Song for a Whale

I bought this for my daughter and she absolutely fell in love with the story. She was completely captivated and encouraged me to read it. When I’d share where I was in the story, she could describe in detail what was happening. It was a first. It also got her interested in becoming a marine biologist!

Thank you so much for sharing Iris’s song with me. This really was such a heartwarming story read at just the right time.

As a former teacher who often took students whale watching, I’ve had an interest in whales for years. When I got the recommendation from my 10 year old granddaughter to read this book I jumped right in. What a delightful and compelling story. I couldn’t put it down. Have had several conversations with my granddaughter about the premise behind this. Well done!! Didn’t want it to end. Not just a book for middle teens. Everyone who likes whales will love this story.

this book is characterized as young adult but is a great story for anyone of any age.

My 10 year old and his friends read this at school. They all liked it, boys and girls. They are looking forward to the next book by the author

This is such a rich, beautiful book, and Iris is one of my favorite middle-grade main characters ever. She is a bit prickly, perhaps, but for reasons the reader can totally empathize with. Neither her parents nor her classmates nor her teachers really understand her deeply. And despite it all, she remains caring and open to new people.Iris's electronics talents are handled beautifully. They aren't treated as some kind of "girl tech genius" mystical powers. Instead, Iris's narration shows the concrete process through which she has learned to repair old radios, and how her passion for it and attention to detail let her do things that seem like magic to the other people. The radio repair descriptions were a mini-highlight of the book that could be inspiring to a lot of kids.When Iris embarks on an expedition that helicopter parents (and most other parents besides) might find a little horrifying, the move feels true to her character, and the reader understands why she *has* to go. In the best spirit of children's literature, SONG FOR A WHALE is about a quest. Instead of a magical wardrobe or the Shire, this quest starts in a classroom presentation about a whale who can't communicate. But it has the same urgency and epic character as those famous quests, and it will change everything for the main character in a similar way.As someone without direct personal experience of deafness, I very much appreciated the depiction of Deaf culture and what it is like for deaf people to communicate with each other and with hearing people. Iris's narration gave me more insight into the day-to-day experience of a deaf person, making it seem close rather than distant, and illuminating its joys as well as its frustrations.SONG FOR A WHALE is a lovely, unique book, and I couldn't recommend it more highly!

Even though the cover of this book is so gorgeous it's hard to stop staring at it, once you begin reading you can't help but fall in love with this book. I adore stories where every thread in the book supports the character arc in a way that is smooth and feels just right--that is what you get with SONG FOR A WHALE. Everything has a purpose and it all unrolls at the perfect time to make your heart soar.Iris is such a spunky yet vulnerable character, you can't help but root for her. Her Grandmother is a blast. And every other character in the story was well rounded, full of strengths and flaws to make them relatable. Each one captured my heart and attention as I swam through the pages. I loved them all. And learning more about the deaf community is fascinating.And then there is that wonderful whale, Blue 55. Haven't we all had a time where we were wandering through the world and weren't sure that no one else was hearing us? This whale will touch your heart and you will be rooting for both him and Iris the whole way through.After swimming through this book, it is not a stretch to believe that Kelly's latest book will be in the hands of young readers for a very long time. As a fan of her debut, CHAINS, I can't wait to see what she writes next.

In great condition good book would buy more from this author

Great book.

É uma história inspiradora. Triste no início, mas muito família e emocionante. Valeu a leitura. Good luck Iris and Blue 55.

Llegó bien y en tiempo.El libro es sencillo en cuanto al material del que está hecho por lo que agradezco haberme esperado a que bajara de precio. La historia parece bonita así que espero me guste.

I love whales..this book made me to fall in love with whales even more..I loved it

Arrived in good condition. Recommended by a friend but hasn’t been read yet.