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Starbuck Family Adventure #2
Shadows in the Water
When the Starbuck family moves to a houseboat in the Florida Keys, the children love their new home and soon discover they share a wonderful telepathic link with the dolphins. When they find that someone is poisoning the water with toxic waste and that the creatures of the Keys are dying, the twins must stop the culprits before it’s too late.
211 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
1 person is currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Lasky
268 books2,288 followersKathryn Lasky, also known as Kathryn Lasky Knight and E. L. Swann, is an award-winning American author of over one hundred books for children and adults. Best known for the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series, her work has been translated into 19 languages and includes historical fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 21, 2013
This was my favorite book while growing up. I adored the two sets of Starbuck twins and wanted to be telepathic more than anything. I probably read this book 20 times, over the years, and wrote to the author a few times (she responded with answers to all of my questions!).
This one takes place in the Florida Keys. The family has moved down there for the father to take a job for the EPA. Someone has been dumping toxic waste in the water and damaging life in the water and on land. Starbucks twins to the rescue! Using their brilliant minds and bravery they solve the mystery and save the day. Oh, and get to swim with dolphins while they're at it (dolphins can communicate with them telepathically). So cool!
This one takes place in the Florida Keys. The family has moved down there for the father to take a job for the EPA. Someone has been dumping toxic waste in the water and damaging life in the water and on land. Starbucks twins to the rescue! Using their brilliant minds and bravery they solve the mystery and save the day. Oh, and get to swim with dolphins while they're at it (dolphins can communicate with them telepathically). So cool!
June 30, 2025
This was one of my favorite books as a kid. I pulled it off the shelf today and turns out it's still a great read. Someday I'll travel to the Florida Keys and rent a bright pink houseboat with a water slide.
Between this and where I grew up, I never stood a chance of *not* being obsessed with marine life.
Between this and where I grew up, I never stood a chance of *not* being obsessed with marine life.
November 27, 2018
Going back and revisiting and old childhood favorite! And... uuuuuuuuuuuuurgh, the writing is a lot more childish than I remembered.
Insert yet another diatribe on the superiority of the metric system.
The near-constant use of "tele[insert any form of communication here]" as an actual word was something that seriously annoyed me as an adult reader, but other than that, for what it is, it's not bad. It's a solid adventure story that most kids can get behind, there are some nice touches of magic, and I especially liked the way the kids all made good use of the resources they had during the climax of the story. As an adult, this is definitely no longer at my age level (especially considering some of the oversimplified morals and over-romanticization of nature), but definitely a good book for adolescents or young teenagers.
"Well, I think you should be able to swim five hundred yards—that's about a quarter of a mile—without stopping."
"Five hundred yards is not a quarter of a mile. It's more," July said somewhat vacantly. "It's one thousand five hundred feet. A quarter of a mile is one thousand three hundred and twenty feet. What's this about swimming it?"
Insert yet another diatribe on the superiority of the metric system.
The near-constant use of "tele[insert any form of communication here]" as an actual word was something that seriously annoyed me as an adult reader, but other than that, for what it is, it's not bad. It's a solid adventure story that most kids can get behind, there are some nice touches of magic, and I especially liked the way the kids all made good use of the resources they had during the climax of the story. As an adult, this is definitely no longer at my age level (especially considering some of the oversimplified morals and over-romanticization of nature), but definitely a good book for adolescents or young teenagers.
June 10, 2022
Middle school appropriate. I’ve never read book one in this series but I’ve read this book many times. There’s a full of awe magical quality about it that is just wonderful. A wonderful ecological message as well.
January 11, 2018
Another one I remember loving as a kid, but I have no inclination to reread at this time.
May 25, 2020
This was one of my favorite books growing up! I will admit if I rated this as an adult it would be 3 stars but I left the rating my childhood self would have given it.
October 3, 2020
Great adventure book!
October 30, 2023
loved this book as a kid. Use to image that I was telepathic with animals so this was right up my alley.
February 25, 2026
Young Adult, loved story line as a kid!
March 25, 2023
This was my first adult re-read of this formative book. (It’s comfort read season... we’ve been in quarantine for 6 months)
As a kid, I loved reading how this girl, Liberty, was smart and free and had superpowers, and still had time to make friends with the friendless and care for her little sisters. And save turtles and the environment all at the same time. And ride (and talk with, learn from) dolphins.
Anyone who knows me will see some themes they recognize here.
As an adult, coming back to a book after 20(+?) years I appreciated how the book is lyrical and poetic. Kathryn trusts her readers to use context to figure out the gist, even when she uses Spanish (without a translation).
A couple of notes for parents about some themes and terms that have come under more scrutiny and deeper understanding since this book was published:
1: one of the kids has injured their hands, and so now everyone calls him the special needs kid. Which, depending on your circle, has had some new language develop since then. But, to note, one of the dolphins is injured for similar reasons, and she is celebrated as frail, but still spectacular and no less complete because of her injury.
2: the toxic waste dumpers are referred to as “thugs” (and are all coded as white supremacists) and their individual actions are blamed more than a systemic problem. Sure, the crime ring falls, and legislation is passed to heighten the crime, but there’s not (space for?) a discussion about how rich people would rather do what’s easy rather than what’s right.
