Song of the Dolphin Boy

Elizabeth Laird's Song of the Dolphin Boy is a seaside adventure for 8 year olds about a lonely boy who has never once been allowed in the sea.

What happens

Stromhead is a tiny fishing village in a far corner of Scotland. There are only six children in the juniors class, and nobody ever invites Finn to anything. When Dougie has a birthday party, Finn watches through the window from behind the rose bush (shredding Mrs Lamb's prize roses as he goes).

At home it's just Finn and his dad in a tumbledown cottage on the cliff. His mum disappeared when he was two. Dad won't talk about her, and he's forbidden Finn from going anywhere near the water.

Then Charlie, the class hothead, chases Finn right off the end of the harbour wall. Finn can't swim. He's sure he's going to drown.

Instead something amazing happens. He can swim. He can stay under for ages and hear every tiny sound in the water. And then a young dolphin comes to play. Who hasn't dreamed of leaping through the waves with a dolphin? For Finn it's the first time he's ever played with a friend, and it's written so joyfully you can almost feel the water.

There's a big secret about Finn's mum at the heart of the story. A poem he's given for homework drops a VERY big hint (no spoilers here!).

Back on land, Jas, Amir, Charlie and the others start feeling bad about how they've treated him. Watch out for the balloons from Dougie's party too. Finn shudders as he watches them drift away over the water, and that turns out to matter.

Finn's home life is hard, and that's good to know going in. His dad is sad and angry by turns, there's beer in the shopping bag, and he threatens Finn with his slipper. Some villagers even whisper that Dad had something to do with Mum vanishing. A child who's sensitive about family worries might need a hug along the way. There's warmth in it too, though. Dad clearly loves him, and Jas is kind from the start.

If you've got a reader who loves animals and the sea, and roots for the kid who's always left out, this one's a real treat.

What to read next

Elizabeth Laird's The Fastest Boy in the World would make a lovely next read. It's another story about a boy who feels most alive doing the thing he's best at, this time Solomon, who dreams of running with Ethiopia's great athletes.