The Music of Dolphins by Karen Hesse

Books about feral children make for an interesting look at the nature of being human and language development. What defines a person when he or she isn't socialized and raised by animals? "Peter Pan" by JM Barrie, remains in an adolescent state. "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George, involves the girl Julie who lives with wolves and learns to communicate with them. "Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling is still on my endless book list. Karen Hesse's story is about Mila, a feral child discovered by humans as a teen, who has lived with dolphins since she was four years old and been imprinted by their behavior. When the Coast Guard finds her as a teen, she is taken to a research facility and studied with another girl, Shay, who is a feral child but from being isolated from other humans by her mother. Mila finds assimilating with humans difficult socially. The audiobook's narration was average.

The structure of the story begins with Mila communicating in simple language reflecting the second language learner. Her syntax lacks the use of pronouns and prepositions as she tells her experience of living in a government research facility. She is happy at first but misses her dolphin family. As she learns the language her thoughts and speech gain more fluency and figurative language. Ethical questions are raised as Mila feels trapped by the government that requires doctors to keep her locked in her room for her "own safety".

The complexity of ideas progresses as Mila meets Shay, another feral child at the facility, who was locked up in a room with no contact with the outside world. Shay rarely speaks but Mila understands that bonding occurs through touch. She touches Shay and connects with her at first making her laugh when Mila speaks dolphin. Later Shay withdraws into herself and no longer connects with Mila foreshadowing Mila's withdrawal from humans as well. Mila has imprinted with dolphins and trying to connect with humans becomes impossible when she realizes she is not free to do as she wishes. The adults lock her in a room at night and she is feared because she is different. The researchers try to social the two to human behaviors but they cannot adapt. Mila ends up feeling just as trapped and isolated as Shay.

Doors are a symbol throughout representing freedom from societal rules and behavior. Some doors are open and others shut. Toward the end, Mila can only see them shut. Social behavior for Mila reflects dolphin behavior of freely accepting people with doors being open. Mila is marginalized and feared because of her differences. The janitor is afraid of her and she is rejected by Shay who shuts herself off from all humans. The government locks Mila's door and is impersonal to her as a human with rights. The dolphins have socialized Mila to the idea that she can swim anywhere in the ocean and creatures are acceptable unless they are predators. Human boundaries and prejudice she cannot deal with because she knows there is an alternative for her. She connects with her doctor's son, Justin, but cannot accept him completely because he isn't a dolphin. She doesn't identify with humans and cannot adapt to human behavior like Shay.

Music shows a different type of communication for Mila. She listens to it and learns to play an instrument with deep passion. The music relieves Mila's stress and gives emotional satisfaction as it is a reminder of her dolphin family and how sea creatures communicate with sounds. Again, music reflects how much Mila was imprinted regarding social behaviors by dolphins and not humans. She cannot assimilate with the family she lives with and becomes a tragic character in the end.

5 Smileys

Cloud and Wallfish by Anne Nesbet

Young readers will like the spy novel subplot. Many have this book on their Newbery contender lists and I thought the beginning unfolded in a weird and engaging way, but I had issues with the crafting of plot and development of characters. Noah Keller is picked up from school one day only to find his world turned upside down as his parents take him to the airport to live in East Germany for six months while his mom finishes her PhD in studying children with speech impediments. Noah has no warning. The sudden flight is suspicious and mysterious. Noah doesn't know what to think when he arrives behind the Wall in a world lacking freedom and full of fear. He makes friends with a neighbor girl that causes all sorts of problems with authorities.

The book lacked authenticity for me.  I've lived in three different countries and every time I move I struggle with some form of culture shock. While I think children can handle it fairly well compared to adults as they are immersed in school, Noah doesn't even struggle with it. Compare it to the book, "Inside Out and Back Again," where the character moves to the U.S. from Vietnam. In that plot the anger and struggles with communicating in a new country using a second language are much more authentic. Noah also learns the language in isolation too quickly. The author gives him a photographic memory to try and justify his gift with learning languages, but he would have needed to be immersed in the culture in some form to become that fluent and have that high of a vocabulary in only three months. But he isn't in a local school. He's at home waiting for approval from the government to go to school.

Noah has a stuttering problem; however, little depth of understanding to the problem. It is a token disability; not like the character in "Paperboy," by Vince Vawter who works on breathing techniques to try and communicate. Also, how could Noah be understood in German when no one could understood him in English except his parents? Noah becomes friends with an East German girl talking to her in his second language fluently.

I didn't think the author captured life in East Germany in a well-rounded way. As a reader, I felt like an outsider looking through a stereotyped Western window or view of behind the iron curtain. Again, it didn't feel well-rounded or authentic, but more from textbooks. Maybe that was because of the way the author chose to explain facts in popup "Secret Files" boxes. I think it is really hard as an outsider trying to understand another culture and capture the sounds, smells, and  uniqueness of what it is like living as an expat. While the suspense is well-done, this fell short for me.

3 Smileys

All American Boys, by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

A 16-year-old black man, Rashad Butler, is mistaken for being a thief at a convenience store and is brutality beaten by a police officer, Paul Galluzzo. The incident divides the school as students protest. Rashad's best friends play basketball and a big game is coming up with scout's recruiting for colleges. The coach won't discuss the Rashad beating and tells the players to leave it at the door. But they can't ignore it as fellow basketball players Quinn, best friend to Galluzzo's younger brother fight on the court. Quinn witnesses the brutal beating and must decide to pretend that he didn't see it, or not talk about it like the coach, or engage in the protest.

The alternating viewpoints give an outsiders perspective in the white man, Quinn and an insiders look in the black voice of Rashad. Quinn struggles with where his loyalties lie. Galluzzo's family has done much for Quinn's after his dad was killed in Afghanistan, particularly the cop Paul Galluzo. Quinn has to decide what's right even if it means alienating his hero, Paul. If someone is being oppressed or their human rights abused, is it right to stand by silently or is it better to humanize the victim and engage in the battle? Quinn's dilemma is in stark contrast to Rashad the victim dealing with the physical and physchological struggle; the young man who lives in a culture where parents teach children how to behave around the police out of fear. Right after the beating while in the hospital, no one believes that Rashad didn't steal a bag of chips. He tries to come to grips with racial injustice, his launch into the media spotlight, and dealing with the trauma through drawings.

This is an excellent story to engage in the conversation of police brutality and I recommend Ta-Nehisi Coates book, "Between the World and Me," that captures the fear of police and drugs and shows how religion and slavery create a complex African American culture. I thought the father in this book captured what Coate's describes quite well (although his past as a cop distracts from it). Coate's book captures the anger and is quite authentic in voice; whereas, this book felt forced in spots.

Quinn and Rashad never meet at the end. Their dialogue is side-by-side as they lock eyes and Quinn wants him to know that he is not invisible to him any more; that he is willing to act. This shows how the two communities need to engage in conversation. Dialogue is where it starts. I've been reading a spat of history books where populations did not have the right to protest over injustices brought on by institutions. Institutions run on fear are counterproductive to freedom and human dignity. A great start to a necessary conversation.

4 Smileys.