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White Dolphin
Frustrated at school and haunted by her mother's disappearance, Kara only feels truly alive when she is sailing the ocean's waves. But when she and Felix make a startling discovery on the beach, it sets in motion a dramatic chain of events. And soon they must make an impossible choice. Risk their own lives or face losing everything ..
265 pages, Paperback
First published April 19, 2012
178 people are currently reading
1561 people want to read
About the author
Gill Lewis
76 books100 followersBefore she could walk, Gill Lewis was discovered force-feeding bread to a sick hedgehog under the rose bushes. Now her stories reflect her passion for wild animals in wild places. She draws inspiration from many of the people she has had the fortune to meet during her work as a vet, both at home and abroad. Gill Lewis has a masters degree in Writing for Young People from Bath Spa University and won the 2009 course prize for most promising writer. Her first novel was snapped up for publication within hours of being offered to publishers. She lives in Somerset with her young family and a motley crew of pets. She writes from a shed in the garden, in the company of spiders.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
September 17, 2013
My 4th grade daughter started White Dolphin and shelved it, saying that she didn't like the narrator. But several mothers said the book was amazing so I read it.
I understand where my 9-year-old could not connect with the protagonist: a lonely girl lost her mother, she and her father experience financial hardship, he sells an important symbol of the family unit, fishermen destroy the sea floor and kill symbolic life, and the girl and her friend overcome social and physical challenges to save the day. Within the plot are wonderful conservation messages and an understanding of the complexities of choice.
My daughter is just beginning to learn empathy for fictional characters so she's not ready to glean the truths from White Dolphin. Of course she would not relate because she has nothing in common with the protagonist. As with most fiction, she needs the maturity to read from another's perspective without criticizing the book. Although her reading level is a good fit, her maturity level is too young. We will keep this novel in her bookshelf and try again next year.
I understand where my 9-year-old could not connect with the protagonist: a lonely girl lost her mother, she and her father experience financial hardship, he sells an important symbol of the family unit, fishermen destroy the sea floor and kill symbolic life, and the girl and her friend overcome social and physical challenges to save the day. Within the plot are wonderful conservation messages and an understanding of the complexities of choice.
My daughter is just beginning to learn empathy for fictional characters so she's not ready to glean the truths from White Dolphin. Of course she would not relate because she has nothing in common with the protagonist. As with most fiction, she needs the maturity to read from another's perspective without criticizing the book. Although her reading level is a good fit, her maturity level is too young. We will keep this novel in her bookshelf and try again next year.
July 15, 2012
Kara is from in a small fishing village on the coast. Everything in her life revolves around the sea. Her mom, a marine biologist has been missing since she went to protect dolphins being captured for aquariums and sea parks. Her dad is struggling to pay the bills and because of this Kara is about to lose everything left that she cares about, Moana their sailboat. Enter Felix, a Londoner who has CP and is resentful about being forced to leave his friends for a small town of nothing. Sailing might be the thing that break the boredom and that’s how he and Kara connect in instant dislike.
Not all kids are welcoming, appreciative or kind. Jake and Ethan are those kids. They make everyone uncomfortable through teasing and humiliation. Kara is not sorry she broke Jake’s nose - she simply couldn't stand to hear him say one more nasty thing about her missing mother, or her out-of-work father. Breaking his nose only highlights the tensions between their families. Dredging the reef will mean fisherman can reel in more money. That's what the town needs according to Jake’s fisherman dad. He has several trawlers and as soon as the dredging ban is lifted he is going to farm the sea. He sees that as his right. Kara does not see it as farming: farmers sow, dredgers only reap.
School is about to end – thankfully in Kara’s mind. Everything is in turmoil in her life. She looks to the sea for some calm and she finds a joyous pod of dolphin dancing in the cove. With them she see a white yearling. Amazing! Kara looks to sea each day for calm and it at one of those times she discovers the albino dolphin washed ashore. It had been snared in an old fishing net, is severely hurt and close to death. Felix finds them there and together they work with vets and specialists to save her and reunite her with her mother. This rescue effort sets off a chain of events that might save the reef – but certainly not without heartache and danger.
Gill Lewis is veterinarian and a writer. Her knowledge of what it would take to save a dolphin and her understanding of the fragile connections between all life add real depth to her stories. The pungent sounds and smell of the sea surround you and bring you to the shore in Cornwall, but you’ll be thinking about the importance of all life around you when you close the covers.
Not all kids are welcoming, appreciative or kind. Jake and Ethan are those kids. They make everyone uncomfortable through teasing and humiliation. Kara is not sorry she broke Jake’s nose - she simply couldn't stand to hear him say one more nasty thing about her missing mother, or her out-of-work father. Breaking his nose only highlights the tensions between their families. Dredging the reef will mean fisherman can reel in more money. That's what the town needs according to Jake’s fisherman dad. He has several trawlers and as soon as the dredging ban is lifted he is going to farm the sea. He sees that as his right. Kara does not see it as farming: farmers sow, dredgers only reap.
School is about to end – thankfully in Kara’s mind. Everything is in turmoil in her life. She looks to the sea for some calm and she finds a joyous pod of dolphin dancing in the cove. With them she see a white yearling. Amazing! Kara looks to sea each day for calm and it at one of those times she discovers the albino dolphin washed ashore. It had been snared in an old fishing net, is severely hurt and close to death. Felix finds them there and together they work with vets and specialists to save her and reunite her with her mother. This rescue effort sets off a chain of events that might save the reef – but certainly not without heartache and danger.
