Mia
rolled her coin in her hand, and as they passed by the well, she tossed
it in. Please, God, help me solve this mystery. She had no idea if God
answered prayers like this one, but she had to at least try. It’s for
me, kind of, because I want to solve a mystery of my own, like Maddie.
But it’s also for the animals. I don’t want them to be in danger.
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Adventure
Target Audience: Girls 9-13
Subjects: Identity, Obedience, Sibling Relationships, Parent Relationship
Summary: Something is just off. Mia has felt it ever since the trip to London when Maddie pulled her disobedience stunt to solve a mystery. She’s not quite sure who her sister is anymore. And she’s kind of jealous. Maddie got praised for solving the mystery and showing courage. Maybe it’s time for Mia to solve her own mystery. Maybe then things will get back to normal. What could be mysterious at an Adventure Park though? Well, perhaps animals randomly escaping their pens and walking free around the park! Who on earth would risk hurting the animals by letting them out? Don’t they know all the dangers the animals are going to face? Mia no longer wants to solve the mystery just for herself. She wants to help protect the animals too!
Notes: A Dolphin Wish is the second in the Glimmer Girls series – a series by music artist, Natalie Grant. She writes a story comparable to her own life – 3 daughters, the oldest two twins, a singer mom, a producer dad. The strength of the story is in the way the family lives out their faith, making it a party of everything they do. It shows young girls asking the kinds of questions girls do at that age and parents giving them the answers they need, directing them to the right source.
In this second book, the second of the twins is now trying to figure out who she is as she is growing up. She feels as though she and her twin are starting to separate a bit, there’s just this distance between them. Mia “felt like the world had turned upside down. It was the strangest feeling, as though someone had swapped her sister for a stranger”. She’s also, just like Maddie in book one, trying to figure out her role in the Glimmer family – what makes her sparkle and shine? She tries a couple of different things to get her answers or to put her world right again, but fails. The harder she tries to push her own agenda, the further away from her family she feels. Just as in the last book, a strength of the story comes with the character of the mom. When Mia talks with her about what she’s feeling, her mom explains that God did not make everything black and white and simple. She tells Mia that from God’s “perspective, right and wrong are simple to see. But from our limited perspective, it’s not simple at all”. She talks with her about how Jesus messed up the black and white system of the Pharisees and wouldn’t always explain Himself or answer all the questions asked of Him. She encourages Mia to take her concerns to God, to pray about them. Then she encourages Mia that it’s ok for her and Maddie to be carving out their own identity, that it doesn’t make either of them not Glimmer Girls.
I highly recommend this book to young girls at the age of asking questions about their faith and their identity. It does a great job showing realistic characters they could relate to while giving firm answers to the questions they have.
Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5
Reviewer: J:-)mi
James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
Matthew 5:23-24 - “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
Thank you to the publishers for providing me with a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest option. I greatly enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to many friends!
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