3: the mom of the family has a business to run back in DC, so she’s only there to cook and serve breakfast... it was... not ideal of a display of partnered parenting. The dad is this awesome superDad, and the mom runs a dance costume factory but still her main position in the book is to... serve breakfast and hope for tartan and tulle.
Finally: the kids break the rules, they learn independence, and once after the grownups tell them they really can’t go out, they do, for one last ride. Which, I think I do actually want my girls learning that there are some times when the rules should be broken. When it is best for the community.
Added in March 2023: read with Rebel, age 7. Beautiful and full of wonder. A slow read helped me see the shape of the book more, how the twins gave to the ecosystem/environment before their magical payoff and the systems deeper trust in them.
Really loving the Robbie Bplot in the slow read, too
As a kid, I loved reading how this girl, Liberty, was smart and free and had superpowers, and still had time to make friends with the friendless and care for her little sisters. And save turtles and the environment all at the same time. And ride (and talk with, learn from) dolphins.
Anyone who knows me will see some themes they recognize here.
As an adult, coming back to a book after 20(+?) years I appreciated how the book is lyrical and poetic. Kathryn trusts her readers to use context to figure out the gist, even when she uses Spanish (without a translation).
A couple of notes for parents about some themes and terms that have come under more scrutiny and deeper understanding since this book was published:
1: one of the kids has injured their hands, and so now everyone calls him the special needs kid. Which, depending on your circle, has had some new language develop since then. But, to note, one of the dolphins is injured for similar reasons, and she is celebrated as frail, but still spectacular and no less complete because of her injury.
2: the toxic waste dumpers are referred to as “thugs” (and are all coded as white supremacists) and their individual actions are blamed more than a systemic problem. Sure, the crime ring falls, and legislation is passed to heighten the crime, but there’s not (space for?) a discussion about how rich people would rather do what’s easy rather than what’s right.
3: the mom of the family has a business to run back in DC, so she’s only there to cook and serve breakfast... it was... not ideal of a display of partnered parenting. The dad is this awesome superDad, and the mom runs a dance costume factory but still her main position in the book is to... serve breakfast and hope for tartan and tulle.
Finally: the kids break the rules, they learn independence, and once after the grownups tell them they really can’t go out, they do, for one last ride. Which, I think I do actually want my girls learning that there are some times when the rules should be broken. When it is best for the community.
Added in March 2023: read with Rebel, age 7. Beautiful and full of wonder. A slow read helped me see the shape of the book more, how the twins gave to the ecosystem/environment before their magical payoff and the systems deeper trust in them.
Really loving the Robbie Bplot in the slow read, too
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February 13, 2013I just finished reading shadows in the water by katheryn lasky.The main character in the story was molly and david they go theough hard times witht trying to figure out who was duping in the river and they come and go through drawbacks.They blame eachother because they are stressed about not finding out who was dumping in the river. Through the middle of the story they start to get an idea who is doing it and when. But they still have to figure out there arguments. I think the book was really good because it was a different point of view from each characters and how they figure out there problems.Towards the end of the story they kind of have a good idea of who the person that is dumping and causing all these arguments between the town people.when they have idea they both come together to write out a plan and figure out who the theft is.i recommend this book for 7 and 8 graders due to explicit content but it is a great book.
November 6, 2015
I first read this book when I was in grade school. I always remembered reading a novel about telepathic twins and dolphins, but I couldn't remember the name of the book! Recently I was going through my bookshelves and found it!
It didn't have the same mystifying quality as I recall it having when I was younger, but it is still a fantastic youth mystery. I look forward to reading it to my children one day!
It didn't have the same mystifying quality as I recall it having when I was younger, but it is still a fantastic youth mystery. I look forward to reading it to my children one day!
July 26, 2011
I loved this book! Loved it! When I read it, I think I was a little past the target age group, but I don't think that much has changed over the years anyway. I had no idea it was part of a series, which is hilarious since it says so on the back of the book. It almost makes me want to track down all of the adventures and read them, but I'm fairly certain that I won't enjoy them as much now as I did then.
November 13, 2012
I was thinking about this book the other week but couldn't remember the title, so I am glad I stumbled onto Kathryn Lasky's page here. This was one of my favorite books in late elementary/early middle school, I probably read it 3 or 4 times at least.
November 7, 2008
definitely one of my favorites...i've read it about 15 times in the past couple years/....got it when i was 10..it was the start of my library.
June 22, 2010
A fun kids' mystery, appropriate for late elementary school.
May 3, 2016
Loved this when I was a kid.
October 10, 2011
probably would've given this more stars if I'd read it when I was younger. but still a good read, reminds me of Madeline L'Engle.
November 3, 2011
I loved this book when I was 11 or so.
August 14, 2012
This was one of my favorite childhood books.
October 6, 2012
I was wracking my brain a few weeks ago when I had a young lady asking for fiction with dolphins in it.
July 12, 2016
One of my favorite books as a kid! It has dolphins on the cover, I couldn't resist.
April 2, 2018
Didn’t want to finish it. Not interested.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews