Will I love Song for a Whale?

As someone who has always connected with animals, wild and domesticated, Song for a Whale was a story I could not put down.

Lynne Kelly’s middle grade novel about a deaf girl determined to help a whale who cannot communicate with its family is full of heart and compassion, and it kept me on my toes until the very end. I love stories with brave, unique, and realistic protagonists, and Iris was all of these things.

I appreciated the deaf representation, and the theme of family that is woven so beautifully into the plot. I could picture the whale, Blue… show more.

Twelve-year-old Iris was born deaf to hearing parents. Her mom and brother sign, but her father can’t seem to grasp his daughter’s language. And, instead of enrolling Iris in a school for the deaf, they have her mainstreamed in the public schools with a hired ASL interpreter.

One day she learns about Blue-55, a hybrid blue/fin whale unable to communicate with other whales. Iris feels this whale’s pain. She also has a talent with electronics. Unfortunately, the kids in her middle school classroom think she’s stupid because of her deafness. Little do they know she’s a tech genius.

Moved by… show more.

This wonderful Chapter book is about 12-year-old Iris who is the only deaf person in her school. I love this book for so many reasons but the heart of it recognizes potential in everyone, regardless of their perceived disability. Iris finds out about a whale, Blue 55 who is unable to communicate with other whales. Iris perseveres and creates a way to “sing” for him- she does this through feeling the vibrations of the music she is creating for him. Not only was I mesmerized by her story, but I learned so much about whales! A very engaging book that… show more.

When Iris, who was born deaf, learns that there is a whale named Blue 55 who cannot sing in the same frequency as his fellow whales, and is therefore “the loneliest whale in the world,” she makes it her mission to connect with him through her own unique understanding of sound and frequency. This heartwarming story is exactly the kind of book I love most.