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How to Speak Dolphin
Schneider Family Book Award-winning author Ginny Rorby has created an irresistible dolphin story about a girl's struggle to help her autistic brother and herself. Lily loves her halfbrother, Adam, but his autism has taken over her life. Lily can't make friends or go out after school -- caring for Adam has forced Lily to become as much mother as sister. All Lily wants is for her stepfather, Don, to acknowledge that Adam has a real issue, and to find some kind of program that can help him. Then maybe she can have a life of her own. Adam's always loved dolphins, so when Don, an oncologist, hears about a young dolphin with cancer, he offers to help. He brings Lily and Adam along, and Adam and the dolphin -- Nori -- bond instantly. Don is sure this is the answer to their problems.Though Lily sees how much Adam loves Nori, she also knows deep down that the dolphin shouldn't spend the rest of her life in captivity, away from her own family. Can Adam find real help somewhere else? And can Lily help Nori regain her freedom without betraying her family?This is a deeply moving story about love, freedom, and letting go.
272 pages, Paperback
First published May 26, 2015
114 people are currently reading
2731 people want to read
About the author
Ginny Rorby
16 books137 followersGinny Rorby was raised in Winter Park, Florida, and lived in Miami during her career as a Pan American flight attendant. Midway through that career, she enrolled in the University of Miami to pursue an undergraduate degree in biology, graduated and changed direction again. She went on to receive an MFA in Creative Writing from Florida International University. Her goal, after wrapping up her flying career and her graduate studies, was to move someplace where she would never be hot again. She now lives on the chilly coast of northern California. Ginny is the author 6 novels for Middle Grade and Young Adults readers: Freeing Finch, How to Speak Dolphin, Lost in the River of Grass, winner of the 2012 / 2013 Sunshine State Young Readers Award; Hurt Go Happy, winner of the 2008 American Library Association’s Schneider Family Book Award. The Outside of a Horse and Dolphin Sky. Ginny is a past director of the Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference.
Her most recent novel, Like Dust, I Rise, is a Coming of Age novel set in Texas during the Dust Bowl.
Her most recent novel, Like Dust, I Rise, is a Coming of Age novel set in Texas during the Dust Bowl.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
October 24, 2020
1 star for the terrible autism rep, which is the whole reason I picked this one up in the first place.
Page 40:
Um, Ms. Rorby, you do realize that though we have yet to discover the cause of autism, modern medicine has determined that it's some combination of genetics and environmental toxins? Meaning that children are autistic WHILE STILL IN THE WOMB. Do your research because you're hovering right on the edge of implying that vaccines cause autism.
Along with that, there's also the fact that
THIS BOOK ADVOCATES FOR ABA THERAPY
Page 174, the therapist forces Adam to make eye contact with her, takes away his iPad, his dolphin plushie, etc. until he sits at the table nicely, makes eye contact with her,
For anyone questioning this, go hop over to Twitter and search the hashtag #ABAisAbuse to hear firsthand accounts of adult autistics speaking about their horrible experiences with ABA.
And for those of you who are ABA proponents who are about to come at me in the comments like "ABA if used properly isn't abuse! It's effective!"
Answer me this: Why would you force us autistics to make eye contact with you when you know it causes us pain? Why would you hold our favorite toys hostage until we do whatever you want us to do? (Literally, the "therapist" holds Adam's favorite dolphin toy hostage and tries to make him sit at the table. Surprise, surprise, he has a meltdown instead.) Why would you stop us from stimming, which is an action that calms us? (Literally, Adam's version of stimming is watching the same movie over and over again on his iPad--obviously he's stressed out if he's trying to stim)
Page 256: Lily remarks that Adam must not miss Nori because autism makes him unable to feel empathy. WHAT. This is the most common misconception about autism and it's only made worse by stuff like this. Yes, we autistic people DO feel empathy. In fact, in some cases, we feel even more deeply than non-autistics. We just don't show it as much. Leading to said misconception.
I'm just... over this book. I sat down to write a proper review of this and I'm just over it. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IT IS TERRIBLE. And go into it knowing that I am #ActuallyAutistic and this book disgusts me for the "autism rep" it claims to portray.
Page 40:
Does he (Adam) remember not being autistic...
