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