Gill Lewis is veterinarian and a writer. Her knowledge of what it would take to save a dolphin and her understanding of the fragile connections between all life add real depth to her stories. The pungent sounds and smell of the sea surround you and bring you to the shore in Cornwall, but you’ll be thinking about the importance of all life around you when you close the covers.
July 9, 2012
Although this book is clearly written for younger children than me, it still tackles complex issues such as overfishing and death that are not normally covered by children’s writers, but is written in such a perfect and simple way that it is easy to understand and is very readable for people of all ages.
Gill Lewis writes in a similar style to Michael Morpurgo, one of my favourite children’s authors that tackle a range of themes, and though both of Gill Lewis’ books are based on wildlife, more than war which appears the main theme for Morpurgo books, the writing style is very similar, in that it grips you from the very first page and makes you want to keep reading.
I was also lucky enough to pick up Gill Lewis’ debut novel: Sky Hawk, which I found utterly captivating and motivating, and I am just as impressed with White Dolphin, if not more.
White Dolphin is the story of Kara, whose mother disappeared without trace the year before and who only has her boat Moaner and her father left. When Felix moves to her small town, she dislikes him, but when they rescue an albino dolphin together and begin a protest to protect the reef, she realises there is more to him than meets the eye and maybe he will be able to solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance.
The characters were very deep and complex, interesting and lifelike, the story was sad, unpredictable and fantastic, and the message was clear and very true.
I recommend this to everyone, not just children, especially those who love Michael Morpurgo writing.
Gill Lewis writes in a similar style to Michael Morpurgo, one of my favourite children’s authors that tackle a range of themes, and though both of Gill Lewis’ books are based on wildlife, more than war which appears the main theme for Morpurgo books, the writing style is very similar, in that it grips you from the very first page and makes you want to keep reading.
I was also lucky enough to pick up Gill Lewis’ debut novel: Sky Hawk, which I found utterly captivating and motivating, and I am just as impressed with White Dolphin, if not more.
White Dolphin is the story of Kara, whose mother disappeared without trace the year before and who only has her boat Moaner and her father left. When Felix moves to her small town, she dislikes him, but when they rescue an albino dolphin together and begin a protest to protect the reef, she realises there is more to him than meets the eye and maybe he will be able to solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance.
The characters were very deep and complex, interesting and lifelike, the story was sad, unpredictable and fantastic, and the message was clear and very true.
I recommend this to everyone, not just children, especially those who love Michael Morpurgo writing.
January 10, 2022
slightly less gripping now that i'm an adult who reads Adult Things (you know, like warrior cats), but this book made an INTENSE impression on me as a kid & i understand why. the description in the prose? the symbolism? the heartwarming friendship? the disability rep? the love for the natural environment that bleeds out of every page? this slaps
July 27, 2022
Bu kitabı okul yaz ödevi olarak vermese, okumak aklımın ucundan bile geçmezdi. Ama okuduğuma bir gram bile pişman olmadım. Çok zevk alarak okudum :)
Kitap, 12 yaşında olan Kara'yı anlatıyor. Kara'nın annesi deniz biyoloğuydu ve bir yunus kurtarma görevi için gittikten sonra ortadan iş arkadaşlarıyla birlikte kaybolduğu için Kara babası ve Bev halasıyla yaşıyordu. Kara'nın tek arkadaşları Bev halanın kızı Daisy ve Moana isimli tekneleriydi. Kara her zaman annesinden gelecek bir işaret beklerdi çünkü onun yunuslarla konuşabildiğine ve denize fısıldadığına inanırdı. Ve bir gün koyda gördü onu: dalgaların içinde bir yunus atlayıp, zıplıyordu. Beyaz bir yunus...
Kara'nın acıklı, hüzünlü, mutlu, heyecanlı ve aynı zamanda eğlenceli yolculuğuna siz de eşlik edin. Kim bilir, belki bir gün bu kitabı okuduktan sonra karşınıza bir yunus çıkar. O zaman ona kulak verin. Size bir mesaj bile verebilir...
Sevgiler: ADA SEVEN 🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬
Kitap, 12 yaşında olan Kara'yı anlatıyor. Kara'nın annesi deniz biyoloğuydu ve bir yunus kurtarma görevi için gittikten sonra ortadan iş arkadaşlarıyla birlikte kaybolduğu için Kara babası ve Bev halasıyla yaşıyordu. Kara'nın tek arkadaşları Bev halanın kızı Daisy ve Moana isimli tekneleriydi. Kara her zaman annesinden gelecek bir işaret beklerdi çünkü onun yunuslarla konuşabildiğine ve denize fısıldadığına inanırdı. Ve bir gün koyda gördü onu: dalgaların içinde bir yunus atlayıp, zıplıyordu. Beyaz bir yunus...
Kara'nın acıklı, hüzünlü, mutlu, heyecanlı ve aynı zamanda eğlenceli yolculuğuna siz de eşlik edin. Kim bilir, belki bir gün bu kitabı okuduktan sonra karşınıza bir yunus çıkar. O zaman ona kulak verin. Size bir mesaj bile verebilir...
Sevgiler: ADA SEVEN 🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬
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May 2, 2013*DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS BOOK! IT WILL SPOIL THE WHOLE THING FOR YOU!*
Kara is the main focus of this book, she is young but is stubborn as a mule. Her Dad, Jim is trying to keep a job at the Merry Mermaid until the end of summer when it closes he is just trying to keep things simple & trying to keep his daughter safe. They are living with Kara's Dad's Sister, Bev along with her bun in the oven, her daughter Daisy & husband Tom. This story takes place in the schoolyard, Kara's Aunt Bev's house, the beach, Felix's house, the ocean & the cove.
