Review: Song For A Whale by Lynne Kelly

Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly

on February 2019
Genres: Middle Grade
Pages: 303
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher
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The 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.

From fixing the class computer to repairing old radios, twelve-year-old Iris is a tech genius. But she's the only deaf person in her school, so people often treat her like she's not very smart. If you've ever felt like no one was listening to you, then you know how hard that can be.

When she learns about Blue 55, a real whale who is unable to speak to other whales, Iris understands how he must feel. Then she has an idea: she should invent a way to "sing" to him! But he's three thousand miles away. How will she play her song for him?

This beautifully written middle grade follows the story of Iris, a deaf girl and Blue 55, a possibly hearing impaired whale. Blue 55’s voice is different than other whales and so he is alone in the water, trying to belong to another pod, but mostly unsuccessful in his communication.

Until Iris gets an idea. She knows what it’s like to have a hard time communicating. Sometimes with her family. Sometimes with her classmates. the only other people who really get her are her grandparents.

I love how Kelly dives into deaf culture and the nuances that deaf and hard of hearing people encounter in every day life. For instance, some casual sayings don’t make sense in American Sign Language and therefore have to be altered. It was interesting knowledge that was peppered through the book as we see Iris grow more confident. I’m actually taking ASL classes so this was extra special for me to read as I had just gone over some of these topics with my teacher.

I love love love how smart Iris is. She loves science and fixing broken objects. This girl has a lot of heart and a lot of character. Iris’s family dynamic was also really well written. I like how different each family member was in relation to Iris, her dad verses her brother and her mom and the complicated frustrations that each brought to the table. And of course, I love her grandparents. The memory of her grandfather is so strong you could feel him through the book. And her grandmother is such a character! It was wonderful to see how brave they were during their trip, embracing life and choosing to go on adventures even if the rest of the family didn’t understand.

Overall, I think Song for a Whale is a special book. Its about identity and family and the difficulties of expressing yourself, who you are and your needs. It’s about family and science, and really self. And embracing who you are.