Um, Ms. Rorby, you do realize that though we have yet to discover the cause of autism, modern medicine has determined that it's some combination of genetics and environmental toxins? Meaning that children are autistic WHILE STILL IN THE WOMB. Do your research because you're hovering right on the edge of implying that vaccines cause autism.
Along with that, there's also the fact that
THIS BOOK ADVOCATES FOR ABA THERAPY
Page 174, the therapist forces Adam to make eye contact with her, takes away his iPad, his dolphin plushie, etc. until he sits at the table nicely, makes eye contact with her,
For anyone questioning this, go hop over to Twitter and search the hashtag #ABAisAbuse to hear firsthand accounts of adult autistics speaking about their horrible experiences with ABA.
And for those of you who are ABA proponents who are about to come at me in the comments like "ABA if used properly isn't abuse! It's effective!"
Answer me this: Why would you force us autistics to make eye contact with you when you know it causes us pain? Why would you hold our favorite toys hostage until we do whatever you want us to do? (Literally, the "therapist" holds Adam's favorite dolphin toy hostage and tries to make him sit at the table. Surprise, surprise, he has a meltdown instead.) Why would you stop us from stimming, which is an action that calms us? (Literally, Adam's version of stimming is watching the same movie over and over again on his iPad--obviously he's stressed out if he's trying to stim)
Page 256: Lily remarks that Adam must not miss Nori because autism makes him unable to feel empathy. WHAT. This is the most common misconception about autism and it's only made worse by stuff like this. Yes, we autistic people DO feel empathy. In fact, in some cases, we feel even more deeply than non-autistics. We just don't show it as much. Leading to said misconception.
I'm just... over this book. I sat down to write a proper review of this and I'm just over it. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IT IS TERRIBLE. And go into it knowing that I am #ActuallyAutistic and this book disgusts me for the "autism rep" it claims to portray.
September 30, 2016
Sometimes I just have to bite the bullet and thin out my TBR pile. I nearly let this one slip into my "skim and return" bag, but not before reading the first two chapters. It took only a few pages to keep me reading. I made the smug assumption that this was just another "take" on a kid brother on the autism spectrum, a dolphin in distress (cue Flipper), an evil-step-parent-trope, and the main character eventually resolving everyone's problems.
I should have known better with this author, whose deft character development, storytelling, and exploration of complex issues make it a winner.
I should have known better with this author, whose deft character development, storytelling, and exploration of complex issues make it a winner.
December 1, 2024
Why do I always remember these random ass books I read years ago at 2 am
June 11, 2015
This was adorable. The descriptions of life with an autistic 4-year-old are heartbreaking and real--for a children's book, the author is surprisingly honest about what autism can mean for a family: wiping feces off of walls, hating your sibling, missing out on important things, etc. I appreciated that this wasn't just a whimsical tale about an autistic boy who got magically better thanks to dolphins--it was a real story with real disappointments. It was a little political at times--but since I share some of the author's feelings regarding animals in captivity, it didn't bother me too much. A great read for upper-elementary and middle school students.
March 18, 2021
Pretty good book for those just starting on longer books. Covers the life of a girl whose entire life spins around her autistic brother and an ignorant father who doesn't see anything wrong with it.
July 9, 2015
Lilly's half-brother Adam is autistic and her family was just learning ore about that when her mother died in a car accident. Now it's up to Lily to help Adam get through his tantrums and to a place where they can communicate.
Her stepfather eventually gets on board while they seek out appropriate schools and a dolphin therapy program. Animal rights become important to Lily as she learns more about the program with the help of a blind friend, Zoe.
Her stepfather eventually gets on board while they seek out appropriate schools and a dolphin therapy program. Animal rights become important to Lily as she learns more about the program with the help of a blind friend, Zoe.
February 7, 2017
There were parts in this book that were a tad bit difficult to swallow (regarding plot points, not issues), but I felt like the author tried (and maybe succeeded -- I don't know because I've never lived with an autistic child) to depict life with an autistic child, and also tried to relate accurately the treatment of captive dolphins and their need for freedom. Overall, it was a good book.
July 8, 2020
Pros: I learned more about autism, blindness, and dolphins.
