Wider Than The Sea: A dyslexia-friendly story of friendship, hope and self-discovery
£7.00£7.60 (-8%)
The powerful tale of a girl who feels broken, and the dolphin who makes her whole. A story of friendship, hope and self-discovery, perfect for readers aged 9+, and beautifully illustrated in black and white by George Ermos.
Ró finds school impossible. She knows people think she’s shy – and stupid. But when she goes to the bay each afternoon to watch the dolphin leap through the water, she finds the strength to keep going. Then the dolphin disappears, and everything starts falling apart.
Can Ró overcome her fears to find him?
I watch each rise and dip of wave
know Sunny must be out there
somewhere
wonder if he’s missing me.
I remember that moment
when I touched his skin
and know that finding him
is the only thing
that can make
the aching stop
make me feel
not broken.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Hodder Children's Books (30 Mar. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 240 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1444968416 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1444968415 |
| Reading age | 9 – 12 years, from customers |
| Dimensions | 12.6 x 2.6 x 19.4 cm |
by Tia Fisher
Wider than the Sea is a book which delivers so beautifully what it promises. A total hug of a middle grade verse novel! Layout choices, illustrations from George Ermos make it a joy for readers of all abilities, especially children struggling with dyslexia.
by Ian Eagleton
A beautiful lyrical story full of hope and heart!
by Paul Tapner
A novel for younger readers. I’ll say best for those aged eleven and up. Just down to the general level of the writing, and that the main character has experiences that go with said age.
This is a complete and self contained novel in one volume. Not part of a series or trilogy or the like.
It runs for two hundred and eighteen pages. It’s in unnumbered and very short chapters. There are also illustrations. Occasional ones. Some quite small. Some full pages.
Ro is a girl who lives near the sea. She’s the narrator. She finds school hard. Words jump around on the page when she reads them. Her parents are arguing. She has one good friend. A boy. The only thing that keeps her going is seeing a dolphin out at sea every afternoon.
Then the dolphin vanishes. And everything else seems to go wrong in her life. Can she solve her problems?
This is a just believe in yourself give info about a condition you can achieve anything book. Which are rather common these days. I don’t spine, it’s just that when I was the target age books for kids tended to be more straightforward adventure stories. But that was then. So long as something doesn’t preach and tells a decent story with good characters, then I’m all onboard. Fortunately, this manages to do that.
It’s a quick read if you’re a fast reader. The way the words are laid out, with few to each page, has a lot to do with that. How these will read to those with dyslexia I don’t know, but the thought intrigued me. So that was educational. The way the prose goes and flows does make for a good involving read also.
You do find yourself wanting to yell at characters ‘just talk to each other!’. But then that’s presumably the point. So well handled, the writer! Ro’s relationship with two other characters is believable and handled well. I do like how it went with one of them in particular.
Some parts could seem idealised. But then you read the writer’s note at the end and you see what is based on experience. So that’s fine.
This does what it sets out to do. And becomes an excellent read as a result. If it does make anyone actually tell their friends or family how they are feeling, that’s an excellent bonus. A good read and well worth a look.
by Valinora T.
The story, written in verse, tells the story of Ró (short for Roisin) and her struggles in school, her worries at home, and the happiness she experiences watching Sunny the dolphin in the company of her friend The Bean. The poems are emotionally powerful, and although a relatively short book (219 pages), the book packs in a lot of story. I haven’t even mentioned the dolphin! The title really sings to me too, and it has a lovely cover. By the way, it’s inspired by the author’s own experience with dyslexia, and there’s a wonderful author’s note accompanying the text.
Wider than the Sea is a powerful, emotional and hopeful tale, about bravery and self-belief, and also about how kindness and encouragement can make the world of difference to somebody.
by Marie
Wider than the sea is a beautiful book to be enjoyed by all. An emotional, uplifting and thought provoking book.. I enjoyed reading it immensely with my 10 year old and 8 year old.
by Lisa Bradley
This book is honestly absolutely beautiful. As the mother of a neurodiverse child, I found it especially touching but even without that understanding, you’ll be moved to tears – not with sadness but with hope and appreciation. I loved reading it in verse, I actually ordered it on kindle but ended up buying the paperback for my son as the layout is just lovely.
The author’s writing is both succinct and impactful, her choice of phrase and syntax is so on point.
Wonderful talent.
by Film enthuasist.
Nothing to dislike,having starte did not wish to put down.
by Stuart White
An incredible read, full of joy, written in verse and the visage of self-discovery for Ro! A stunning debut from Molloy and wonderful illustrations from Ermos!