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Dolphin Summer
From the author of Heart of a Dolphin and Dolphin Dreams comes the story of another special friendship! Lily's summer is off to a rocky start. Her best friends have abandoned her for sleep-away camp, without even considering whether she'd want to go or not. Worse, she's stuck with a long summer reading list her parents insist she finish when all she really wants to do is hang out at the aquarium so she can learn everything she'll need to know to become a marine biologist someday. They don't understand her dreams. So when Lily discovers a dolphin in a nearby canal, she's torn. She knows she shouldn't be spending all her time watching over the sweet, playful creature. But if the dolphin can't find the way back to its pod in the bay, it could be in serious trouble. Lily can't help feeling that saving the dolphin might just be her destiny...
- GenresMiddle GradeAnimals
224 pages, Paperback
First published April 24, 2018
23 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Hapka
436 books201 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 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 6, 2018
This book is about a dolphin who gets stuck in a canal and the dolphin cant figure out a way to get out so these girls have to report the missing dolphin and they think the dolphin might be sick or lonely.Can they save the dolphin.
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October 4, 2018if you like this one red dolphin dreams!
May 23, 2019
Dolphin Summer by: Catherine Hapka
“She’s having a summer to remember because of a friend she'll never forget…” It was just a normal day for Lily she was hanging out with her babysitter Nia when her whole summer changed. She found a dolphin swimming in the nastiest place, the canal. I had many personal thoughts about Lily, the main character. One of these is that I can relate to her feeling like her parents do not care about what she wants to do or what she cares about. Another thought I had was why doesn't she stand up. If she feels like she can not do something she really wants to she needs to stand up. My personal thought about Nia, a secondary character, are one she is very creative, she had a terrific idea when she decided to make a sculpture of the dolphin out of garbage. Another thought is that she is very dependable. I feel that Nia is very dependable because every time Lily wanted to go to the aquarium Nia always said she would and after some time she would. Another secondary character is John. Lily met John one day while she was at the aquarium looking at the walrus, swimming in his enclosure. When the dolphin went to the aquarium John stuck by Lily’s side and did not give up on Wanda, the dolphin, even when everyone thought the odds were against Wanda. I have some opinions about the writing style as well. The writing style was perfect it was told in Lily’s point of view so it was told in the first person's point of view. If it was told in Nia’s point of view it would not be as detailed or as personal. The setting is usually at either the canal or at the aquarium. If it was not at either of these places and was for example just at the aquarium Lily would have probably not found Wanda and only saw her at the aquarium. This is the type of book I would normally read because I like to read tons of different genres of books. I didn't go out of my way to read this book because it just seemed like a good book to read so of course I read it. Some theme topics of this book are friendship, bonds are strong, and always help the injured. Something for friendship would be because of Nia and Lily’s friendship they were able to help save Wanda together. Nia was not just letting Lily do whatever she wanted because Nia was getting paid by Lily’s parents to watch her she was committed to saving Wanda as much as Lily was. I think that many age groups would like this book. I think that people who are in fourth thru sixth grade would like this book. Also I think people ages nine thru eleven would like this book. I would rate this book as a five out of five. I rate this book a five out of five because it was in my reading range, it was really entertaining, and it was also really relatable. That is why I rated this book a five out of five.