Cons: The story was more about animal rights than any of those things, which really messed up my expectations. Also, the main character was hard to like--just a little too rude for my taste.
Cons: The story was more about animal rights than any of those things, which really messed up my expectations. Also, the main character was hard to like--just a little too rude for my taste.
July 20, 2023
Ableist trash.
October 7, 2017
This book is so sweet. love how it teaches kids that animal should be free and about autism it's hard for kids to have autism telling kids to be nice to them. This book goes deep into autism.
October 19, 2016
This book How to Speak Dolphin is about a girl named, Lily, who has a brother named Adam, who is autistic. Lily's father died and so her mother married Don, who was a doctor. After a while Lily's mom tried to convince Don that Adam was autistic. Since Don, being a doctor, he thinks he know's everything and refuses to believe Adam was autistic. A couple years later Lily's mom died and she was the only one who could calm Adam down, so Don relied on Lily to be his mom more than his sister. Lily want's to find a program that could help Adam, but Don thinks it's a waste of time. They finally find a dolphin program, where Adam actually is calm around. Lily know's that this is a big change but also know's that keeping the baby dolphin, Nori that Adam is working with, in captivity is wrong.
Lily goes through some changes in this book. She changes from being quiet and taking care of Adam, to telling people what she really thinks, and this is partly because of Zoe. Zoe was a girl Lily met at the park. Zoe is not afraid to tell people what she really thinks, and this makes a big impact on Lily. She start's to tell Don that Adam need's a program to help him so she doesn't have to be his mother.
My rating of this book would be pretty good. It's not the easiest book because it can be hard to understand and it's longer but I'm glad I read it. I would give this book a 9\10. It describes things well, with a ton of detail as well. This is a very good book and I would encourage every creative mind to read it.
Lily goes through some changes in this book. She changes from being quiet and taking care of Adam, to telling people what she really thinks, and this is partly because of Zoe. Zoe was a girl Lily met at the park. Zoe is not afraid to tell people what she really thinks, and this makes a big impact on Lily. She start's to tell Don that Adam need's a program to help him so she doesn't have to be his mother.
My rating of this book would be pretty good. It's not the easiest book because it can be hard to understand and it's longer but I'm glad I read it. I would give this book a 9\10. It describes things well, with a ton of detail as well. This is a very good book and I would encourage every creative mind to read it.
January 3, 2016
Full review at: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=5574
Ginny Rorby has done it again! What a wonderful look at autism, animal rights, disability, and family. Will review more closer to release date.
How to Speak Dolphin is a tale that looks at the struggles and triumphs of growing up with an autistic family member. Lily has lost her mom and is still mourning when we meet her, yet she is being expected to pretty much be her brother Adam’s caretaker. Because of this, Lily has very few friends and finds herself lonely and sad often. Her stepfather is lost in fantasy thinking that Adam is less work and less autistic than he really is. Lily is lost and tired though knows something needs to be done. She just wants her brother to be taken care of correctly, and she needs her stepfather to see it as well. It is through Lily’s guiding, and a bit of help from Adam’s new caretaker Suzanne, that Don finally seeks getting treatment for Adam through DAT, dolphin-assisted therapy, with a young dolphin named Nori recovering from cancer. During Lily’s journey through helping her brother (and herself), she becomes friends with Zoe, a young girl who lost her sight due to retinoblastoma, who also helps her realize that her life may not be what she’d expected, but it can still be good. This book, like all of Ginny’s, is quite a ride and makes the reader think about animal and human issues that are often ignored. Ginny Rorby has done it again.
Ginny Rorby has done it again! What a wonderful look at autism, animal rights, disability, and family. Will review more closer to release date.
How to Speak Dolphin is a tale that looks at the struggles and triumphs of growing up with an autistic family member. Lily has lost her mom and is still mourning when we meet her, yet she is being expected to pretty much be her brother Adam’s caretaker. Because of this, Lily has very few friends and finds herself lonely and sad often. Her stepfather is lost in fantasy thinking that Adam is less work and less autistic than he really is. Lily is lost and tired though knows something needs to be done. She just wants her brother to be taken care of correctly, and she needs her stepfather to see it as well. It is through Lily’s guiding, and a bit of help from Adam’s new caretaker Suzanne, that Don finally seeks getting treatment for Adam through DAT, dolphin-assisted therapy, with a young dolphin named Nori recovering from cancer. During Lily’s journey through helping her brother (and herself), she becomes friends with Zoe, a young girl who lost her sight due to retinoblastoma, who also helps her realize that her life may not be what she’d expected, but it can still be good. This book, like all of Ginny’s, is quite a ride and makes the reader think about animal and human issues that are often ignored. Ginny Rorby has done it again.
March 29, 2022
برای کسانی که در مورد اتیسم هیچ پیش زمینه ای ندارند و آشنایی مناسبه و بعد تصمیم گرفتم در موردش تحقیق کنم.
به نظرم آشنایی با بیماری ها میتونه مفید باشه حتی برای کسانی که با افراد مبتلا سروکار ندارن بالاخره ممکنه در جامعه با این افراد ملاقاتی داشته باشن و این باعث میشه رفتار مناسبی رو نشون بدن.
کتاب، داستان خانواده ای رو نشون میده که پسر کوچکتر به اتیسم مبتلاست و فقط در مورد بیماری اتیسم اطلاعات نمیده و خواهر بزرگتر اون و دوستش هم در داستان هستن و همینطور که از نام کتاب مشخصه دلفین ها هم حضور دارند.
الان میدونم که بچه هایی که اتیسم دارن با نگاه کردن به چهره مشکل دارن و...
ابتدای کتاب در مورد داستان خانواده و مشکلات نگهداری پسر خانواده حرف میزنه(ناراحت کننده بود و نشان دهنده اینکه چقدر خانواده ها صبور هستن) و توصیفاتی که هنگام به دنیا اومدن دلفین داشت زیبا بود و قسمت های پایانی از پسربچه و بیماریش فاصله می گیره و به آزاد سازی دلفین و تلاش دخترها برای انجام این کار اختصاص داره که حس خوبی داشت کاش تمام باغ وحش ها و مکان هایی که حیوانات رو برای منافع مالی نگهداری می کنند به کارشون پایان بدن.
دعا کنیم همه بیماران درمان بشن و کمک ها و درمان های لازم رو دریافت کنن.
به نظرم آشنایی با بیماری ها میتونه مفید باشه حتی برای کسانی که با افراد مبتلا سروکار ندارن بالاخره ممکنه در جامعه با این افراد ملاقاتی داشته باشن و این باعث میشه رفتار مناسبی رو نشون بدن.
کتاب، داستان خانواده ای رو نشون میده که پسر کوچکتر به اتیسم مبتلاست و فقط در مورد بیماری اتیسم اطلاعات نمیده و خواهر بزرگتر اون و دوستش هم در داستان هستن و همینطور که از نام کتاب مشخصه دلفین ها هم حضور دارند.
الان میدونم که بچه هایی که اتیسم دارن با نگاه کردن به چهره مشکل دارن و...
ابتدای کتاب در مورد داستان خانواده و مشکلات نگهداری پسر خانواده حرف میزنه(ناراحت کننده بود و نشان دهنده اینکه چقدر خانواده ها صبور هستن) و توصیفاتی که هنگام به دنیا اومدن دلفین داشت زیبا بود و قسمت های پایانی از پسربچه و بیماریش فاصله می گیره و به آزاد سازی دلفین و تلاش دخترها برای انجام این کار اختصاص داره که حس خوبی داشت کاش تمام باغ وحش ها و مکان هایی که حیوانات رو برای منافع مالی نگهداری می کنند به کارشون پایان بدن.
دعا کنیم همه بیماران درمان بشن و کمک ها و درمان های لازم رو دریافت کنن.
October 13, 2016
This was a great book I really enjoyed it. Lily's stepbrother Adam is autistic and he is taking over her life. Lily can't play with friends or go with friends because she's always to busy taking care of Adam. Lily's mother died before Adam started showing signs of autism. Her stepfather doesn't believe in all the programs for autism kids and so their babysitter had to convince him. One thing that seemed to make him happy was seeing dolphins. Adam used to go with their mom to see dolphins a lot but when she died he didn't get to go see them anymore. Then when Adam gets to meet a dolphin that was brought into captivity he's as happy as he's ever been. Don and Lily think that's the answer to Adams problem. But then Lily realizes that it's not right for a dolphin to spend their life in captivity. So she tries to find another way for Adam to be cured.
