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Yardley Holdsworth Cooperlick knows his name is a mouthful, so he immediately tells us to call him “Coop.” Or rather, in the audiobook version, narrator Caleb Summers does. Coop already feels a bond with the title character, Augenblick Sweetwater, whose full name is just as intimidating; just as intimidating as the first day of high school and a big old bully, to boot. It’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

So begins the audible way to experience author William J. Harrigan’s Augie Sweetwater and the Dolphin’s Tale (Valentine Creek LLC), a book about kids taking on marine-biology-minded adventures, international conspiracies and the power of friendship. It’s easy to dive right in with this well-performed audiobook version; the water’s fine even if, off the coast of Seattle, it’s pretty darn chilly.

DANGEROUS WATERS

Coop meets Augie when coming heroically to his aid in the face of that aforementioned bully. Augie was picked on by somebody larger than his own size, but there’s a good reason this 11-year-old is ahead of his peers: he’s a child prodigy, an MIT grad and a world-renowned inventor, with plenty more achievements in the works. This exceptionality puts a major target on his back that sticks out to more than just amateur bullies. Beleaguered, brilliant Augie is under attack from kidnappers who want to hold him hostage and use his inventions for their own personal gain. How many 11-year-olds do you know who always wear bulletproof t-shirts? 

Coop is understandably flabbergasted, but eventually gets to know Augie and the intrepid Indigenous “princess,” Mika. They form a trio and soon have to take on a mission to uncover an insidious plot that’s plaguing the waters of the Pacific Northwest. Sinister maritime attacks reveal a threat to more than just the one little genius, and kids might be in over their heads. 

So, they’re going to need some extra-special help, which comes in an extra-special form: Leo, the dolphin who Augie helped rehabilitate after he was injured in an orca attack. Leo’s safely swimming again thanks to the expertly-crafted prosthetic tail Augie gave him, but his fellow dolphins are in danger now, too … and not from more orcas. This crime is on such an enormous scale that it affects creatures of both land and sea.

AN AUDIO ADVENTURE

The tongue-in-cheek humor will definitely appeal to the target audience, and Summers knows exactly how to express every turn of phrase that appears on the written page. From voicing the confident Coop to the precocious Augie, the narrator is just as willing, able and prepared to perform every character as the fictional team (dolphin included) is willing, able and prepared to courageously challenge their enemy.

Harrigan’s tail — I mean, taleswimmingly combines marine biology, STEM and international espionage to create a book that’s fun and very unique. As the three main characters solve clues and race against the clock, the listener is captivated by every word. It seems that Summers is, too; it’s hard to believe that the joy in his performance is acting when it comes off as such genuine enthusiasm. All in all, Augie, aquatics and adventure make this audiobook a real treat.


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About William J. Harrigan:

A 1972 graduate of Yale University, Bill has enjoyed a wide variety of experiences around the world. As an officer in the Army and then the NOAA Corps, he flew helicopters, managed the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary and headed up NOAA’s Office of Special Operations. After earning a master’s degree in marine area management from the University of Rhode Island in 1991, he directed the U.S. National Marine Sanctuary Program and later served as head of planning and management for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority in Townsville, Australia.

Bill retired from the NOAA Corps in 1993 to pursue a second career as a photojournalist and marine park consultant. He has written and photographed over 200 articles on diving in the Caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific for Skin Diver, Sport Diver and Alert Diver magazines and also has assisted in setting up marine parks in Kenya, Egypt and Thailand.

Now a full-time novelist, Augie Sweetwater and the Dolphin’s Tale is Bill’s first book in the young adult genre. This story is the first in a planned series following the amazing adventures of a brilliant young inventor and his friends.

Judy Moreno

Judy Moreno is the Assistant Editor at BookTrib and sincerely loves the many-splendored nature of storytelling. She earned a double major in English and Theatre from Hillsdale College after a childhood spent reading (and rereading) nearly everything at the local library. Some of her favorite novels include Catch-22, Anna Karenina, and anything by Jane Austen. She currently lives in Virginia and is delighted to be on the BookTrib team.

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