“She’s having a summer to remember because of a friend she'll never forget…” It was just a normal day for Lily she was hanging out with her babysitter Nia when her whole summer changed. She found a dolphin swimming in the nastiest place, the canal. I had many personal thoughts about Lily, the main character. One of these is that I can relate to her feeling like her parents do not care about what she wants to do or what she cares about. Another thought I had was why doesn't she stand up. If she feels like she can not do something she really wants to she needs to stand up. My personal thought about Nia, a secondary character, are one she is very creative, she had a terrific idea when she decided to make a sculpture of the dolphin out of garbage. Another thought is that she is very dependable. I feel that Nia is very dependable because every time Lily wanted to go to the aquarium Nia always said she would and after some time she would. Another secondary character is John. Lily met John one day while she was at the aquarium looking at the walrus, swimming in his enclosure. When the dolphin went to the aquarium John stuck by Lily’s side and did not give up on Wanda, the dolphin, even when everyone thought the odds were against Wanda. I have some opinions about the writing style as well. The writing style was perfect it was told in Lily’s point of view so it was told in the first person's point of view. If it was told in Nia’s point of view it would not be as detailed or as personal. The setting is usually at either the canal or at the aquarium. If it was not at either of these places and was for example just at the aquarium Lily would have probably not found Wanda and only saw her at the aquarium. This is the type of book I would normally read because I like to read tons of different genres of books. I didn't go out of my way to read this book because it just seemed like a good book to read so of course I read it. Some theme topics of this book are friendship, bonds are strong, and always help the injured. Something for friendship would be because of Nia and Lily’s friendship they were able to help save Wanda together. Nia was not just letting Lily do whatever she wanted because Nia was getting paid by Lily’s parents to watch her she was committed to saving Wanda as much as Lily was. I think that many age groups would like this book. I think that people who are in fourth thru sixth grade would like this book. Also I think people ages nine thru eleven would like this book. I would rate this book as a five out of five. I rate this book a five out of five because it was in my reading range, it was really entertaining, and it was also really relatable. That is why I rated this book a five out of five.
April 12, 2018
**3.5 stars**
Like a few other books this year, I purchased Dolphin Summer from the local school book fair and set to reading it to preempt its release. I found a nice little educational read for 3rd-4th graders that encourages inquisitiveness, rocks some STEM jargon, and promotes a love of learning in young people when "smart" still, in some places, is not cool (yeah, that still goes on).
Dolphin Summer boasts the familiar theme of the lonely kid that finds a stray dolphin and bonds with it to make an interesting bildungsroman of encouragement for those kids who, like the MC, have a hard time fitting in with the main group of kids in their community/school/neighborhood. Lily, the amateur dolphin whisperer in this book, notices the dolphin in a murky canal and can't seem to stay away from her. Somehow, Lily manages, with the help of a well-connected friend, to wiggle her way into the aquarium to be close to her new mammalian friend and she meets a few other friends with similar interests along the way.
With a nice, feel-good, tidy ending, and a plot that minimizes drama and focuses on the growth of an individual in a positive way, I'm glad to have a book for young readers that I don't have to worry about when I give it to a reader.
Some not-so-positive parts with maybe some spoilery stuff:
*This book says on the back that it is a 5th grade reading level. I'd say it's a 3rd grade reading level with 5th grade points of interest. It's too easy to read, the plot is too simplistic, and the scientifically-oriented concepts in it are pretty rudimentary. Throw in an additional meaningful subplot and I'd say maybe to the prescribed reading level.
*Lily disobeys her babysitter and sneaks out of the flat to go down to the canal and watch the dolphin. When her babysitter finally catches up with her part of an hour later, instead of Lily getting into trouble, she is praised for her rebelling "against authority for something she believe[s] in." Lily is not protesting injustice. She is out in public, in Brooklyn, without an adult to watch out for her.
*The book takes a stab at "privilege" by saying that it is "unfair" that one of the biologist's sons gets an internship in the lab "just because his dad works there." It could be said that it is unfair that Lily gets to go in the lab section of the aquarium "just because she knows someone that knows everyone in Brooklyn and has super special connections." Or, it's unfair that Lily's pipes get fixed for free just because her dad is a plumber.
Like a few other books this year, I purchased Dolphin Summer from the local school book fair and set to reading it to preempt its release. I found a nice little educational read for 3rd-4th graders that encourages inquisitiveness, rocks some STEM jargon, and promotes a love of learning in young people when "smart" still, in some places, is not cool (yeah, that still goes on).