February 28, 2021
The biggest flaw was that nothing was ever said about the similarity between the special programme for autism that Adam was enrolled in and training animals, in both cases by repeatedly withholding reward until an arbitrarily stipulated unrelated task is completed. If the father had not been portrayed to be somewhat disgusted by that, this book would have gotten a worse rating. As another commenter has already said, there is good evidence that autistic people are capable of understanding more than people think they can, just incapable of conveying what they think as easily as others. In the first place, dolphins also are cleverer than most people know, and range from good to wicked just like humans. So why did the author fail to give any closure regarding this important issue of how to teach autistic children as thinking beings? I have no idea.
May 29, 2016
This is my new favorite book. Sad, but inspiring, this book shows the life of not just how hard it is for disabled kids, but for the parents and siblings as well. Lily, the sister of Adam, a kid with autism, is brave, daring, and kind. And her only friend Zoe, well, she's blind. Using Zoe's help, Lily proves that dolphin- assisted therapy does not do anything. They free the dolphin, Nori, while still helping toddler Adam.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2017
Love this book so much I can relate to this fully! My family can be exactly like this and it's nice to have a book that compels me so much.The author put a real life emphasis on the topics and characters in the book.YES,it is one of the books your gonna wanna read multiple times (and wish there was a second book looking at you Ginny Rorby)So read this book you won't regret it!!!
September 10, 2016
How to speak dolphin is a great book about a girl who's little brother has a special condition that I don't remember the name of... and is really attached to a dolphin. Though the girl wants to set it free. It's a great book about friendship, family, and everything else a girl has to deal with.
December 9, 2016
this book had some weird parts. the ending... no comment. all in all it was a pretty good book.
Read
May 28, 2020It was such a great book. I think everybody should read it if they can.
June 20, 2020
LFL find. After enjoying Hurt Go Happy I shouldn't have let this author fall off my radar... I see there are several titles by her and I'll have to see which I can find.
Though there's a lot going on here, and a few bits of implausibilities, it's a story that works. I believe that the different challenges the different characters face are handled with respect and accuracy... they 'rang true' to me. And the story is engaging... I read past my bedtime last night, and when I picked it up today to finish I did so in one sitting.
I'm not sure if anyone who knows someone who is autistic, or blind, or is living with only her stepfather, would benefit from the book. I think they'd be entertained though, and maybe learn something about people in those kinds of situations.
Or maybe they'd learn the universality of the sentient experience... because they the reader, and the human characters in the book, and the dolphin characters, *all* are individuals with their own lives, perspectives, worries, and dreams.
"I wonder if we'd get bored with staring at obvious differences if all our physical and emotional losses were in plain sight. I could get motherlesstattooed on my forehead, or start a line of t-shirts. ... The shirt I'd make for [the ticket-taker]would say I hate this job."
Suzanne, Adam's nanny and teacher's aide, watches him do things that seem randomly mysterious to his surgeon father, and possibly coherently intelligent to his sister Lily. She points out to Lily and the reader, "I don't think we have a clue what he understands." (irl, people on the spectrum who have learned to communicate have said that there's probably lots of comprehension in even the people with the most difficulty... it's the expressive side of interactions that makes everyone so frustrated.)
Though there's a lot going on here, and a few bits of implausibilities, it's a story that works. I believe that the different challenges the different characters face are handled with respect and accuracy... they 'rang true' to me. And the story is engaging... I read past my bedtime last night, and when I picked it up today to finish I did so in one sitting.
I'm not sure if anyone who knows someone who is autistic, or blind, or is living with only her stepfather, would benefit from the book. I think they'd be entertained though, and maybe learn something about people in those kinds of situations.
Or maybe they'd learn the universality of the sentient experience... because they the reader, and the human characters in the book, and the dolphin characters, *all* are individuals with their own lives, perspectives, worries, and dreams.
"I wonder if we'd get bored with staring at obvious differences if all our physical and emotional losses were in plain sight. I could get motherlesstattooed on my forehead, or start a line of t-shirts. ... The shirt I'd make for [the ticket-taker]would say I hate this job."
