Recommended Ages 9 - 12 years
Song For A Whale is about a girl, a lonely whale and a big adventure. Twelve-year-old Iris, who was named after a beached whale her grandparents found on the day she was born, is deaf like her grandparents. She roams somewhere in between the hearing world and the Deaf community, feeling like she doesn’t fully belong to either. Her hearing parents refuse to send her to a school with a thriving deaf student body, leaving Iris to struggle at the local school.
Iris uses her high technological skill and passion to repair old electronics and radios in her spare time. In science class one day, her teacher shares details of a whale named Blue 55, a blue and fin whale hybrid who sings at a 55-Hz frequency which is different than any other whale so far discovered in the ocean. Because his song is sung at a different level he is unable to communicate with the other whales in his pod and he has been left by himself roaming the ocean waiting for anyone to hear him. Whales use song to communicate where food, danger and community are making it crucial for survival.
When Iris learns about Blue-55 her heart and mind begin to burn with understanding and longing to help him. She plans to create a personalized song for Blue-55 to play in the Alaskan waters for him to hear and know he is not alone. This takes her on an important journey for not only herself but her family.
Iris and Blue-55’s story is paralleled throughout the book, as Iris understands Blue-55’s loneliness the readers begin to understand more depth into who Iris is and what she is feeling. The book explores the importance of being able to communicate with community, the value of a healthy parent-child relationship, and the value of understanding, empathy and healing. Song For A Whale is also an eye-opening peek into American Sign Language, giving readers who may not be familiar at all with a glimpse of the life and culture of the language.
I can’t recommend this story enough. The official recommended age is 9-12, but I would stretch that to say 8 and above as I know several adults who have read it and walked away loving the book. I hope it inspires you to explore more about ASL and better understand Deaf culture. If it also inspires you to learn more about whales the American Museum of Natural History is currently showing, Blue Whales: Return of the Giants, which is a beautiful glimpse into the lives of the blue whales.
Amanda is a preschool teacher, mother and avid Central Park picnicker. She values community and is an advocate for families in the foster care system. One day she hopes to publish a children's book of her own. In the meantime, you can follow her Instagram, Enchanted Literacy, which encourages imagination and passion for reading.
