Music of the Dolphins by Karen Hesse is a 1998-99 Hoosier Award Nominee for Sixth through Eighth Grades.

Mila is found by a flight surveillance team on an island where she had been stranded since she was 4 years old. She had survived an airplane crash that killed her mother and baby brother. During all these years, a family of dolphins had taken care of Mila. When she is found, Mila is covered with salt and barnacles and has circular scars on her face. She walks funny and looks at her rescuers in an odd way, using each eye separately. Mila is taken to Dr. Beck, a doctor for the government. In the beginning, Dr. Beck's main interest in Mila is to learn about dolphins. But Dr. Beck learns she must first teach Mila how to communicate with humans. Mila learns quickly and even helps teach another child they found in the Idaho wilderness. Even though Mila is successful in learning human ways, she can't find happiness living with the humans. She has a lot of mixed thoughts, but mostly she just wants to return to her dolphin family.

Rating:

This book is highly recommended for fourth graders and older. Both my parents really enjoyed Music of the Dolphins. It can be purchased through Amazon!