the Blue Dolphins for her. Publication First Edition After witnessing animal cruelty near his home, O’Dell first wrote Island of the Blue Dolphins to promote a respect for all forms of life in 1960. Its first submission was turned down, as the publisher believed the story should feature a male protagonist. Yet, O’Dell felt strongly about Karana’s presence and looked to other publishing companies. Although he wrote the novel with the intended audience of adults, O’Dell’s next publisher suggested that it would be better for children and it was published that same year. Soon after in 1961, it had tremendous success and was awarded the Newbery Medal. Critical Edition The 50th Anniversary edition of Island of the Blue Dolphins includes a new introduction by Newbery Medalist Lois Lowry and also includes extracts from Father Gonzales Rubio in the Santa Barbara Mission's Book of Burials. Island of the Blue Dolphins: The Complete Reader's Edition, a critical edition edited by Sara L. Schwebel, was published in October 2016 by the University of California Press. It includes two chapters deleted from the book before publication. Sequel O'Dell later wrote a sequel, Zia, published in 1976. Film adaptation A film adaptation of Island of the Blue Dolphins was released on July 3, 1964. It was directed by James B. Clark and starred Celia Kaye as Karana. Jane Klove and Ted Sherdeman adapted the script from O'Dell's novel, and the film was produced by Robert B. Radnitz and Universal Pictures. The film was made on a slight budget but did receive a wide release three months after its New York premiere. Howard Thompson writing for The New York Times characterized it as a children's film. Kaye won a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year for her performance. The film earned an estimated $2 million in rentals in North America. Reception At the time of the book's publication, The Horn Book Magazine said: "Years of research must have gone into this book to turn historical fact into so moving and lasting an experience." In a retrospective essay about the Newbery Medal-winning books from 1956 to 1965, librarian Carolyn Horovitz wrote: "The girl, Karana, is portrayed in such intimate and close relationship with the natural elements of her background, the earth, the sea, the animals, the fish, that the reader is given both the terror and beauty of life itself. It is a book