Resilience

Though white men's ship doesn't return for her for eighteen years and the hope for living a good life seem to be impossible but she never shows signs of despair. This girl loses her entire family including the little brother killed by the wild dogs. Karana was sad but she never gives up. She is always looking ahead to the next task in the island. The problem faced by Karana is how to stay alive, alone on a small island, among human and natural threats--while nurturing the hope of being reunited with her loved ones. Karana's solution to the problem is to build for herself a one-woman civilization, adapting her lost tribe's traditions to her unique circumstances, and taking creative new approaches to unexpected occurrences.

http://www.sanedraw.com/NOTEBOOK/ISLANDBD.HTM
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/dolphins/canalysis.html
http://newberryproject.blogspot.com/2007/05/island-of-blue-dolphins.html