The Black Pearl [Paperback]

Scott O'Dell (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

From the depths of a cave in the Vermilion Sea, Ramon Salazar has wrested a black pearl so lustrous and captivating that his father, an expert pearl dealer, is certain Ramon has found the legendary Pearl of Heaven. Such a treasure is sure to bring great joy to the villagers of their tiny coastal town, and even greater renown to the Salazar name. No diver, not even the swaggering Gaspar Ruiz, has ever found a pearl like this!

But is there a price to pay for a prize so great? When a terrible tragedy strikes the village, old Luzon’s warning about El Diablo returns to haunt Ramon. If El Diablo actually exists, it will take all Ramon’s courage to face the winged creature waiting for him offshore.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A 16-year-old boy does battle with an enormous devilfish that guards a rare, black pearl. PW said this 1968 Newbery Honor Book reverberates with "proud admiration of the courage of the human spirit." Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Reverberates with proud admiration ot the courage of the human spirit." (Publishers Weekly )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper; Reprint edition (April 12, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0547334001
• ISBN-13: 978-0547334004
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #141,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #63 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Marine Life > Fiction
  • #65 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Multicultural Stories > Hispanic & Latino
  • #89 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Multicultural Stories > Hispanic & Latino

More About the Author

Scott O'Dell (1898-1989), one of the most respected authors of historical fiction, received the Newbery Medal, three Newbery Honor Medals, and the Hans Christian Andersen Author Medal, the highest international recognition for a body of work by an author of books for young readers. Some of his many books include The Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Road to Damietta, Sing Down the Moon, and The Black Pearl.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Black Pearl, June 6, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Black Pearl (Newberry Honor Book) (Paperback)

The book The Black Pearl has a very interesting story. This book takes place in La Paz, Baja California. In this book, Ramon wants to prove to his father, Blas Salazar, that he is just as good as Sevillano, Ramon's worst enemy and Ramon's father's best pearl diver, at pearl diving. Manta Diablo, the monster of the deep, guards "The Pearl of the Heavens," the ocean's biggest pearl, that Ramon wants to dive for. Ramon got "The Pearl of the Heavens" and brought back home. When Ramon tells his father about the pearl, his father gives it to the church. Luzum, an old Indian tells Ramon that he should give it back to the Manta Diablo because the monster will come after him. I recommend this book to both girls and boys who are at the age of thirteen and under because I don't think people over the age of thirteen would be interested in this book. I don't think that people over the age of thirteen would like the book because I don't it's exciting enough. Overall I thought this was a good book.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Black Pearl, June 6, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Black Pearl (Newberry Honor Book) (Paperback)

In The Black Pearl, Ramon a sixteen year old boy living in La Paz, where everyone believes in the Manta Diablo. He wants to be a pearl diver like his father. The Manta Diablo is said to be bigger than any ship they had, he had eyes shaped like a moon and seven of them. He also had seven rows of teeth that were as sharp as knifes. Old men would tell stories about him around fires and mothers would threaten their children that they would talk to him if they were naughty. When Ramon turns sixteen he starts to work with his father in the pearl business. At first he works behind a desk weighing pearls, but more than anything he wants to dive with pearls. His father won't teach him so he gets his friend Luzon to teach him how to dive. While he is diving he finds the Pearl of the Heaven. Luzon tells him to through the pearl back because it belongs to the Manta Diablo but he doesn't want to throw it back. He has to think for himself about what he wants to do. I thought the book was good. It had a slow start and didn't have very much action. Even so I like the story just not how it was written. I think that boys and girls under the age of twelve will like this book the best. I think that they would understand the story, how it is written and some of them would like it

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deadly Greed, December 31, 2001

By 

Thomas Mullikin (Mechanicsburg, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Black Pearl (Newberry Honor Book) (Paperback)

On the surface this is a story set in Baja, Mexico, about a pearl diving family. The reader learns much about this industry and the religion and superstition so prevelant among the natives there. However, the greed that overcomes many of the characters and the consequences of their greed, can happen anywhere. Those who lust for fortune often pay the price. In The Black Pearl the reader must decide whether the Manta Diablo is real, or a superstition. A must-read for grades 4 through 8 (although many adults will appreciate and enjoy this story).