FICTION

How to Speak Dolphin

by Ginny RORBY
272p. Scholastic. Jun. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780545676052; ebk. $16.99. ISBN 9780545676083.
COPY ISBN
Gr 4–7—Lily has little time for friends or activities since her life seems to revolve around her half-brother, Adam, who has autism. Life has not been easy. Her stepfather, Don, doesn't acknowledge that Adam needs to attend a special school, and Lily has yet to get over the grief of losing her mother in a car accident two years ago. When Don, an oncologist, receives a call about assisting with a young dolphin who has cancer, he eagerly agrees to help. Adam has a strong attachment to dolphins, and Don thinks this will be the panacea to cure all his troubles. Adam quickly bonds with the dolphin Nori, but Lily begins to suspect that life in captivity in a marine mammal park is not the best scenario for Nori. Rorby paints a vivid picture of life with a child with autism and the struggles a family can face.
VERDICT This book will raise questions about the ethics of marine life attractions and leave readers rooting for Lily, an appealing narrator.
Reviewed by Beth Cuddy, Seward Elementary School, Auburn, NY
When Lily's autistic, mute younger brother Adam makes a connection with a sick dolphin at a theme park, it seems like a breakthrough--until Lily and her friend Zoe see that the captive dolphin's situation is the result of animal cruelty. The novel is brave and unflinching as it confronts difficult topics such as coping with disability, accepting a parent's death, and standing up for animal rights.
, Mar 01, 2015

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