Survival

Karana, a Native American girl, is accidentally left alone when her people abandon their island home off the coast of California. After a failed attempt to leave the island in a leaky canoe, Karana decides to build a house and learn to hunt while waiting to be rescued. Her isolation from humans teaches her how to co-exist peacefully with the local wildlife, even the wild dog she considers her worst enemy. After many years, missionaries come to the island, and Karana, yearning for human companionship, goes with them to the mainland. A fictional reconstruction of a true story, Island of the Blue Dolphins depicts a character whose courage and determination help her survive against nearly impossible odds.

From : http://www.classzone.com/novelguides/litcons/dolphins/guide.cfm