After the terrifying & horrifying disappearance of Kara's Mum, her & her Dad are left with nothing. The only things Kara has are a memory stick with a dolphin on it & a shell. Her Mum was a marine biologist, she managed to hold a dredging ban for the reef & it was for only 10 years, since the disappearance of her Mum has occurred the dredging ban is being lifted. Kara is furious.
When the ban is lifted Dougie Evans is going to dredge the reef & do everything he can to tear it up. Jake, which is Dougie's son absolutely hates Kara, but it goes both ways.
Jake always teases Kara, also he's mean to her about her Dad's dyslexia & how her Mum always wrote his name for him. He questioned who wrote his name for him now. Ethan is Jake's friend & is mean to Kara as well. When Jake & Ethan kept teasing Kara then spoke of Moana being sold, Jake mentioned his Dad was going to buy her and chop her up for fire since it was all she's good for.
Kara had had enough, she threw the Bible at Jake's nose. She saw her teacher,Mrs. Carter coming & took off because she had broken Jake's nose. Kara ran to find her Dad, & went home to ask Aunt Bev, but she wouldn't tell her so she lied that she had forgotten something, so she ran upstairs to the room she shared with her little cousin, Daisy. She asked if she had seen her Dad. Daisy said he took his long fishing poles & bait. Kara thanked her & got ready to leave after she got her swimming bag with her goggled beside it.
As much as Kara wanted to leave she couldn't because Dougie Evans's vehicle was parked in the driveway. He asked of Kara and where she was. Aunt Bev lied, she said Kara was at school & asked what she had done. Dougie answered angrily saying she had broken Jake's nose. Aunt Bev told him again that Kara was at school, but her lie wasn't good enough. Kara & Daisy heard footsteps on the stairs. Kara pushed her cot up against the door & grabbed her swimming bag that she had sat down.
The only way Kara could go was out the window & off the roof. Daisy mouthed the word "go" to Kara. Kara heard Dougie opening the door ordering her to let him in, but she jumped onto the roof, & then to the ground. She saw Dougie looking through the window, but she thought to herself that nobody could stop her now. She kept running until she got to the dock & stopped her Dad before he left.
She yelled at him to wait & he did so Kara gradually pushed the boat from the dock then proceeded by hopping into the boat. Her Dad questioned why she wasn't at school, but she changed the subject & asked if he was really selling Moana & he nodded & said yes. Kara jumped off the boat and swam to the cove. After sitting there for a few minutes she saw a flash of white. Then she saw it again, and again. It was the White Dolphin, a sign that Mum's still out there. Kara's Dad doesn't believe her but Kara ignores what he thinks of that.
Kara began walking home and a vehicle pulled up beside her and the passenger window rolled down, it was Aunt Bev. She told Kara to get in so she did. Kara was wishing now that she would've took the fields home. Aunt Bev told Kara her Dad was worried sick about her. After they had found Kara they called her Dad & told her they found her. Kara's Dad came home later that night and hugged her so much.
Later in the book Kara hears of a huge great white shark that Dougie Evans has caught. When she figures out where it is Chloe tries to pull her back and is in tears. She told Kara not to look but she did anyway. Once Kara got up to the front she saw a grey dolphin in a fishing net. Angel the white dolphin's, mother was dead. Kara ran and ran until she had gotten home. Angel had already been held in captivity before because she had been caught in a fishing net now her mother has been killed by Dougie Evans.
Even later they hold an event to stop the dredging ban from being lifted. They ended up getting more than 600 people to sign it in less than 2 hours. They got their wish. The dredging ban stays.
Towards the end Jake and Ethan are saved by Kara and Felix because Dougie bought Moana and the boys decided to sail her when a storm was coming in. When Jake fell out of the boat Kara went to pull him up and thought she saw a flash of white but ignored it at the time. Felix took Jake & Kara took Ethan. They both returned safely and now Kara and her Dad are living in a trailer with an ocean view and are as happy as can be.
Kara is the main focus of this book, she is young but is stubborn as a mule. Her Dad, Jim is trying to keep a job at the Merry Mermaid until the end of summer when it closes he is just trying to keep things simple & trying to keep his daughter safe. They are living with Kara's Dad's Sister, Bev along with her bun in the oven, her daughter Daisy & husband Tom. This story takes place in the schoolyard, Kara's Aunt Bev's house, the beach, Felix's house, the ocean & the cove.
After the terrifying & horrifying disappearance of Kara's Mum, her & her Dad are left with nothing. The only things Kara has are a memory stick with a dolphin on it & a shell. Her Mum was a marine biologist, she managed to hold a dredging ban for the reef & it was for only 10 years, since the disappearance of her Mum has occurred the dredging ban is being lifted. Kara is furious.
When the ban is lifted Dougie Evans is going to dredge the reef & do everything he can to tear it up. Jake, which is Dougie's son absolutely hates Kara, but it goes both ways.
Jake always teases Kara, also he's mean to her about her Dad's dyslexia & how her Mum always wrote his name for him. He questioned who wrote his name for him now. Ethan is Jake's friend & is mean to Kara as well. When Jake & Ethan kept teasing Kara then spoke of Moana being sold, Jake mentioned his Dad was going to buy her and chop her up for fire since it was all she's good for.
Kara had had enough, she threw the Bible at Jake's nose. She saw her teacher,Mrs. Carter coming & took off because she had broken Jake's nose. Kara ran to find her Dad, & went home to ask Aunt Bev, but she wouldn't tell her so she lied that she had forgotten something, so she ran upstairs to the room she shared with her little cousin, Daisy. She asked if she had seen her Dad. Daisy said he took his long fishing poles & bait. Kara thanked her & got ready to leave after she got her swimming bag with her goggled beside it.
