| 1. | How did Mila's swim in the river affect what happened to her? |
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| 2. | How did she react to being locked up? What was the turning point in her declaration of independence? |
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| 3. | How was music important to Mila? How did it connect her to the dolphin world and the human world? What does the title of the book mean? |
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| 4. | Were you surprised by the ending--do you think it had to turn out that way? Was everything Mila did while living with humans part of an effort to get back to her dolphin home? |
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| 5. | Will Mila stay with the dolphins? Will she be satisfied? Will she be happy? Would you? |
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| 6. | What do you think this quote means: "The dolphin, they live for today. But I am human. To be human is to live for tomorrow." (p. 173) |
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| 7. | Why doesn't Shay progress the way Mila does? What do you think happened to Shay? If Shay had done better, do you think Mila would have been happier and stayed? |
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| 8. | Describe the relationship between Dr. Beck and her son, Justin. Describe the relationship between Justin and Mila. Why is she "most happy" AND "most sad" when she's with him? |
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| 9. | Mila tells about her life with the dolphins. Would you like such a life? What do you think Mila liked most about it? |
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| 10. | Is the character of Mila believable? What are some of the characteristics that make Mila special? |
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| 11. | Is the way the book is written, with italics, large and small print effective? Why or why not? |
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| 12. | Are you satisfied or disappointed with the ending? |
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| 13. | The scientists feel they have a right to capture Mila in the name of scientific study. Do you agree? |
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| 14. | How is Mila different from the rest of us? |
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| 15. | How is Shay similar to Mila? How is she different? Why is it that Shay cannot feel the music? How do each of the other characters interact with Mila? |
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| 16. | What are Dr. Beck's motives in studying Mila and Shay? |
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| 17. | Why does Mila begin to regress in her ability to speak? |
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| 18. | What makes Mila want to return to the sea? |
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| 19. | Was the experiment a success or a failure? Did Mila survive? |
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| 20. | Is there something Dr. Beck and Sandy could have done that would have changed Mila's mind about staying? |
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| 21. | Why does Mila have such a hard time being with humans? |
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