells the tale of Ramon Salazar, a Mexican teenager. Ramon works hard with his father, who is a pearl merchant. Their job involves finding beautiful pearls and then selling them.
One day, Ramon went diving deep into an underwater cave. He was searching for pearls, hoping to find something special. To his amazement, he discovered a pearl that was incredibly huge – bigger than his own fist! It was so bright and shiny that Ramon thought it looked like a "Pearl of Heaven."
However, this amazing pearl was found in a special lagoon. This lagoon belonged to a local Indian man who gave Ramon a serious warning. He told Ramon that the giant pearl actually belonged to a legendary creature known as the Manta Diablo. This warning sets the stage for a thrilling adventure as Ramon deals with the consequences of his incredible discovery.
The Black Pearl Movie
The book was so popular that it was made into a movie! In 1977, a film called The Black Pearl was released. It was directed by Saul Swimmer and was a joint project between the United States and Spain.
Other Great Adventure Books
If you enjoyed The Black Pearl, you might also like these other famous adventure stories about people facing big challenges:
- Herman Melville: Moby-Dick (1851) – This classic story is about a captain's dangerous hunt for a giant white whale.
- John Steinbeck: The Pearl (1947) – This book is also set among pearl divers in La Paz, similar to Ramon's story.
- Ernest Hemingway: The Old Man and the Sea (1952) – This tale follows an old Cuban fisherman as he struggles to catch a huge marlin.
Images for kids
-
First edition (publ. Houghton Mifflin)