As much as Kara wanted to leave she couldn't because Dougie Evans's vehicle was parked in the driveway. He asked of Kara and where she was. Aunt Bev lied, she said Kara was at school & asked what she had done. Dougie answered angrily saying she had broken Jake's nose. Aunt Bev told him again that Kara was at school, but her lie wasn't good enough. Kara & Daisy heard footsteps on the stairs. Kara pushed her cot up against the door & grabbed her swimming bag that she had sat down.
The only way Kara could go was out the window & off the roof. Daisy mouthed the word "go" to Kara. Kara heard Dougie opening the door ordering her to let him in, but she jumped onto the roof, & then to the ground. She saw Dougie looking through the window, but she thought to herself that nobody could stop her now. She kept running until she got to the dock & stopped her Dad before he left.
She yelled at him to wait & he did so Kara gradually pushed the boat from the dock then proceeded by hopping into the boat. Her Dad questioned why she wasn't at school, but she changed the subject & asked if he was really selling Moana & he nodded & said yes. Kara jumped off the boat and swam to the cove. After sitting there for a few minutes she saw a flash of white. Then she saw it again, and again. It was the White Dolphin, a sign that Mum's still out there. Kara's Dad doesn't believe her but Kara ignores what he thinks of that.
Kara began walking home and a vehicle pulled up beside her and the passenger window rolled down, it was Aunt Bev. She told Kara to get in so she did. Kara was wishing now that she would've took the fields home. Aunt Bev told Kara her Dad was worried sick about her. After they had found Kara they called her Dad & told her they found her. Kara's Dad came home later that night and hugged her so much.
Later in the book Kara hears of a huge great white shark that Dougie Evans has caught. When she figures out where it is Chloe tries to pull her back and is in tears. She told Kara not to look but she did anyway. Once Kara got up to the front she saw a grey dolphin in a fishing net. Angel the white dolphin's, mother was dead. Kara ran and ran until she had gotten home. Angel had already been held in captivity before because she had been caught in a fishing net now her mother has been killed by Dougie Evans.
Even later they hold an event to stop the dredging ban from being lifted. They ended up getting more than 600 people to sign it in less than 2 hours. They got their wish. The dredging ban stays.
Towards the end Jake and Ethan are saved by Kara and Felix because Dougie bought Moana and the boys decided to sail her when a storm was coming in. When Jake fell out of the boat Kara went to pull him up and thought she saw a flash of white but ignored it at the time. Felix took Jake & Kara took Ethan. They both returned safely and now Kara and her Dad are living in a trailer with an ocean view and are as happy as can be.
January 22, 2020
I think the theme of this book would be you have to learn to accept things even when you don't like them as the main character has to accept her mo is never coming back.
January 24, 2024
It’s always special when students share their favorite stories with me. This book had everything younger me would have loved and still love. Ocean conservation for the win <3
February 24, 2020
I have a soft spot for this book because my favorite animal is a dolphin. I really liked this book, in that it was written as realistic fiction, so I related to the characters and I could imagine the events happening to me. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books about teenagers and saving animals.
September 27, 2025
Kara is a young girl struggling with the disappearance of her mother, a father (and herself) with dyslexia, a fishing village run mostly by a big headed fool and tyrant, and living with a hormonal grouchy aunt. The story is often sad, maddening, and touching. There's a good lesson to be learned here, we do need to protect our oceans and marine life. It also shows us that bullying gets you nowhere and having a disability doesn't stop you being a good friend and hero. I might not be the targeted age group but I still enjoyed the story and learned the importance of why we need to do more to save the oceans.
October 18, 2024
Bhut boring thi😓
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September 25, 2016This book was full of adventure, but not just physically. After an albino dolphin gets caught in a fishing net and is struggling to live, Kara realizes she has to fight for what's right and vows to save the reef. Soon, after an almost claimed victory over Dougie Evans, a fisherman who doesn't care about wildlife, an unexpected catastrophe happens. The entire time I was reading this book, I was either shaking from nerves, trembling from fear, sobbing from sadness, or laughing from happiness. I totally recommend this book to anyone waiting for an amazing experience.
October 16, 2017
The title of the book I read is White Dolphin by Gill Lewis. This book falls into the realistic fiction genre because even though some of the characters talk in the story which is fiction, it shows what could be the real life of a Dolphin who struggled setting itself free. A summary of the book is that a girl named Kara lives in a small community known as Cornwall with her father near the ocean. Kara had a incredibly hard childhood because she was bullied at school and her mother disappeared on a trip to save the coral reef since she was a marine biologist. Everyone in the community had given up hope of finding her mother except Kara who was determined to find her. Throughout the story, Kara and her father had so many debts they had to pay, they had no other choice but to sell their cherished boat known as Moana. When Kara was having troubles with her family, friends, and school, she would go to the cove where she helped save a white Dolphin with wounds and injuries that struggled setting itself free on the dirty polluted sand with the help of her friend Felix. An internal conflict the main character faces is Kara vs. Self. Kara is very depressed that her mother is missing and everyone has lost faith that she would still be alive. She is also sad that her father must sell their beloved boat known as Moana. This clearly shows that an internal conflict is Kara vs. self. An external conflict the main character faces is man vs. man. When Kara went to school everyday, she was bullied by the antagonist who was known as Jake Evans which is the character she despised. Kara did not want to go to school because she knew that Jake would bully her, and she would come home crying from school each and everyday. This shows that an external conflict the main character faces is man vs. man. The character that changed the most through the story was the antagonist who was known as Jake Evans. Jake Evans changed the most throughout the story because in the start he was vicious, cruel, and evil but towards the end he changed for the better. The story White Dolphin by Gill Lewis is a spectacular book. I especially like this book because the main character and I could relate in many ways, and we had many similarities through the whole entire story. I think boys and girls will enjoy this book. I think this book is great for young readers because some of the animals in the story talk and express emotion. The story is similar and shares connections with another story known as The One and Only Ivan because throughout both stories, some of the animals talk and express emotion about their struggles within their lives.
