Many treat her like she’s stupid because she’s deaf. But she still feels like there is something missing. She has a loving family, even with a dad who has never taken to ASL well. She has her interests in repairing radios. Maybe she’ll read it to her kiddo when she’s a mom. It satisfied her need to learn about animals. It has solidified my daughter’s desire to learn ASL. Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly is a book that will stay with both of us for many years to come. The best is when we hit a part that makes us look up into each other’s eyes and we share the same feeling - whether it be joy, concern, or sadness. It’s beautiful to find books we both fall in love with. Reading together snuggled on the couch or sitting at the kitchen table. 'Fascinating, brave, and tender.a triumph.' -Katherine Applegate, Newbery Award-winning author of The One and Only IvanĪnother mother-daughter read-along done! I love these moments with my girl. How will she play her song for him?įull of heart and poignancy, this affecting story by sign language interpreter Lynne Kelly shows how a little determination can make big waves. Then she has an idea: she should invent a way to 'sing' to him! But he's three thousand miles away. When she learns about Blue 55, a real whale who is unable to speak to other whales, Iris understands how he must feel. If you've ever felt like no one was listening to you, then you know how hard that can be.

But she's the only deaf person in her school, so people often treat her like she's not very smart. In the spirit of modern-day classics like Fish in a Tree and Counting by 7s comes the Schneider Family Book Award-winning story of a deaf girl's connection to a whale whose song can't be heard by his species, and the journey she takes to help him.įrom fixing the class computer to repairing old radios, twelve-year-old Iris is a tech genius.

A song for a whale