John Tkac

Reviewed by Grandma Bev for TeensReadToo.com

Mike Connelly is different. Right from the start, the kids at school tease Mike about his stutter, and he just doesn't quite fit in. His brothers stand up for him, but they can't always be there, and Mike turns into kind of a loner.

Mike lives on an island called Key Biscayne off the coast of Florida, and the bay is frequented by a group of dolphins. Mike feels a special affinity for the dolphins and gradually they become friends and learn the magic of communicating with each other. Soon, the garbled whispers of the dolphins turn into voices that Mike can understand.

Then the dolphins take Mike to their secret place, and he discovers something that could change the course of world history.

The dolphins and their ancestors have protected their secret for centuries, and now Mike promises to keep a vow of silence. When Mike's friend and neighbor, Lucy Medina, is kidnapped and the villains leave no clues, Mike turns to the dolphins for help. Ordinarily, it would be easy for the dolphins to find her, but they must do so without revealing their subterranean secret.

I enjoyed the fantasy of Mike being able to talk to another species, and the many adventures that the boy and the sea mammals share...Mike being rescued from the sharks and then helping the dolphins solve some of their problems.

WHISPERS FROM THE BAY is a delightful story with plenty of action and suspense to keep young readers glued to the pages, and characters that they will long remember. This book is part of a series, and I can't wait to read the others.… (més)