December 12, 2012
Gill Lewis draws on her own expertise as a vet to create a powerful, engaging story which blends the wondrous elements of marine life with a tale of friendship and lessons in making the right choices in life.
Narrated in the present tense by young Kara, there is a distinct feeling of urgency as Kara and her friend Felix battle to save the life of a stranded dolphin as well as trying to preserve the local reef which has been damaged by overfishing. As well as environmental issues there are insights into family relationships, friendship and coping with being different from your peers.
This excellent novel will appeal to confident readers aged 9 plus and especially to existing fans of Michael Morpurgo. It's refreshing to see a new pretender to the storytelling throne!
Narrated in the present tense by young Kara, there is a distinct feeling of urgency as Kara and her friend Felix battle to save the life of a stranded dolphin as well as trying to preserve the local reef which has been damaged by overfishing. As well as environmental issues there are insights into family relationships, friendship and coping with being different from your peers.
This excellent novel will appeal to confident readers aged 9 plus and especially to existing fans of Michael Morpurgo. It's refreshing to see a new pretender to the storytelling throne!
November 8, 2012
kara lives in an english coastal town. the fishermen's livelihood is threatened by diminishing numbers, and kara and her dad find themselves strapped for money. her father sells their boat, moana, in an effort to make ends meet.
while swimming out at sea, kara sees a white dolphin. this dolphin becomes a symbol of change for kara and when the baby gets caught in fishing net, kara is forced to take a stand for what is right.
this is the summer of kara's many epiphanies: her prodigal mother may never return; friendship transcends differences; standing up for what is right is not always easy, but necessary; blood is thicker than water.
quick read and one i enjoyed.
while swimming out at sea, kara sees a white dolphin. this dolphin becomes a symbol of change for kara and when the baby gets caught in fishing net, kara is forced to take a stand for what is right.
this is the summer of kara's many epiphanies: her prodigal mother may never return; friendship transcends differences; standing up for what is right is not always easy, but necessary; blood is thicker than water.
quick read and one i enjoyed.
April 16, 2014
This is a contemporary realistic fiction about a young girl, Kara with dylexia, whose mother has disappeared on an expedition at sea and has never been found. Kara and a boy who has cerebral palsy embark on a quest to find out what happened to Kara’s mother and to save the town’s reef bay from destruction by dredgers. In her journey to find answers Kara learns she needs to move on without her mother.
I would recommend this book for grades 4-6. This book has environment themes that could connect with a science lesson on marine biology.
I would recommend this book for grades 4-6. This book has environment themes that could connect with a science lesson on marine biology.
April 3, 2019
I picked this book up from the library to read to my 8-year-old son. He enjoys books "that could really happen." He also really enjoys ocean creatures. We got through 2 chapters before he decided he did not want to finish this. I was enjoying the story, so I finished it on my own. I thought the characters were not as developed as they could be and the story line was not very compelling. I did like how the story wraps up at the end. It was a satisfying ending.
June 21, 2013
My 9yo daughter read this and loved it. She couldn't wait for me to read it so we could talk about it. It's a fantastic read for this age, opening up doors to talk about a plethora of subjects, from bullying to unconditional love. I truly enjoyed it!
August 28, 2019
It was ok, and the ending wasn't too bad. Though why was there mention about finding out what happened her Mum on the back cover, when in the end they didn't find out and suspect she's dead? It's quite sad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2014
Awesome!!!!!!!!!
October 28, 2013
I didn't like it that much to be honest. that is all that I have to say.
April 14, 2015
Great childrens book!!! Really touching story
October 8, 2019
This book was a bit boring and I had to basically force myself to read it.
August 15, 2012
A very sweet story.
July 24, 2024
I am a big fan of Gill Lewis' books. I love that they have a strong sense of family and belonging in whichever form that family takes. But also that they encourage us to think about the natural world and how we can protect it.
I'm lucky to get many books from publishers but I bought this myself, probably from a charity shop - it's been on the tbr pile for a while so can't really remember!
The book follows the Kara, a young girl who is living with her father at her Aunt's house. They have very little money, her dad sleeps in a caravan in the garden, she sleeps on a camp bed in her young cousin's room. Both Kara and her father are dyslexic, this has affected both her father's working life and her school one. She is a target for school bullies.
On the day we first meet her she is tearing pages out of a Bible on the beach having run out of school. Jake Evans and his friend Ethan find her before her teacher. He starts the taunts...she's heard them all before. But when he says her beloved sailing boat is up for sale, she throws the bible at him leaving him writhing on the sand, blood pouring from his nose. She runs home but Dad isn't there.
Jake's dad, Dougie, owns the trawler Kara's uncle works on. He's the same man that is desperate to start trawling in the bay that Kara's mum tried so hard to protect, but the ban is lifted soon and he can't wait. He blames Kara's mum for the fact that his son Aaron died, he went overboard in rough water when they were fishing further away from the bay. Kara hasn't seen her mum for a year now, she went with some others on a trip abroad to save wild dolphins, and never returned. Other families hired private detectives but they found nothing to tell them what had happened. Kara's dad was left with all the debts for that fateful trip.