Suzanne, Adam's nanny and teacher's aide, watches him do things that seem randomly mysterious to his surgeon father, and possibly coherently intelligent to his sister Lily. She points out to Lily and the reader, "I don't think we have a clue what he understands." (irl, people on the spectrum who have learned to communicate have said that there's probably lots of comprehension in even the people with the most difficulty... it's the expressive side of interactions that makes everyone so frustrated.)
March 22, 2018
I purchased this book from the Scholastic Warehouse based on ratings and not knowing anything about the story. My 10-year-old and I really enjoyed this one. The setting for this story - South Florida - is our home. I have never taken my kids to Miami Seaquarium (www.savelolita from the Note from Author and what I believe Oceanarium is loosely based upon) or Sea World in Orlando because of my concerns about animal captivity for human entertainment and profit, so that part of the story definitely rang true for us. In addition to addressing that topic, the book also tackles themes like death, blended families, autism, and disabilities.
May 8, 2019
This was a sweet book about an autistic boy name Adam who loves dolphins, and befriends Nori while entering a program that's supposed to help with his behaviour. His half-sister Lily wants to do everything to get him help. At times I found her friend Zoe a little annoying even though I know she is right about how wrong it is to keep the dolphins captive. I wanted to believe the program would help Adam, but it would be awesome if Nori could help him that didn't involve living in a tank.
August 11, 2018
This book is so sweet. This was my second time reading this book and both times I got a little emotional towards the end. The author did a really good job.
April 6, 2019
This is a sweet, middle grade grade novel that I reread because I didn't have anything else to read. It is a little juvenile for my taste right now, but it's still an entertaining read!
May 2, 2019
Love the mark that this story left on my daughter... she has asked great questions and strong feelings for the characters.
November 23, 2016
November Book Report
How to Speak Dolphin
Ginny Rorby
How to Speak Dolphin is a book about a girl named Lily who goes on a thrill-seeking adventure with her autistic brother, dolphins, and new friends. Lily's mom died when Lily was very young. Her stepdad, Don, and her autistic brother, Adam, are the only things she has left. Since Adam is autistic, they went to check out a school for autistic kids. Don didn’t like the school, so they went to a place where kids can swim and play with dolphins. Adam loves dolphins, so when he’s near one, he’ll start to squeak like them. The first dolphin place that they went to wouldn’t let Adam in to see the dolphins, so they went to a different one. Where they went the second time, they got a discount because Don was a doctor who helped a dolphin named Nori. Nori had a tumor on her tongue. When Nori is healed, she is supposed to go back where she had originally came from. Once Nori was healed, they kept and put her in a small pool with concrete walls all around. One day, when Lily was supposed to be going to school, she went to the park. At the park she met a girl name Zoe. Zoe’s blind. She used a cane and echolocation to make her way around things. After a while, they became friends and Lily invited Zoe to the dolphin place. When they got there, Zoe had to use Lily as her eyes. Lily had to say everything that was going on so that Zoe could picture it in her mind. Even though Zoe was blind, she knew that Nori was being poorly treated. Nori only gets fed after impressive tricks and lives in a small, crammed pool. After this visit, Zoe would keep going on about how unfair this is for Nori and how she needs to be free. Lily partially agrees with Zoe. She wants Nori to be treated well and in a bigger space, but if Nori leaves, Adam wouldn’t be able to be in this therapy program with her. Over a little time, Don and Lily figure out that the therapy program doesn’t help Adam and that Nori isn’t getting good treatment. Don, Lili, Zoe, and some people of the other dolphin place moved Nori over to a bigger and better pool area. She now has enough room to swim, play, and to be happy.
I think that the theme of this book is family bonding. In this book, Lily’s stepdad and Lily had a difficult relationship with her stepdad because of Adam’s autism. Since Lily’s mom had died, Lily had become the “mom” of the family. It was hard on Lily because she had school and her own things to worry about, and now she has to take care of Adam half the time. It’s also hard on Don because he has to work and also take care of Adam. Adam has had growth in his area of learning and Don and Lily work together to take care of Adam. Through their dolphin adventure, Don cares for the dolphin, Lily loves to help with the dolphins, and the dolphins are great therapy for Adam. Working with the dolphins helps them bond as a family. After working together and trying to stay strong with thoughts of Mom, they get Adam to say a few words and Lily starts calling her stepdad, dad. So, I think that family bonding is the main theme in this incredible and irresistible book.
