When a fifth grade boy you have known for years enthusiastically hands you a book at the school book fair and tells you your son just has to read it, you take notice. And that’s exactly how I came across Song For A Whale. This was the perfect book to read aloud with my now sixth grader, who in his early elementary years was a walking animal encyclopedia and who today is often drawn to stories about kids who not only accept their mental or physical challenges, but use them to make the world a better place.
In Song For A Whale, 12-year-old Iris is the only deaf person in her school. She often feels alone, isolated and frustrated with how difficult it is to communicate with teachers and peers. In her free time she loves to repair old radios, using the vibrations of sound waves to know if she’s been successful.
When Iris studies frequency in science class she learns about Blue 55, a whale that lives very isolated from other whales because his unique song is at a different frequency than other whales’ songs. She immediately feels a strong connection with Blue 55’s inability to connect with other whales and vows to find a way to reach out to him and let him know someone out there hears him and understands him.
This inspirational story has themes of love, empathy and perseverance. As expected, my son loved it and I will definitely keep it on the short list to read with my younger son in his middle years. And, like many of the books we read together, this is definitely a book kids this age could read independently.
Mom, which book is next? 