Things just haven't been the same since Iris's grandfather died. After spending all day at a school where she's the only deaf student, Iris loved visiting her grandparents and talking with them in sign language. Now Iris feels more alone than ever. Then she learns about Blue 55. Blue 55 is a whale that sings at a different frequency than the others. Instead of traveling in a pod, he wanders the ocean by himself, unable to communicate with anyone else. Iris's heart goes out to him, and thanks to her skills at radio repair, she thinks she can come up with the perfect plan to help. With a little help from her grandmother and a lot of luck, Iris sets off to meet Blue 55 and play him a new song.
This is such a moving novel. Of course I loved reading about the sign language poems Iris writes and the aspects of Deaf culture the book explores. Her grandmother is a spitfire and the scene where she takes the stage during karaoke is one of my favorites. Learning about whale biology was fascinating as well, especially knowing that Blue 55 is based on a real whale. Strongly recommended!
Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly
Erica's Picks
4th - 6th grade
Tags: animals, character driven, contemporary fiction, disability, family life, school stories, SEL
This is such a moving novel. Of course I loved reading about the sign language poems Iris writes and the aspects of Deaf culture the book explores. Her grandmother is a spitfire and the scene where she takes the stage during karaoke is one of my favorites. Learning about whale biology was fascinating as well, especially knowing that Blue 55 is based on a real whale. Strongly recommended!
Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly
Erica's Picks
4th - 6th grade
Tags: animals, character driven, contemporary fiction, disability, family life, school stories, SEL
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