Dolphin Summer boasts the familiar theme of the lonely kid that finds a stray dolphin and bonds with it to make an interesting bildungsroman of encouragement for those kids who, like the MC, have a hard time fitting in with the main group of kids in their community/school/neighborhood. Lily, the amateur dolphin whisperer in this book, notices the dolphin in a murky canal and can't seem to stay away from her. Somehow, Lily manages, with the help of a well-connected friend, to wiggle her way into the aquarium to be close to her new mammalian friend and she meets a few other friends with similar interests along the way.
With a nice, feel-good, tidy ending, and a plot that minimizes drama and focuses on the growth of an individual in a positive way, I'm glad to have a book for young readers that I don't have to worry about when I give it to a reader.
Some not-so-positive parts with maybe some spoilery stuff:
*This book says on the back that it is a 5th grade reading level. I'd say it's a 3rd grade reading level with 5th grade points of interest. It's too easy to read, the plot is too simplistic, and the scientifically-oriented concepts in it are pretty rudimentary. Throw in an additional meaningful subplot and I'd say maybe to the prescribed reading level.
*Lily disobeys her babysitter and sneaks out of the flat to go down to the canal and watch the dolphin. When her babysitter finally catches up with her part of an hour later, instead of Lily getting into trouble, she is praised for her rebelling "against authority for something she believe[s] in." Lily is not protesting injustice. She is out in public, in Brooklyn, without an adult to watch out for her.
*The book takes a stab at "privilege" by saying that it is "unfair" that one of the biologist's sons gets an internship in the lab "just because his dad works there." It could be said that it is unfair that Lily gets to go in the lab section of the aquarium "just because she knows someone that knows everyone in Brooklyn and has super special connections." Or, it's unfair that Lily's pipes get fixed for free just because her dad is a plumber.
August 13, 2018
A Tale with a PORPOISE!
Do you love the beach, dolphins and summer? Then Dolphin Summer is the book for you! I recommend this book for girls ages 8-12, who want a fun summer read.
Twelve-year-old Lily is a regular girl living in Brooklyn, New York. Lily’s summer plans are filled with fun for her and her best friends, but they’re quickly washed away when her friends leave her for a soccer sleepaway camp. Lily really wants to visit the aquarium to see the animals, and walk around Coney Island, but her parents would rather have her studying than “wasting” time at the beach. When Lily finds a lost dolphin stuck in a sewage canal, her summer adventure begins as she plans to take care of it as much as possible. Thanks to her friend Nia, Lily goes there as often as she can to watch it, while still doing her reading and studying. However, the dolphin, who she names, Wanda, is looking very ill. Does Lily have what it takes to save Wanda and help her find her pod?
My favorite character is Nia, because she is funny, creative, and fun to be around. It was so cool when she showed Lily the dolphin sculpture she has made out of recycled materials! I thought it was really clever and interesting. I wish that I could have read more about her projects!
I loved the part where Nia and Lily bring their beach chairs, umbrella, food, Nia’s sketch pad, and Lily’s books so they can watch the dolphin and get their work done. It was a really funny scene! Also, when people started coming up to them to ask about the dolphin and more and more people joined them! The author was really creative with that part!
This realistic fiction book is a great catch! My recommendation is to enjoy reading it while relaxing on the beach. I gave this book 4 stars because some of the chapters were not quite as exciting as they could have been. I also wished there was more to the story at the end, since it ended rather abruptly without having a sequel to this book. However, overall, it was a fun read! Happy reading!
Review by Brooke Z., age 11, Delaware Valley Mensa
Do you love the beach, dolphins and summer? Then Dolphin Summer is the book for you! I recommend this book for girls ages 8-12, who want a fun summer read.