How to Speak Dolphin
Ginny Rorby
How to Speak Dolphin is a book about a girl named Lily who goes on a thrill-seeking adventure with her autistic brother, dolphins, and new friends. Lily's mom died when Lily was very young. Her stepdad, Don, and her autistic brother, Adam, are the only things she has left. Since Adam is autistic, they went to check out a school for autistic kids. Don didn’t like the school, so they went to a place where kids can swim and play with dolphins. Adam loves dolphins, so when he’s near one, he’ll start to squeak like them. The first dolphin place that they went to wouldn’t let Adam in to see the dolphins, so they went to a different one. Where they went the second time, they got a discount because Don was a doctor who helped a dolphin named Nori. Nori had a tumor on her tongue. When Nori is healed, she is supposed to go back where she had originally came from. Once Nori was healed, they kept and put her in a small pool with concrete walls all around. One day, when Lily was supposed to be going to school, she went to the park. At the park she met a girl name Zoe. Zoe’s blind. She used a cane and echolocation to make her way around things. After a while, they became friends and Lily invited Zoe to the dolphin place. When they got there, Zoe had to use Lily as her eyes. Lily had to say everything that was going on so that Zoe could picture it in her mind. Even though Zoe was blind, she knew that Nori was being poorly treated. Nori only gets fed after impressive tricks and lives in a small, crammed pool. After this visit, Zoe would keep going on about how unfair this is for Nori and how she needs to be free. Lily partially agrees with Zoe. She wants Nori to be treated well and in a bigger space, but if Nori leaves, Adam wouldn’t be able to be in this therapy program with her. Over a little time, Don and Lily figure out that the therapy program doesn’t help Adam and that Nori isn’t getting good treatment. Don, Lili, Zoe, and some people of the other dolphin place moved Nori over to a bigger and better pool area. She now has enough room to swim, play, and to be happy.
I think that the theme of this book is family bonding. In this book, Lily’s stepdad and Lily had a difficult relationship with her stepdad because of Adam’s autism. Since Lily’s mom had died, Lily had become the “mom” of the family. It was hard on Lily because she had school and her own things to worry about, and now she has to take care of Adam half the time. It’s also hard on Don because he has to work and also take care of Adam. Adam has had growth in his area of learning and Don and Lily work together to take care of Adam. Through their dolphin adventure, Don cares for the dolphin, Lily loves to help with the dolphins, and the dolphins are great therapy for Adam. Working with the dolphins helps them bond as a family. After working together and trying to stay strong with thoughts of Mom, they get Adam to say a few words and Lily starts calling her stepdad, dad. So, I think that family bonding is the main theme in this incredible and irresistible book.
September 26, 2017
This book is very interesting... you get connected to the characters and start to understand what their doing and why their doing it. At the end I got upset but it turned out to be good. I really enjoyed this book!
August 14, 2017
Being so close to the Autism community as I am, people often recommend books to me with Autistic characters. I'm always a little hesitant that they will leave the reader with a limited and stereotypical view of the Autism spectrum which is nearly as wide and varied as humanity itself, but some thoughtful exposure is better than none at all. I think How to Speak Dolphin falls into this camp. Keeping in mind that it presents a view of a young child who has not had any early intervention, this book presents a sympathetic, yet realistic portrayal.
Adam is nonverbal and has few things that calm him in his sensory-overstimulating world. Dolphins are his one and only love. His only advocate in the beginning of the story is his sister who is often at odds with her stepdad, Dr. Don. His expertise in oncology gives him a bit of a god complex, but leaves him helpless in connecting with his son, and in reality, his stepdaughter, too. In seeking to help Adam, he muscles his way into a Dolphin Assisted Therapy program and ends up meeting Nori, a young dolphin suffering cancer as a result of an oil contamination in her home. Another interesting character that comes into their lives is Zoe, a passionate friend dealing with her own disability of blindness and bringing a new perspective into the family's life.
