Swimming With Dolphins

April 15, 2020
A wheelchair-using seventh grader must overcome her fear in order to swim with the dolphins she loves. For KT Wynn, leaving Iowa City and her BFFs for Fernbank, Florida, fewer than 60 days before her 13th birthday is already hard. Worse, she and her wheelchair, Sprinkle, have trouble fitting into the "jigsaw puzzle" of Fernbank Middle School, even after she meets outgoing Sabina (aka Socks) and her friends. Fortunately, Fernbank also offers the Dolphina Cove dolphin sanctuary--where KT gets the chance to swim with her favorite animals! But when it's time, she discovers that "the thing [she loves] the most can also be the scariest." Can she swim with dolphins and navigate the murky waters of middle school friendship? Though KT's friends and classmates (and their hashtag-laden dialogue) are largely indistinguishable from one another, Paddock sympathetically explores homesickness and the anxious awkwardness of making friends. KT's gradual overcoming of her dolphin fear is realistic, and her family is comfortingly supportive--particularly her 17-year-old sister, who sometimes has "mysterious teenager" moods but always has her back. KT tackles patronizing grown-ups with dry aplomb, and dolphin facts pepper her narrative. Most characters, including KT and her family, appear white. One is Jewish; another is Latinx. Socks has gluten and peanut allergies; her hairstyle, described as "lots of short, dark brown braids," will likely lead readers to imagine her as black. Readers taking the plunge into new activities or new places will appreciate this uplifting tale. (Fiction. 8-12)

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May 1, 2020

Gr 3-7-A coming-of-age story that seamlessly incorporates discussion of disability alongside a heartwarming dolphin tale. Twelve-year-old KT Wynn moves from Iowa to Florida and has to start over at a new middle school while leaving all her friends behind. KT uses a wheelchair; although the plot doesn't dwell on this, it is a daily fact of her life, and she worries about being in a new environment as a wheelchair user. On the bright side, her new home means she might be able to achieve her dream of swimming with dolphins. Meeting Cola the dolphin is not what she expected, and KT must work to overcome her fears and build trust with Cola to make her dream come true. Through detailed imagery, the use of hashtag vocabulary, and the unique juxtaposition of the dolphins with KT's own journey, Paddock has created a well-rounded and fun story that middle grade readers will enjoy. VERDICT Sweet, inspirational realistic fiction for anyone who has had to start over again.-Lenore Catalano, Hammarskjold Middle School, East Brunswick, NJ

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