Twelve-year-old Lily is a regular girl living in Brooklyn, New York. Lily’s summer plans are filled with fun for her and her best friends, but they’re quickly washed away when her friends leave her for a soccer sleepaway camp. Lily really wants to visit the aquarium to see the animals, and walk around Coney Island, but her parents would rather have her studying than “wasting” time at the beach. When Lily finds a lost dolphin stuck in a sewage canal, her summer adventure begins as she plans to take care of it as much as possible. Thanks to her friend Nia, Lily goes there as often as she can to watch it, while still doing her reading and studying. However, the dolphin, who she names, Wanda, is looking very ill. Does Lily have what it takes to save Wanda and help her find her pod?
My favorite character is Nia, because she is funny, creative, and fun to be around. It was so cool when she showed Lily the dolphin sculpture she has made out of recycled materials! I thought it was really clever and interesting. I wish that I could have read more about her projects!
I loved the part where Nia and Lily bring their beach chairs, umbrella, food, Nia’s sketch pad, and Lily’s books so they can watch the dolphin and get their work done. It was a really funny scene! Also, when people started coming up to them to ask about the dolphin and more and more people joined them! The author was really creative with that part!
This realistic fiction book is a great catch! My recommendation is to enjoy reading it while relaxing on the beach. I gave this book 4 stars because some of the chapters were not quite as exciting as they could have been. I also wished there was more to the story at the end, since it ended rather abruptly without having a sequel to this book. However, overall, it was a fun read! Happy reading!
Review by Brooke Z., age 11, Delaware Valley Mensa
February 24, 2026
This was more of a preteen/teen book, but I did enjoy it. This is the type of book I read when I was younger. 🐬
The author does a great job endearing the main character, Lily Giordano, to the reader. Lily is dealing with things that seem to be heavy for someone that age...her friends go off to soccer camp without her, her family doesn't take any of Lily's interests seriously, and she is incredibly shy. 🌺
Then, Lily and her artsy, outspoken "babysitter" Nia, discover a dolphin trapped in the canal in town. Lily and Nia are very worried about the dolphin getting sick, since the canal is very dirty. 🧼
So they contact the local aquarium at Coney Island. The scientists temporarily move the dolphin (whom Lily names "Wanda") to the aquarium. Unfortunately, the scientists learn Wanda is sick with a bacterial infection, and subsequently treat her for it. However, Wanda never seems to get any better following treatment. 🧪
The story focuses on Lily's visits to Wanda at the aquarium, getting to know Dr. Hernandez and his family, and Lily's discovery of the identity of the marine blogger, John Dory.
It's when Nia creates a sculpture called "The Lonely Dolphin" that Lily realizes Wanda is lonely and misses her pod. Nia sells the sculpture for alot of money and donates half of the proceeds to the aquarium on behalf of Wanda. 💰
The aquarium and Lily release Wanda back into the bay, and Wanda reunites with her pod. Lily is offered a summer internship at the aquarium, and writes a guest column for John Dory's blog. Lily's parents realize how important marine biology is to Lily, and become open to supporting her interests. Amber and Jules apologize to Lily for abandoning her for soccer camp. (IMO Lily was the better off and had a more interesting summer with Wanda!) 🐬
Very sweet book. I enjoyed that the author had some background knowledge of marine biology. I learned a few things from the book even though it's primarily geared toward teens and preteens. 📚
The author does a great job endearing the main character, Lily Giordano, to the reader. Lily is dealing with things that seem to be heavy for someone that age...her friends go off to soccer camp without her, her family doesn't take any of Lily's interests seriously, and she is incredibly shy. 🌺
Then, Lily and her artsy, outspoken "babysitter" Nia, discover a dolphin trapped in the canal in town. Lily and Nia are very worried about the dolphin getting sick, since the canal is very dirty. 🧼
So they contact the local aquarium at Coney Island. The scientists temporarily move the dolphin (whom Lily names "Wanda") to the aquarium. Unfortunately, the scientists learn Wanda is sick with a bacterial infection, and subsequently treat her for it. However, Wanda never seems to get any better following treatment. 🧪
The story focuses on Lily's visits to Wanda at the aquarium, getting to know Dr. Hernandez and his family, and Lily's discovery of the identity of the marine blogger, John Dory.
It's when Nia creates a sculpture called "The Lonely Dolphin" that Lily realizes Wanda is lonely and misses her pod. Nia sells the sculpture for alot of money and donates half of the proceeds to the aquarium on behalf of Wanda. 💰
The aquarium and Lily release Wanda back into the bay, and Wanda reunites with her pod. Lily is offered a summer internship at the aquarium, and writes a guest column for John Dory's blog. Lily's parents realize how important marine biology is to Lily, and become open to supporting her interests. Amber and Jules apologize to Lily for abandoning her for soccer camp. (IMO Lily was the better off and had a more interesting summer with Wanda!) 🐬
Very sweet book. I enjoyed that the author had some background knowledge of marine biology. I learned a few things from the book even though it's primarily geared toward teens and preteens. 📚
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2021
I enjoyed reading this book. It was a quick and easy read although I had a few issues with it.
Lily find a dolphin in a canal in New York with her ‘babysitter friend’ Nia. Because Lily has such a keen interest in marine biology, especially dolphins, she can’t stop thinking about this dolphin who they name Wanda. After a couple days, Wanda gets taken to the aquarium to be looked after professionally so Lily and Nia go pretty much every week day to visit her. Lily is only 12 and Nia is a struggling artist so how can they afford to go to the aquarium almost every day. It also gets repetitive when talking about Wanda’s transportation to the aquarium as Lily is constantly repeating how she came up with the name Wanda which I feel isn’t necessary. It’s also a perfect ending which I guess is nice for younger readers but there’s no follow up afterwards. Lily is offered an internship at the aquarium after discovering why Wanda wasn’t as lively as she should’ve been. I feel it needed another chapter to explain how Lily was getting on at the internship and also how her home live had changed since her parents now took an interest in Lily’s hobbies.
Other than those couple things, I think it would be a good book for younger readers and an easy, enjoyable read for adults.
Lily find a dolphin in a canal in New York with her ‘babysitter friend’ Nia. Because Lily has such a keen interest in marine biology, especially dolphins, she can’t stop thinking about this dolphin who they name Wanda. After a couple days, Wanda gets taken to the aquarium to be looked after professionally so Lily and Nia go pretty much every week day to visit her. Lily is only 12 and Nia is a struggling artist so how can they afford to go to the aquarium almost every day. It also gets repetitive when talking about Wanda’s transportation to the aquarium as Lily is constantly repeating how she came up with the name Wanda which I feel isn’t necessary. It’s also a perfect ending which I guess is nice for younger readers but there’s no follow up afterwards. Lily is offered an internship at the aquarium after discovering why Wanda wasn’t as lively as she should’ve been. I feel it needed another chapter to explain how Lily was getting on at the internship and also how her home live had changed since her parents now took an interest in Lily’s hobbies.
Other than those couple things, I think it would be a good book for younger readers and an easy, enjoyable read for adults.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2023
The author Cathrine Hapka, has written more than one hundred books for children and adults. Including this page-turning book. She also wrote Heart of a Dolphin, and Dolphin Dreams.
Lily, the main character, started off the summer with a bad start. Her friends abandoned her for a summer sleep away camp. Lily was heartbroken; they didn’t even think about asking Lily if she would want to go or not. She also was struggling with her parents not understanding her dreams of becoming a marine biologist when she grows up. Her parents were making her read all summer but the only thing she wanted to do is go to the aquarium. How did she tackle the challenges along the way of wanting to become a marine biologist? Did she just follow what her parents wanted for her? Or did she follow her dreams?
Catherine Hapka really shows Lily’s love for science and marine biology throughout this book. You can really feel how passionate Lily is for science and marine biology.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves dolphins or marine life, or whoever likes realistic fiction books! But also to anyone who struggles with people telling them that they shouldn’t follow their dreams. I recommend this book because it has a great ending and it’s relatable.
