Karen Reviews: Song for a Whale – Lynne Kelly

Song for a Whale, a middle grade novel, and one of the 25 books on this year’s MCBA List is a  beautiful story!  Iris is a twelve year old tech genius who loves to work on repairing antique radios.  She takes them apart, rebuilds them, and sells them to a local shop.  She is also trying to navigate living in a world where people cannot understand her deafness.  In science class she learns about Blue 55, a solitary whale unable to communicate with other whales because he sings in a frequency other whales cannot understand. “He keeps singing this song, and everything in the ocean swims by him, as if he’s not there. He thinks no one understands him. I want to let him know he’s wrong about that.” Iris is determined to find a way to let Blue 55 know that he is not alone, that she can relate to how he feels.  In order to do so, she must find a way to write a song he can understand and then find a way to play it for him.  The story takes on an exciting turn when Iris secretly decides to go off in search of Blue 55.  With help from her grandmother, she is on her way for the trip of a lifetime.  Song For a Whale is a heartfelt story of searching for acceptance and belonging. Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award and a worthy contender for the MCBA award!