No Matter the Distance: Review by Alexander Li
“No Matter the Distance” by Cindy Baldwin is a fantastic book, and I give it a 5-star review. It’s about an 11-year-old girl named Penny Rooney who has cystic fibrosis (CF). One day, she spotted a dolphin in her backyard creek, which changed everything. This book features and highlights the importance of friendship and the fact that you’re never alone.
A reason I give this book a 5-star review is because it portrays the importance of friendship. Friendship is an important part of life, as having friends can make people happier and more cheerful. For example, Penny has a friend named Cricket, and they are inseparable companions.
Another reason I give this book a 5-star review is because it illustrates the fact you’re never alone. CF is a rare genetic condition that causes mucus to build up in your lungs and pancreas, making it difficult to breathe and get nutrition. Because of that, Penny needs to take four nebulizers a day, and also takes digestive pills, making her feel all alone as nobody else needs to do those complicated medications. But once, her dad showed her pictures of other kids with CF, thinking that getting CF friends may be a good idea. Looking at those photos made Penny feel better and more positive about herself, knowing that there are other kids out there like her.
One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Penny meets a dolphin in her backyard creek (named Turtle Creek). Just as school is dismissed, Penny goes to Turtle Creek to swim. She spotted a fin poking out of the water, which turned out to be a dolphin! Penny was very awed to see this creature in Turtle Creek; what are the odds of seeing a dolphin in a creek? Later, Penny and the dolphin, whom she named Rose, formed this beautiful connection. They could communicate in each other’s minds, keeping each other’s company. They became best friends because they were both so similar to each other: Rose is isolated from her pod, just like how Penny feels alone! When experts did tests on Rose later, they found that she had a lung infection – just like Penny!
Overall, I think “No Matter the Distance” is a fantastic book, showing the importance of friendship and the fact that you are never alone. I strongly recommend that you read this book by Cindy Baldwin.