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Heart of a Dolphin
Sometimes you find a friend where you least expect it... When Annie spots a dolphin trapped in fishing line in the cove near her house, she rushes to free him. Everyone cheers when she returns to shore, but only Annie knows that she and the dolphin have forged a special bond. He's become her friend -- and keeps returning to the cove to visit and play!Meanwhile, out of the water, nothing is going right. Annie's best friend, Emma, has changed, and keeps ditching her to hang out with snobby Morgan. At home, Annie's busy parents barely seem to have time for her, and she's stuck with her hyper younger brother always tagging along. Then a misunderstanding with Morgan makes things even worse... and ultimately leaves Annie alone and in danger. Can her dolphin friend help her when she needs it most?
192 pages, Paperback
First published April 26, 2016
49 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Hapka
433 books203 followersCatherine (Cathy) Hapka has written more than one hundred books for children and adults, as a ghostwriter for series as well as original titles, including the Romantic Comedies Something Borrowed, The Twelve Date of Christmas, and Love on Cue. She lives in Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
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October 12, 2016I like this book because I like dolphins
November 16, 2016
This book is so heartfelt. Everyone in it thinks they are right, as most of us do, and they risk lives just because of a misunderstanding. I cannot forget to mention the relationship between Annie and the dolphin, who are the most amazing characters in the story. They have such a bond, and they risk their own lives to save each others. I believe that anyone would rate this 5 stars. I found this book by going to the library, and over and over it put this book under " You Might Want To Try..." and eventually I decided to read it and I loved it. This is why you listen to recommendations.
I loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 20, 2017
Heart of a Dolphin by Catherine Hapka is a realistic fiction book that is very fun and easy to read. It's about a eleven year old girl, Annie, who saves a dolphin in a cove. The dolphin comes back to visit Annie a lot, and she teaches it tricks. Annie has a little brother named, Will, who can get out of control and complains a lot but has a good heart. Annie's best friend, Emma, betrays her and starts hanging out with her arch nemesis, Morgan.
This story is pretty interesting throughout, but it gets most interesting at the end when something dramatic happens. Annie has to make a decision that will impact the story a lot. I recommend this story to 3rd graders to 8th graders who like fun stories with a twist. I really liked this book, and the way it ended.
This story is pretty interesting throughout, but it gets most interesting at the end when something dramatic happens. Annie has to make a decision that will impact the story a lot. I recommend this story to 3rd graders to 8th graders who like fun stories with a twist. I really liked this book, and the way it ended.
June 1, 2016
I realy liked this book beacas... it is realy sad when the dad dosen't even show up at his sons birthday. and they pland it for nothing if he diden't even show up. for it!! that is just sad for the little boy! and then his sister found a dolphin that is stuck in a fishing line.and she got the dolphin out, huray!
September 17, 2018
I think it was a great book! I rated it 5 stars because I never wanted to put the book down! This book is about a girl named Annie who finds a dolphin trapped in a fishing line in the cove! When she see's him, she's saves him, by cutting the fishing line. When she cuts the fishing line, she feels a connection between her and the dolphin. Her little brother Will names it Admiral Squeak, because the dolphin has a scar on his face just like the person Admiral Zeke who also has a scar on his face. A few days later the dolphin comes back to the cove to visit. She and the dolphin play games and laugh together in the cove. Meanwhile out of the water, Emma her best friend keeps hanging out with Annie's enemy, Morgan. Morgan keeps changing Emma so she's more like her. Emma changes her room, cuts her hair short (like Morgan), so Annie gets so mad that she marches over to Emma's house and gets into a huge fight! Morgan figures out that Annie calls the dolphin Admiral Squeak, so she gets really mad because Admiral Zeke is her dad, so to get revenge she tells Annie that she's going to chase the dolphin out of the cove for good! Annie goes out to try and save the dolphin, but when she gets out there Morgan and her friends including Emma are already coming back. Will she and Emma ever become friends again and will she ever see her dolphin friend again? Read the book and you'll find out!
May 9, 2023
I really enjoyed reading Heart of a Dolphin, it was very fun, exciting, and sad at the same time! Overall this was a really good book!
November 3, 2017
In the book heart of dolphin, a girl named Annie found a dolphin caught in a fishing net and she helps saves it. When she frees the dolphin it keeps coming back to a cove by her house. Annie and the dolphin become friends and the book is a interesting book, because the dolphin and Annie start a connection with each other. I liked reading heart of a dolphin because it is a book that makes new friends.
September 13, 2019
This book is about a young girl named Annie, and the relationships that she has with people and animals around her. Annie finds a dolphin in the water that is tangled in fishing line and will not survive without her help. While Annie is able to save the dolphin and form a bond with the dolphin, she is losing her best friend and does not know how to fix that bond. Although she is losing her best friend, she is also not creating the best relationship with the new girl that just moved into the neighborhood or maintaining a good relationship with her brothers. This was a great book that demonstrates how even when friendships or relationships with family get hard, you should still be nice to everyone. This book was also awesome because it demonstrates the bond between people and animals. This book can be used during science when talking about the ocean and the impact humans are having on sea creatures. This book can be used to teach this topic, given that Annie finds the dolphin because he is tangled in fishing line and can’t get free as he keeps hitting the rocks. This scene in the book can be used to talk about the negative impact humans are having on marine life with fishing and cutting lines when sea creatures get stuck in them, as well as by talking about pollution, describing that maybe the lines the dolphin got caught in were damaged, so the captain just threw the line into the water instead of throwing them away in the trash.
January 10, 2017
Heart Of A Dolphin by Catherine Hapka is a really good book. It is annie's little brothers birthday party named will. They go out for a swim in the ocean and she finds a dolphin stuck in a fishing line, she rushes to free him. She gets a lot of credit from her friends and family when she returns to the shore. Annie and the dolphin become close friends. They visit eachother every day. However, annie's best friend Emma, he changed, she finds a new friend and keeps ditching annie. to hang out with snobby morgan. A misunderstanding with morgan makes things worse, and leaves annie in danger alone in the ocean out not near the shore. Will her dolphin friend come save her?
in my opinion the book was very interesting and wanted me to keep reading. I loved the book and i was i the edge of my seat reading it. I think the book had some information about dolphins too, that's also why i liked this book.
I would recommend this book to people who love adventure books. This book was very good and i think anyone would love it. When you read the book it's like your witnessing the story, so anyone so likes those type of books would love it.
in my opinion the book was very interesting and wanted me to keep reading. I loved the book and i was i the edge of my seat reading it. I think the book had some information about dolphins too, that's also why i liked this book.
I would recommend this book to people who love adventure books. This book was very good and i think anyone would love it. When you read the book it's like your witnessing the story, so anyone so likes those type of books would love it.
August 3, 2016
comment from 9yr old:" I would give it a 4.5 stars. the story tells you how you find friends in very odd or unexpected places. This story is where you find a friend in an ocean"
August 4, 2018
“Basically I missed the way everything used to be before this stupid summer.”
Annie and her family live on Long Island Sound near Little Twin Cove. It seems like a perfect setting, especially during the summer months when they can boat and swim. But things are changing, starting with a new family moving in. In addition, Annie’s life is in flux, as well. For one thing, her father has opened his own restaurant which is taking up all of his and her mother’s time and a lot of her time, too, as she is called in to help. Jacob, her older brother, is obsessed with getting into college, so he’s been a bit distant. Only little brother, Will, remains consistent in his behavior, which requires great patience to deal with.
But the biggest flux is what’s going on with Annie’s best friend, Emma. They’ve always spent the summer joined at the hip. In fact, Emma “was pretty much an honorary Reed,” attending most of the Reed family events, like Will’s birthday. So here they are, on the beach, waiting for Will’s party to officially begin and all Emma can talk about is tanning, fashion and what Morgan has to say about the new family. Since when did Emma care about what Morgan has to say?
Though Emma’s not interested, Annie decides to get into the water for awhile and it is then that she discovers a dolphin hopelessly tangled in fishing line, pinned to the rocks. Gently, she cuts the dolphin loose and a bond is formed. “I held my breath as our eyes locked, and it was as if he was reading my mind — or maybe my heart.” Watching from the shore, Will decides that they should call the dolphin Admiral Squeak (because the dolphin has a scar on his face not unlike the scar on the face of Morgan’s father, who is Admiral Zeke.) Annie is uncomfortable with this, but she has barely any time to protest before Morgan shows up and takes Emma away from the party. “What in the world happened to my best friend?”
So begins the summer in which Annie loses her best friend, but gains another one in Squeak, who continues to visit her in the cove. Though she loves swimming and playing with the dolphin, it hurts to see Emma with Morgan and her crew. And when Morgan finds out about “Admiral Squeak,” she is livid and vows to get revenge on Annie ... and maybe the dolphin, too.
This one should be popular with students.
Annie and her family live on Long Island Sound near Little Twin Cove. It seems like a perfect setting, especially during the summer months when they can boat and swim. But things are changing, starting with a new family moving in. In addition, Annie’s life is in flux, as well. For one thing, her father has opened his own restaurant which is taking up all of his and her mother’s time and a lot of her time, too, as she is called in to help. Jacob, her older brother, is obsessed with getting into college, so he’s been a bit distant. Only little brother, Will, remains consistent in his behavior, which requires great patience to deal with.
But the biggest flux is what’s going on with Annie’s best friend, Emma. They’ve always spent the summer joined at the hip. In fact, Emma “was pretty much an honorary Reed,” attending most of the Reed family events, like Will’s birthday. So here they are, on the beach, waiting for Will’s party to officially begin and all Emma can talk about is tanning, fashion and what Morgan has to say about the new family. Since when did Emma care about what Morgan has to say?
Though Emma’s not interested, Annie decides to get into the water for awhile and it is then that she discovers a dolphin hopelessly tangled in fishing line, pinned to the rocks. Gently, she cuts the dolphin loose and a bond is formed. “I held my breath as our eyes locked, and it was as if he was reading my mind — or maybe my heart.” Watching from the shore, Will decides that they should call the dolphin Admiral Squeak (because the dolphin has a scar on his face not unlike the scar on the face of Morgan’s father, who is Admiral Zeke.) Annie is uncomfortable with this, but she has barely any time to protest before Morgan shows up and takes Emma away from the party. “What in the world happened to my best friend?”
So begins the summer in which Annie loses her best friend, but gains another one in Squeak, who continues to visit her in the cove. Though she loves swimming and playing with the dolphin, it hurts to see Emma with Morgan and her crew. And when Morgan finds out about “Admiral Squeak,” she is livid and vows to get revenge on Annie ... and maybe the dolphin, too.
This one should be popular with students.
August 9, 2018
Meine Meinung:
Annie befreit einen Delfin aus einer Angelschnur. Er wird schnell zu Annies neuem Freund. Er wird auf den Namen Admiral Ocean getauft. Ihre beste Freundin Emma, hängt nur noch mit der komischen Morgan und dessen Freunden ab. Es tut ihr weh, das zu sehen. Sie waren sich mal so nah. Doch nichts ist davon übrig. Nach diesem Sommer wird alles anders sein.
Emma ist sehr beeinflußbar, das merkt man schnell. Sie hat aber nicht so viel Rückgrat um Annie gegenüber zu treten und ihr das zu sagen, ihr davon zu erzählen, warum das so ist. Ich mag sie aus dem Grund nicht. Ich empfinde es als Verrat, an einer jahrelangen Freundschaft. Morgan ist ein besserwisserisches Ekel. Annie, ihre Brüder Jacob und Will sind sehr sympathisch. Auch wenn Jacob meist nur am Computer hängt wegen seinen Studienvorbereitungen. Er bleibt im Hintergrund. Die Eltern sind viel beschäftigt, nehmen sich aber Zeit, um dann doch noch was anderes zu tun zu haben. Annies Bruder Will ist ein typischer 8 jähriger. Zwischen überall dabei sein und schon seine eigenen Wege gehen. Ich mag ihn sehr. Ocean den Delfin möchte ich besonders erwähnen. Man hat wirklich das Gefühl, als könnte er in Annie hineinblicken. Es scheint als ob er ihre Traurigkeit spürt. Die Szene am Schluss habe ich mit Tränen in den Augen gelesen.
Hach wie schön und auch traurig.
Catherine Hapka hat eine Geschichte mit viel Herz geschrieben, aber auch den schwierigen freundschaftlichen Aspekt nicht außer Acht gelassen. Mit ihrem leichten und flüssigen Schreibstil hat sie mich begeistert. Sie nimmt der Geschichte die Schwere, durch wunderbare Szenen am Meer. Diese Beklemmung, wenn Annie an Emma denkt, spiegelt sich wirklich gut in der Geschichte wider.
Kurze Zusammenfassung:
Eine tiefe Freundschaft zwischen Mensch und Tier,
die über eine andere menschliche Freundschaft hinwegtröstet.
Annie befreit einen Delfin aus einer Angelschnur. Er wird schnell zu Annies neuem Freund. Er wird auf den Namen Admiral Ocean getauft. Ihre beste Freundin Emma, hängt nur noch mit der komischen Morgan und dessen Freunden ab. Es tut ihr weh, das zu sehen. Sie waren sich mal so nah. Doch nichts ist davon übrig. Nach diesem Sommer wird alles anders sein.
Emma ist sehr beeinflußbar, das merkt man schnell. Sie hat aber nicht so viel Rückgrat um Annie gegenüber zu treten und ihr das zu sagen, ihr davon zu erzählen, warum das so ist. Ich mag sie aus dem Grund nicht. Ich empfinde es als Verrat, an einer jahrelangen Freundschaft. Morgan ist ein besserwisserisches Ekel. Annie, ihre Brüder Jacob und Will sind sehr sympathisch. Auch wenn Jacob meist nur am Computer hängt wegen seinen Studienvorbereitungen. Er bleibt im Hintergrund. Die Eltern sind viel beschäftigt, nehmen sich aber Zeit, um dann doch noch was anderes zu tun zu haben. Annies Bruder Will ist ein typischer 8 jähriger. Zwischen überall dabei sein und schon seine eigenen Wege gehen. Ich mag ihn sehr. Ocean den Delfin möchte ich besonders erwähnen. Man hat wirklich das Gefühl, als könnte er in Annie hineinblicken. Es scheint als ob er ihre Traurigkeit spürt. Die Szene am Schluss habe ich mit Tränen in den Augen gelesen.
Hach wie schön und auch traurig.
Catherine Hapka hat eine Geschichte mit viel Herz geschrieben, aber auch den schwierigen freundschaftlichen Aspekt nicht außer Acht gelassen. Mit ihrem leichten und flüssigen Schreibstil hat sie mich begeistert. Sie nimmt der Geschichte die Schwere, durch wunderbare Szenen am Meer. Diese Beklemmung, wenn Annie an Emma denkt, spiegelt sich wirklich gut in der Geschichte wider.
Kurze Zusammenfassung:
Eine tiefe Freundschaft zwischen Mensch und Tier,
die über eine andere menschliche Freundschaft hinwegtröstet.
January 5, 2021
This book was interesting enough but it wasn’t that different. I don’t know. You could kinda see what was going to happen before it happened until you got to the climax. It was amazing! Of course it was really short but I didn’t see it coming.
In the book Annie is super happy with her life. Her best friend is awesome. One summer everything changes. Her best friend is hanging out with the mean girl (saw that coming) and all hope is lost😑. Until she meets a dolphin. Long story short she is in trouble and has to save the dolphin but he ends up saving her and she realizes that she doesn’t need to hang out with that one best friend to have fun. She finds new friends and has a happily ever after.
It’s not very different. Most books have something where the character loses a friend then does soul searching. Ugh 🤦🏽♀️
And it was an incredibly easy read. I’m in 7th grade and devoured this book in one day.
In the book Annie is super happy with her life. Her best friend is awesome. One summer everything changes. Her best friend is hanging out with the mean girl (saw that coming) and all hope is lost😑. Until she meets a dolphin. Long story short she is in trouble and has to save the dolphin but he ends up saving her and she realizes that she doesn’t need to hang out with that one best friend to have fun. She finds new friends and has a happily ever after.
It’s not very different. Most books have something where the character loses a friend then does soul searching. Ugh 🤦🏽♀️
And it was an incredibly easy read. I’m in 7th grade and devoured this book in one day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2021
Heart of a dolphin is a book by Catherine Hapka. In this story, a girl named Annie lives in Long Sound Island, Connecticut, USA. She may be around 9 years old. Her parents are very busy and she has to be with her naughty younger brother- Will. She has a friend named Emma. Emma keeps hanging out with Morgan. Annie does not like Morgan.
One day, when she goes to a beach she finds a bottlenose dolphin stuck in a fishing line. She frees him. She then names the dolphin Squeak. Squeak becomes Annie's friend and comes to the Cove when she goes there. Suddenly she runs into a dangerous situation and Squeak saves her.
What I liked about the book
I liked the part where the dolphin saves Annie
I like that Annie and Squeak are friends. I too want a dolphin as a friend.
This book reminds me of a movie called Free Willy that I had watched last year. This movie also has a girl who makes friends with an orca (not a dolphin). I like that movie and this book too.
One day, when she goes to a beach she finds a bottlenose dolphin stuck in a fishing line. She frees him. She then names the dolphin Squeak. Squeak becomes Annie's friend and comes to the Cove when she goes there. Suddenly she runs into a dangerous situation and Squeak saves her.
What I liked about the book
I liked the part where the dolphin saves Annie
I like that Annie and Squeak are friends. I too want a dolphin as a friend.
This book reminds me of a movie called Free Willy that I had watched last year. This movie also has a girl who makes friends with an orca (not a dolphin). I like that movie and this book too.
June 5, 2025
This book follows a girl named Annie as she experiences the trials and tribulations of growing up as a pre-teen. We get to see the way her interests, her relationships, and ultimately how her mindset shifts from shunning change to accepting change, and this allows her to become a better person for her friends, her family, and herself. She meets a new friend early on (hint, hint) and she learns the beauty of the friendship, as well as the beauty in saying goodbye. This book is moreso for younger people (elementary school level), but even being an older young person, I still enjoyed this book. I randomlly found it and I'm happy I did because it was very light-hearted read and I loved getting a real REFRESHER from all the more heavy, complicated books or just much more mature that I read (young adult and adult). 🫵⭐️💝
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2018
This book is about a teenage girl named Annie, who saved a dolphin trapped in a cove and they create a special bond. However, her best friend Emma keeps on ditching Annie for her snobby new friends. Her parents are also never home and are too occupied with work and her hyper younger brother keeps on following her around. Unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding with Morgan, Emma's new friend, and Annie is now in danger. This book was fun to read and it was interesting to see what would happen next. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read for fun or for a quick read.
July 21, 2019
I thought it was a very good book because there was a lot of science and stuff like that and I like dolphins. It was just the perfect book. It is by one of my favorite authors too so was just the perfect book for me. I like the story with all the stuff. It reminds me of Dolphin Kick the movie because Morgan and her friends do almost the exact same thing as they did in Dolphin Kick except they try to chase them out... not that's not exactly it. You'll find out if you read the book.
November 7, 2025
Một câu chuyện dễ thương và cảm động về tình bạn của một cô bé và 1 chú cá heo với vết sẹo trên mặt.
Mùa hè đó, Annie đã bị người bạn thân nhất của mình bị bỏ rơi để gia nhập hội bạn với đám con nhà giàu, và hội đó còn quay sang bắt nạt cô bé. Nhưng rồi giống như một món quà để bù đắp, và có thể còn hơn thế nữa, chú cá heo được Annie cứu khỏi dây câu đã đến bầu bạn với Annie trong suốt mùa hè ảm đạm và cô đơn.
Mùa hè đó, Annie đã bị người bạn thân nhất của mình bị bỏ rơi để gia nhập hội bạn với đám con nhà giàu, và hội đó còn quay sang bắt nạt cô bé. Nhưng rồi giống như một món quà để bù đắp, và có thể còn hơn thế nữa, chú cá heo được Annie cứu khỏi dây câu đã đến bầu bạn với Annie trong suốt mùa hè ảm đạm và cô đơn.
November 7, 2017
The book “ Heart of a Dolphin “ is a great tear-jerker for kids and adults. I believe this book is a great tear-jerker because it is about the bond a little girl has with a significant dolphin on her little brothers birthday. I enjoyed this book because it reminded me of the time I imagined swimming with dolphins in 4th grade.I would recommend this book to kids who love bnds with dolphins.
May 28, 2018
Mimie begged me to read this and it was actually really good, especially for a girl Mimie's age. When the main character's best friend gets into fashion magazines, boys, and mean girls, Annie finds friendship with a dolphin she had saved from a tangle of fishing line, then finds a whole group of new friends indeed. I read it in one night.
April 23, 2020
I'm definitely out of the age range for this book haha, but if you want to read a feel good story because you like dolphins like me, then this is for you! It's a relatable story if you are in middle school. I love the beach, so you can really visualize yourself in this book, which is nice. This book is great for younger kids!
November 14, 2021
- honestly not bad for a book that's meant to be for a 4th grader (im 16 and have the reading level of a college student smh why am i reading this)
- morgan and grace can suck it, and emma can suck it too for being such a bad friend
- you can definitely tell though that it's a kids' book bc it's cheesy
- morgan and grace can suck it, and emma can suck it too for being such a bad friend
- you can definitely tell though that it's a kids' book bc it's cheesy
July 2, 2018
I liked this book because it shows how friendships can have there ups and downs. I also like it because it shows how people can change. Finally I rated this book five stars because I really like how the author uses a characters dialog to help develop their personality through out the story.
August 26, 2018
This book is awesome I mean doing tricks with dolphins?! And it's a wild one but dragging someone into a storm to cut off their hair and escape?!😠 No wonder Annie's dolphin friend Squeak had to save her. Anyway the book is soo awesome you guys have to read it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2018
I loved this book! It has a great message in it and you can definitely fly through it fast! I would suggest this book! Especially if you’re younger and learning about friendship. Of coarse if you’re older you can read it. I’m 15 and I read it! I loved it!
January 19, 2021
This book was good as well. I had already read it once, but like the other ones it was a while ago and I didn't really remember what happened. You might be wondering if all of the dolphin books are in a series, and they are not, at least not one that I know of, but they are all very good.
May 10, 2017
I think that because they kept secrets the book was more interesting. I also liked how at the end squeak saved her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2017
Read this aloud to Story and we loved it!!! Good conversations about friendship came out of the experience:
April 2, 2018
extra star for the main character not "making up" with the "mean girls"
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