Dolphin Dreams

by Catherine Hapka

A secret cove, a special dolphin, and two girls with dolphin dreams . . . Avery comes to the cove to imagine swimming with dolphins -- and to avoid thinking about her parents' divorce. Maria comes to draw pictures of the special creatures. Pictures she'll never show to anyone.When a sweet dolphin brings two girls from very different worlds together, it looks like they might make their dreams come true . . . together. Maria helps Avery battle her fear of the ocean. And Avery encourages Maria to share her art with the world. But family expectations could tear their new friendship apart. Then the girls discover their special dolphin is in trouble. Can they overcome their differences to help the dolphin -- and each other -- before it's too late?

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade

224 pages, Paperback

Published May 9, 2017

About the author

Catherine (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.

Reviews

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

My kids loved this book. It was a bit of a slog for me to get through with them, but it sure makes me want to write. If this can get published, I should be able to crank out SOMETHING! Anyhoo, the kids would probably really rate it 4 stars because DOLPHINSSSSS!!! And I would really rate it 2 because so so so boring.

[Emmeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dolphin Dreams is a heartwarming story about a girl who loves drawing, a girl who's dream is to swim and surf with dolphins, and a very special dolphin that brings the two girls together. As I read the book, I was creating a movie in my head that was wonderful. If you read this book, you will enjoy it very much. I know I did.

[Savannah Cromarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading the book "Dolphin Dreams", by Catherine Hapka. I had read this book a few years back, and really enjoyed it, so I thought I should read it again.
Before I started reading this book, I thought that it would be about two girls who loved dolphins, and went out swimming with them everyday, and that maybe the dolphins would start to trust the two girls.

This book is about a girl named Avery who loves dolphins and she and her mum had just moved to California to live with her Aunty, cousin Kady, and cousin Cam. She hates living in California and misses her old home, and friends at first. She also has a bad memory of the last time she came to California to visit with her Aunty and Cousins. She went to the beach, which was just down the road from where she was living now, and when she was only five she had gotten wiped out and almost drowned. She has been frightened of the water ever since then.
But then she meets a girl named Maria in a book store and they become friends and they go to the same rocky cove everyday. Maria starts giving Avery some surfing and swimming lessons and Avery starts to love being in the water again.

My favourite part about this book is seeing her story, and picturing it in my head.
I also liked how Maria and Avery are so different yet they get along so well. Yes they have arguments, but in the end they are still friends.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes dolphins or animals, and friendship stories.
I really liked this book. Out of all the books I have ever read this is by far my favourite. I like how they worded everything, and there was no swearing, which is always good. Again, there were still some language references that I didn't understand, and pronunciations I wasn't sure about, but it wasn't that bad.

[Ghost Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dolphin dreams is the perfect story for anyone who loves animals. Or friend drama.

[Brody Tiglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book I really enjoyed this book for my first 4th grade book report. I love dolphins so that really inspired me to read this book I could really understand it my favorite part was when they saved surest it was so cute it was so cute I was almost in tears it was so cute! You should really read this book if you like dolphins you should read this

[Mrs. Da · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was realy good I read it 7 times already!

[Kaili · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story. I definitely think that the author managed to create realistic child characters. I don't see this happen often, and it was definitely a win in this book. Maria is constantly angry for small reasons, as a result of the way she grew up and the people around her because she is used to mean comments from everyone around her. Avery is afraid of the ocean, but while I think that she is written well, her fear wasn't. She was able to get in the water quite easily, by her cousin, and when she was pulled under multiple times she got scared and went back in again a few days later. This is probably the reason I gave it three stars. But as an artist myself I loved Maria's love for it even though her family hated it. Like I said, it's a cute story and a short read, and I got it at a book fair years ago for like 5 bucks.

[lilyy · Rating 3 out of 5]

stares at description
...
so.
i used to like this book but there are just so many flaws that i cant ignore anymore.
~ sigh AGAIN with the main character and bestie fight. it's not even realistic anymore. their parents would just let them go wherever they want? my mom would want to know when, why and where, because that's what parents do.
~ the fact that Avery believes her cousin. "there be some gangs" nuh-uh-- if there was you'd see it on the news, or hear people talking abt it.
~ the way there is literally so much drama and maria gets mad over every little thing. geez louise chill girl

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the longest read aloud I have done with my class. I would not have picked a 200+ page book to read as it took almost a month to read. However one of my children offered it up when I ran out of ideas that everyone would tolerate. We are short on our classroom books as the end of the year is approaching and wear and tear of the books have happened. The story was a good one and everyone clapped at the end...though I am not sure if it was because the story was over or because they enjoyed the end.

[Lynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

My thought on this book were that it just wasn't for my age group but if I read it when I actually bought it I probably would have loved this book. I thought that it was a basic animal story plot but when it is meant for a younger audience, I think it is a great book.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars
I enjoyed this book, But... It is not the best book I have read. I own the book.

[Dominique · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how in the end they actully figure out that the lump is not anything to worry about and that that dolphin was actully pregnant and they had to save the baby because he was traped.

[Heather Landskro · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a great book and recommend this book!! I think I finished the book on 218, but on here it said I have 97% left. I'm little bit confused. because there no more pages I have not read.

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE it!

[Jessica Madden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a nice story about two different girls who shared a passion about dolphins. I didn't think I would have liked it at first, but I really enjoyed this story.

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book with 2 girls and their dolphin. Shows not to judge a person by who they are related to. Good book for grades 4-6.

[Ca1t!Y# · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my second time reading this book. I had read it a few years ago so I didn't really remember the plot. It was really good.

[Avery Goss]

amazing!

[Samantha Epskamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dolphin 🐬 dreams was a really great Book 📖 it's about two girls Avery and Maria with Dolphin dreams and a special dolphin

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 out of 5 stars from my 10.5 year old who read this on her own.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspirational.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book sooooooooo much it just pulled me in and it was so easy to imagine it in my head I also love Dolphins sooooo much this book definitely deserves 5 stars

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had a really hard time keeping up with this book because it switched between 2 girls every chapter. Also compared to her other books this was a let down for me.

[Robert]

Any kid between 6 and 12 who loves dolphins will love this book. If they have ever struggled with divorce or isolation or been left out because who they are, what they look like or where they live -- they will find it easy to identify with Avery or Maria. It's fun, straightforward, does have some touching and difficult moments that are solved with honesty and grace by both characters.

[Maggie]

It was about two girls with one thing in common they both dont like one of the girls cousins. A dolphin named seurat brought the two girls together when seurat is in big trouble!

[Chey Stenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally thought this book was very interesting. I love how the girls have to bond over a dolphin to save its life

[Gerti Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a good book

[Kaydence]

just let me read the book.....