When Kara finds her Dad, he's on Moana, their boat, Kara can't ask teh question. But when she finally does she jumps into the water and swims to the beach. She is sitting there thinking of her mum when - a flash of white, then again - it's a dolphin and there are more of them.
This is a sign.
A school next day Kara sees Felix, he's definitely going to be the bullies next target but when her cousin Daisy comes to his defence in the ice cream shop he's horrid to her! Turn out Felix's dad wants to buy Moana. They go out but Felix isn't as bad as she thought, in fact he's rather nice. He doesn't want Moana though no matter how much he loved sailing, he wants a boat that suits his needs, that he can sail by himself.
Kara returns to the bay to find the dolphin, but it's been washed up on the shore and it's mother is trying desperately to get to it. It has fishing line twisted all around it and in it's mouth. Kara goes into help mode, trying to remember what her mother taught her. Then She hears a voice, it's Felix in a dinghy with his dad. Felix swims to help her and his dad goes for help. Can they save the dolphin? Can she return to the sea? Will this awful situation help them save the bay?
What does happen to Moana?
Can Kara come to terms with this new life without her mother?
Absolutely loved this book, as I have all the other Gill Lewis books that I have read.
TA, Escp
I'm lucky to get many books from publishers but I bought this myself, probably from a charity shop - it's been on the tbr pile for a while so can't really remember!
The book follows the Kara, a young girl who is living with her father at her Aunt's house. They have very little money, her dad sleeps in a caravan in the garden, she sleeps on a camp bed in her young cousin's room. Both Kara and her father are dyslexic, this has affected both her father's working life and her school one. She is a target for school bullies.
On the day we first meet her she is tearing pages out of a Bible on the beach having run out of school. Jake Evans and his friend Ethan find her before her teacher. He starts the taunts...she's heard them all before. But when he says her beloved sailing boat is up for sale, she throws the bible at him leaving him writhing on the sand, blood pouring from his nose. She runs home but Dad isn't there.
Jake's dad, Dougie, owns the trawler Kara's uncle works on. He's the same man that is desperate to start trawling in the bay that Kara's mum tried so hard to protect, but the ban is lifted soon and he can't wait. He blames Kara's mum for the fact that his son Aaron died, he went overboard in rough water when they were fishing further away from the bay. Kara hasn't seen her mum for a year now, she went with some others on a trip abroad to save wild dolphins, and never returned. Other families hired private detectives but they found nothing to tell them what had happened. Kara's dad was left with all the debts for that fateful trip.
When Kara finds her Dad, he's on Moana, their boat, Kara can't ask teh question. But when she finally does she jumps into the water and swims to the beach. She is sitting there thinking of her mum when - a flash of white, then again - it's a dolphin and there are more of them.
This is a sign.
A school next day Kara sees Felix, he's definitely going to be the bullies next target but when her cousin Daisy comes to his defence in the ice cream shop he's horrid to her! Turn out Felix's dad wants to buy Moana. They go out but Felix isn't as bad as she thought, in fact he's rather nice. He doesn't want Moana though no matter how much he loved sailing, he wants a boat that suits his needs, that he can sail by himself.
Kara returns to the bay to find the dolphin, but it's been washed up on the shore and it's mother is trying desperately to get to it. It has fishing line twisted all around it and in it's mouth. Kara goes into help mode, trying to remember what her mother taught her. Then She hears a voice, it's Felix in a dinghy with his dad. Felix swims to help her and his dad goes for help. Can they save the dolphin? Can she return to the sea? Will this awful situation help them save the bay?
What does happen to Moana?
Can Kara come to terms with this new life without her mother?
Absolutely loved this book, as I have all the other Gill Lewis books that I have read.
TA, Escp
October 9, 2023
I picked this book up at a thrift store purely because I have a soft spot for dolphins. I figured, if nothing else, it would be good for some delightful dolphin scenes. To me, however, it feels like this book is trying too hard to check off as many middle-grade literature tropes as it can, and none of them quite gel together to make a decent story.
Kara is having a hard time of it -- her mother has been missing for a year, her father is in dire financial straits and might have to sell their beloved fishing boat, and the most powerful man in town hates their family and is dedicated to ruining their lives however he can. When she spots a white dolphin in the waters of their coastal town, she is enchanted... and thinks the white dolphin might be the key to saving the town's reef, which is in danger of being destroyed when a dredging ban is lifted. But when the dolphin is found stranded and injured, it's up to Kara and her new friend Felix to save their dolphin friend... and the reef.
This book has good intentions. It wants to tell a heartfelt tale about a girl concerned about the environment, and the obstacles she faces along the way. Unfortunately, it feels like the author felt like she had to hit as many spots on her "middle-grade fiction bingo card" as she could. There's the environmental aspect, which isn't bad in and of itself... but there's also the missing parent, the financially strapped family, the unsympathetic family member, the school bully, the main character with a learning disability, the best friend with a physical disability, the adult with a sinister agenda... None of these tropes is bad in and of themselves, but this book seems to want to hit as many as possible, and so none of its many plot threads get developed very much.
The characters, at least, are decent -- Kara is stubborn but sympathetic, and Felix starts off unlikable but improves as the book goes (and it's nice to see that a disabled character can be written as an actual flawed character and not a perfect angel). The villains are pretty one-dimensional, and the side characters are fairly flat, but the main characters at least are interesting to follow.
One White Dolphin isn't a bad book, but it feels pretty by-the-numbers and doesn't do much to stand out from the pack. If you like sea life and don't mind being drowned in middle-grade tropes, you'll probably enjoy this one.
Kara is having a hard time of it -- her mother has been missing for a year, her father is in dire financial straits and might have to sell their beloved fishing boat, and the most powerful man in town hates their family and is dedicated to ruining their lives however he can. When she spots a white dolphin in the waters of their coastal town, she is enchanted... and thinks the white dolphin might be the key to saving the town's reef, which is in danger of being destroyed when a dredging ban is lifted. But when the dolphin is found stranded and injured, it's up to Kara and her new friend Felix to save their dolphin friend... and the reef.
This book has good intentions. It wants to tell a heartfelt tale about a girl concerned about the environment, and the obstacles she faces along the way. Unfortunately, it feels like the author felt like she had to hit as many spots on her "middle-grade fiction bingo card" as she could. There's the environmental aspect, which isn't bad in and of itself... but there's also the missing parent, the financially strapped family, the unsympathetic family member, the school bully, the main character with a learning disability, the best friend with a physical disability, the adult with a sinister agenda... None of these tropes is bad in and of themselves, but this book seems to want to hit as many as possible, and so none of its many plot threads get developed very much.
The characters, at least, are decent -- Kara is stubborn but sympathetic, and Felix starts off unlikable but improves as the book goes (and it's nice to see that a disabled character can be written as an actual flawed character and not a perfect angel). The villains are pretty one-dimensional, and the side characters are fairly flat, but the main characters at least are interesting to follow.
One White Dolphin isn't a bad book, but it feels pretty by-the-numbers and doesn't do much to stand out from the pack. If you like sea life and don't mind being drowned in middle-grade tropes, you'll probably enjoy this one.
January 16, 2021
This book was full of adventure, but not just physically. White Dolphin by Gill Lewis shows that even if you do not like the way something is going you just have to accept it. In the book Kara does not like the way things are going with her mom going missing but she must learn to just accept it at the end of the day.
Kara is from a small fishing village on the coast. Everything in her life revolved around the sea. Her mom is a marine biologist has been missing since she went to protect dolphins being captured for aquariums and sea parks. Her dad is struggling to pay the bills. Enter Felix, a Londoner who has CP and is resentful about being forced to leave his friends for a small town of nothing. Sailing might be the thing that break the boredom and that’s how he and Kara connected. Jake and Ethan are in no way welcoming, appreciative or kind. They constantly were making fun of Kara and her family situation, her mom being missing and her dad constantly working to provide for his family. While swimming out at sea, Kara sees a white dolphin. This dolphin becomes a symbol of change for Kara to keep searching for her mother and never give up.
I really really liked this book! It was heartwarming but sad at the same time. I liked the friendship Felix and Kara had. They always worked together for what was right. I also really liked how at the end of the book, everyone knew what was right and at the end of the day came together and supported each other through everything. This book shows a lot about friendship and I think the story of friendship in this book shows what real friends are like. When I am reading a book, I always think of something that I don’t like about the book, but I don’t know why. This time I did not have anything that came to my head about what I did not like. This book is good for young teenagers learning about friendships and working together because I think the lesson is good for that age.
Overall, this was an easy read and a good overall book. There are many good learning curves and lessons. A story of friendship, family, bravery, finding your inner voice, and working together.
Kara is from a small fishing village on the coast. Everything in her life revolved around the sea. Her mom is a marine biologist has been missing since she went to protect dolphins being captured for aquariums and sea parks. Her dad is struggling to pay the bills. Enter Felix, a Londoner who has CP and is resentful about being forced to leave his friends for a small town of nothing. Sailing might be the thing that break the boredom and that’s how he and Kara connected. Jake and Ethan are in no way welcoming, appreciative or kind. They constantly were making fun of Kara and her family situation, her mom being missing and her dad constantly working to provide for his family. While swimming out at sea, Kara sees a white dolphin. This dolphin becomes a symbol of change for Kara to keep searching for her mother and never give up.
I really really liked this book! It was heartwarming but sad at the same time. I liked the friendship Felix and Kara had. They always worked together for what was right. I also really liked how at the end of the book, everyone knew what was right and at the end of the day came together and supported each other through everything. This book shows a lot about friendship and I think the story of friendship in this book shows what real friends are like. When I am reading a book, I always think of something that I don’t like about the book, but I don’t know why. This time I did not have anything that came to my head about what I did not like. This book is good for young teenagers learning about friendships and working together because I think the lesson is good for that age.
Overall, this was an easy read and a good overall book. There are many good learning curves and lessons. A story of friendship, family, bravery, finding your inner voice, and working together.
February 21, 2019
“Save the reef!” as I would like to say because this is an interesting read that I won from a contest a few years back. The book “One White Dolphin” by Gill Lewis really was interesting to re-read after finding it from cleaning my shelf as I read about how saving one dolphin brings new friends, troubles, and solutions. I believe readers who are interested in marine life should enjoy this book since it clearly brings good intentions about two people with different issues in their lives that bond over time due to a incident in which they both are bravely challenging their entire towns people for one ocean life.
In the story, Kara, who is the main protagonist brings an interesting view on her beginning plot as it brings her issues in the entrance rather than in a few chapters. It brings me a good interest as the backstory of the parents explains her situation later in the pages and leaves me understanding to why the character is distant towards others than her own dream. The book is put more seriously and makes it to the point that the main character is distant from her other people due to her issue of keeping the reef safe rather than helping the community. When I read more of the story it starts to let loose the seriously during the middle as she bonds with her new friend who just moved into her city, and bonding with her cousin during certain events. It’s good during the parts about their issues coming to an end and the conclusion is well set that everything tied up.
Therefore, in conclusion, readers who are familiar with marine life or new readers who want to read a interesting book should enjoy this book They would be very interested how the main character solves everything that happened in her life and her hometown.
In the story, Kara, who is the main protagonist brings an interesting view on her beginning plot as it brings her issues in the entrance rather than in a few chapters. It brings me a good interest as the backstory of the parents explains her situation later in the pages and leaves me understanding to why the character is distant towards others than her own dream. The book is put more seriously and makes it to the point that the main character is distant from her other people due to her issue of keeping the reef safe rather than helping the community. When I read more of the story it starts to let loose the seriously during the middle as she bonds with her new friend who just moved into her city, and bonding with her cousin during certain events. It’s good during the parts about their issues coming to an end and the conclusion is well set that everything tied up.
Therefore, in conclusion, readers who are familiar with marine life or new readers who want to read a interesting book should enjoy this book They would be very interested how the main character solves everything that happened in her life and her hometown.
May 13, 2017
Shelby Huff
AB-2
May 13,2017
Book Review #8
Title: White Dolphin (also previously published as ‘ One White Dolphin’)
Author: Gill Lewis
I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. White Dolphin, is a brightening story on a child named Kara. Kara has always lived by the ocean, hence her love for the sea life. When she comes across a stranded dolphin her life changes for the better or maybe even for the worse. This is a heartwarming story that tells us, everything will be alright even in the hardest of times.
“ Everyone and Everything deserves a chance to survive and thrive…”
This is spoken by Kara when she is told that a dolphin she found will die. I choose this excerpt from the book because it represents her feelings towards what is happening. Without feeling there would be no point of really doing anything . We do things to feel happy and to express things toward others. Happiness is what runs us every day.
“The waves were raging, beating against the large rock in front of us.”
The reason I choose this excerpt was because it really explains the scenery and intensity of life for people who live by the ocean. Scenery is a very important part of this book, it expresses how different people interpret different things. If some body goes to the ocean they may see strong sea currents of blue, if somebody who lives by the ocean looks out side they may sea a place of exploration and real beauty. The moral of this is, don't judge others because they are different we all see thing in different perspectives.
AB-2
May 13,2017
Book Review #8
Title: White Dolphin (also previously published as ‘ One White Dolphin’)
Author: Gill Lewis
I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. White Dolphin, is a brightening story on a child named Kara. Kara has always lived by the ocean, hence her love for the sea life. When she comes across a stranded dolphin her life changes for the better or maybe even for the worse. This is a heartwarming story that tells us, everything will be alright even in the hardest of times.
“ Everyone and Everything deserves a chance to survive and thrive…”
This is spoken by Kara when she is told that a dolphin she found will die. I choose this excerpt from the book because it represents her feelings towards what is happening. Without feeling there would be no point of really doing anything . We do things to feel happy and to express things toward others. Happiness is what runs us every day.
“The waves were raging, beating against the large rock in front of us.”
The reason I choose this excerpt was because it really explains the scenery and intensity of life for people who live by the ocean. Scenery is a very important part of this book, it expresses how different people interpret different things. If some body goes to the ocean they may see strong sea currents of blue, if somebody who lives by the ocean looks out side they may sea a place of exploration and real beauty. The moral of this is, don't judge others because they are different we all see thing in different perspectives.
October 9, 2017
Given to me by a student who has difficulty finding books she loves. She loved this story, and I can see why.
From the first page I was drawn into the narration of Kara, a frustrated middle school student: conflicted about her mother's disappearance, her father's constant work hours, her strict Aunt, their crowded living conditions, her dyslexia, the imminent reversal of a dredging law that threatens the reef she loves and depends on, and especially, mean Jake who knows all her weak spot and continues to push them. The story begin as Kara throws a bible at Jake and breaks his nose. Jake is the last person she should be offending, as his father owns the largest fishing company in town and controls the fate of her entire family, the entire town, and maybe even the ocean reefs surrounding them.
Kara's anger is authentic and she is a realistic, complex character.
This page-turner was fast-paced and full of nuanced family relationships, friendships, enemies, and important modern issues. A combination mystery, family drama, classic bully story, and tale of friendship with environmental activism mixed in. The addition of a handicap teen new to town adds another layer to the story that deepens the plot, the theme, and Kara's self-discovery.
When a rare albino dolphin is discovered stranded on the beach, the action intensifies. Maybe Kara's missing mother isn't really gone forever.
A story of friendship, family, bravery, finding your voice, inner strength, and working together.
From the first page I was drawn into the narration of Kara, a frustrated middle school student: conflicted about her mother's disappearance, her father's constant work hours, her strict Aunt, their crowded living conditions, her dyslexia, the imminent reversal of a dredging law that threatens the reef she loves and depends on, and especially, mean Jake who knows all her weak spot and continues to push them. The story begin as Kara throws a bible at Jake and breaks his nose. Jake is the last person she should be offending, as his father owns the largest fishing company in town and controls the fate of her entire family, the entire town, and maybe even the ocean reefs surrounding them.
Kara's anger is authentic and she is a realistic, complex character.
This page-turner was fast-paced and full of nuanced family relationships, friendships, enemies, and important modern issues. A combination mystery, family drama, classic bully story, and tale of friendship with environmental activism mixed in. The addition of a handicap teen new to town adds another layer to the story that deepens the plot, the theme, and Kara's self-discovery.
When a rare albino dolphin is discovered stranded on the beach, the action intensifies. Maybe Kara's missing mother isn't really gone forever.
A story of friendship, family, bravery, finding your voice, inner strength, and working together.
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