The Music of Dolphins

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hesse, Karen. 1998. THE MUSIC OF DOLPHINS. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN: 0-590-89798-5

2. SUMMARY
Karen Hesse’s story tells the tale of a feral wild child pulled out of the waters between Florida and Cuba. Rescuers have a difficult time capturing the little girl because she doesn't want to be captured: she's quite content living as a member of a dolphine clan. The child gets named “Mila”, presumably short for “Milagros” the Spanish word for miracle. She falls under the care of doctors and researchers who keep her under close surveillance. She forms bonds with the doctor’s charged with her care and with the other children at the facility. However, she never stops missing her dolphin family. Eventually the doctors must decide: in which clan does Mila really belong?

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This haunting book packs a powerful poetic punch. It is an unforgettable read and is almost impossible to fully analyze as it hits the reader with that intimate experience that is poetry. The protagonist is fully developed, emotionally and mentally, and the reader is brought along for the amazing ride. She is both exotic in her feral-ness and familiar in her need for comfort and closeness in family. Mila’s change from a feral child unacquainted with human ways or human contact to a child who is all too familiar with human failings is compelling and profound. Told in first person, the reader gets pulled into a world where the most basic items usually taken for granted, for example television, become foreign and something new to be explored and handled.

The prosaic and lyrical nature of this book, indeed almost all of the beauty of this work comes after the first five pages. Encourage your readers to get to page seven and they will find the rest of the story mesmerizing.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publisher’s Weekly Best Books of the Year Award
Nominated for over 10 Book Awards
School Library Journal-This powerful exploration of how we become human and how the soul endures is a song of beauty and sorrow, haunting and unforgettable.
Kirkus - A probing look at what makes us human, with an unforgettable protagonist.


5. CONNECTIONS
This is a great book to use in higher grades as a springboard into discussion about marine life or animal communication.
Grover, Wayne. DOLPHIN ADVENTURE: A TRUE STORY. ISBN: 0380732521
Cerullo, Mary. DOLPHINS: WHAT THEY CAN TEACH US. ISBN: 0525652639