Many parallels are drawn between the training of dolphins and the training of those with severe autism. Some of those comparisons are accurate, but a couple in the book were overapplications, in my opinion. People are not animals, no matter how limited their communication skills. At times I felt the message of the story to be a bit heavy handed. That plus a couple of gratuitous OMGs cost them a star. Even so, I think the target audience of upper elementary readers will still enjoy and benefit from it. I think I would have enjoyed it far more as a child than I did as an adult.
Adam is nonverbal and has few things that calm him in his sensory-overstimulating world. Dolphins are his one and only love. His only advocate in the beginning of the story is his sister who is often at odds with her stepdad, Dr. Don. His expertise in oncology gives him a bit of a god complex, but leaves him helpless in connecting with his son, and in reality, his stepdaughter, too. In seeking to help Adam, he muscles his way into a Dolphin Assisted Therapy program and ends up meeting Nori, a young dolphin suffering cancer as a result of an oil contamination in her home. Another interesting character that comes into their lives is Zoe, a passionate friend dealing with her own disability of blindness and bringing a new perspective into the family's life.
Many parallels are drawn between the training of dolphins and the training of those with severe autism. Some of those comparisons are accurate, but a couple in the book were overapplications, in my opinion. People are not animals, no matter how limited their communication skills. At times I felt the message of the story to be a bit heavy handed. That plus a couple of gratuitous OMGs cost them a star. Even so, I think the target audience of upper elementary readers will still enjoy and benefit from it. I think I would have enjoyed it far more as a child than I did as an adult.
March 8, 2017
"How To Speak Dolphin" starts out decent enough, but once it hits the halfway mark (beginning with the introduction of the character Zoe,) the whole plot plummets like an airplane out of gas.
The idea of a family struggling with an autistic boy felt sincere and true-to-life (and it WAS authentic, as acknowledged by author Ginny Rory in the final page.) I loved the idea a boy connecting emotionally with a dolphin in a sea-park environment....
.....but then...
....suddenly and nonsensically, the book detours down Free Willy territory, opening up plot holes that make every character seem weak and confused. For example: why in the world would the family even consider releasing Nori the dolphin into the wild when half the novel's pages were dedicated in establishing the fact that Adam's well-being DEPENDED on Nori, and vice versa? True, the dolphin tank was bare and minimal, but the words of Lily's dad, where he admits that Nori is safer in captivity with better health benefits than most Americans, gets swept under the rug. And no cliche kids novel is complete without villianizing a woman, (the baddie in this instance is dolphin therapist Sandi who is more evil than the Wicked Witch of the West, despite appearing for a grand total of 3 pages.) The idea of dolphin therapy as being a quack procedure does make me interested in what true research actually shows (I was always under the impression that there IS strong scientific data showing positive responses to human-animal relationships.) Dolphin therapy is demonized... and yet telling an autistic kid to pee in a can while standing naked is regarded as normal behavior?
I was sorely disappointed with this novel and will not be reading it again.
The idea of a family struggling with an autistic boy felt sincere and true-to-life (and it WAS authentic, as acknowledged by author Ginny Rory in the final page.) I loved the idea a boy connecting emotionally with a dolphin in a sea-park environment....
.....but then...
....suddenly and nonsensically, the book detours down Free Willy territory, opening up plot holes that make every character seem weak and confused. For example: why in the world would the family even consider releasing Nori the dolphin into the wild when half the novel's pages were dedicated in establishing the fact that Adam's well-being DEPENDED on Nori, and vice versa? True, the dolphin tank was bare and minimal, but the words of Lily's dad, where he admits that Nori is safer in captivity with better health benefits than most Americans, gets swept under the rug. And no cliche kids novel is complete without villianizing a woman, (the baddie in this instance is dolphin therapist Sandi who is more evil than the Wicked Witch of the West, despite appearing for a grand total of 3 pages.) The idea of dolphin therapy as being a quack procedure does make me interested in what true research actually shows (I was always under the impression that there IS strong scientific data showing positive responses to human-animal relationships.) Dolphin therapy is demonized... and yet telling an autistic kid to pee in a can while standing naked is regarded as normal behavior?
I was sorely disappointed with this novel and will not be reading it again.
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