Lily, the main character, started off the summer with a bad start. Her friends abandoned her for a summer sleep away camp. Lily was heartbroken; they didn’t even think about asking Lily if she would want to go or not. She also was struggling with her parents not understanding her dreams of becoming a marine biologist when she grows up. Her parents were making her read all summer but the only thing she wanted to do is go to the aquarium. How did she tackle the challenges along the way of wanting to become a marine biologist? Did she just follow what her parents wanted for her? Or did she follow her dreams?
Catherine Hapka really shows Lily’s love for science and marine biology throughout this book. You can really feel how passionate Lily is for science and marine biology.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves dolphins or marine life, or whoever likes realistic fiction books! But also to anyone who struggles with people telling them that they shouldn’t follow their dreams. I recommend this book because it has a great ending and it’s relatable.
April 21, 2021
The dolphin summer is about a girl named Lilly who lives in New York with her family. Lilly Loves marine animals and has things all around her room about them. Lillys best friends have left her for a soccer camp and her plans with them disappear. When she discovers a dolphin in a canal nearby, she names it Wanda and she and her babysitter Nia visit Wanda as much as they can. Lilly and Nia call the aquarium people and they said they want to leave her to see if she can find her way to her pod but when Wanda seems sick they take her to the aquarium to help her and Lilly is worried about her more than ever and doesn't want her to be sick. Lilly does tell her parents but they don't care much and her dad says to keep studying but Lilly cant help but think about Wanda all the time and bond with Wanda when she sees her.This is a great book if you love Sea creatures and excitement!
August 30, 2018
It was ok. Lily spots a dolphin in a a polluted canal and gets the aquarium to take it in and later release back to its pod. She befriends a boy whose dad works in the lab, and works out her differences with her 2 best friends who left to soccer camp without her. She doesn't consider other friendships, though other classmates reach out to her, and is genuinely surprises when her parents consider her interests. Brooklyn setting, female protagonist, some personal growth, no bullying, ok plot.
August 13, 2020
When Lily finds a lost dolphin stuck in a sewage canal, her summer adventure begins as she plans to take care of it as much as possible. Thanks to her friend Nia, Lily goes there as often as she can to watch it, while still doing her reading and studying. However, the dolphin, who she names, Wanda, is looking very ill.
July 31, 2022
My daughter and I read this one together. She loved it, but I thought it was dumb. The main character was a Debbie Downer (I know she’s only 12, but still…) and the scientists weren’t very smart. If your kid is into dolphins or wants a drama-free, happy-ending book, this is the one to read. Recommend for ages 10+.
November 8, 2022
I read this when it first came out and I was very young, but I remember reading it and loved it. I loved the vibe of it and I can’t believe I finally found out what it’s called. It made me want to get another book I found a few years after called, “Swimming with Dolphins”. I just remember loving the vibe and reading the book was so easy.
September 7, 2018
The kids were throwing stuff at the dolphin
September 8, 2018
i liked the relationship complexity and the named social dynamics a lot. i felt kinda distracted by side plots. i already can think of kids i will recommend this book to.
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March 1, 2020I just wanna read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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September 15, 2020read it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 9, 2021
I would rate this book 4 stars. I like dolphins so I did like this book. Dolphin lovers out there, totally read this book!!!!
January 19, 2021
This book was pretty good. I had read it once before, but a long time ago so I forgot what happens.
October 6, 2022
My friend Hannah says it’s such an inspiring novel must read!!!
May 13, 2023
Dolphin 🐬 summer was a really great Book 📖 Lilly did wonderful helping Wanda the dolphin great story if you love dolphins
July 1, 2024
It was really good! I just got a bit emotional at the end lol.
February 8, 2021
I loved this book I love sea animals.
February 23, 2025
I can't really remember this that much but honestly I remember it being very good.
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September 24, 2018this book was so cute and hart warming
10/10
10/10
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews