Lynne Kelly (3)Recensioni

ADeaf girl won’t give up her quest to connect with a lonely whale.

Like many Deaf children, 12-year-old Iris has hearing parents, attends school with an interpreter, and has difficulty communicating with her classmates (especially the girl who believes her own invented gibberish is ASL). She had a close relationship with her Deaf grandparents, but her grandmother has withdrawn after her husband’s death, and Iris’ mom, a child of Deaf adults, has her own anxieties around her daughter’s need for Deaf community. The white girl’s troubles contrast with her black friend Wendell’s, whose hearing family is invested in Deaf language and culture. When Iris learns about Blue 55, a whale who sings at a frequency unintelligible to other whales, she feels an immediate kinship and concocts a plan to create a song Blue 55 can hear. A quick-moving, suspenseful plot takes her from junkyards to a cruise ship as she gains the confidence to stand up for herself and take control of her life. Written by a sign-language interpreter, this story incorporates important elements of Deaf culture and the expansiveness and richness of ASL but makes concessions to hearing readers in its recording of conversations. (ASL dialogue is appropriately rendered in fluent English.) The final suspenseful scenes strain credulity, and lengthy descriptions of frequencies and radio repair drag occasionally, but this remains a satisfying, energetic read.

Iris’ adventures will engross readers, though Deaf and hearing audiences will likely experience them differently. (Fiction. 8-14)

-Kirkus Review

What a great book! This story follows Iris, a 12 year old girl who is deaf. She is fascinated by radios and has fixed any one she has set her mind to. She is struggling to fit in at her school because she can't communicate the same as her peers and feels othered and lonely. She is frustrated when other people view her valid feelings of being othered as her having a bad attitude. Her grandfather, who was also deaf, has passed and she is missing him as well. When she learns about a whale who communicates at a different frequency than any other whale she feels an immediate kinship and connection to it. She starts on a personal mission to figure out a frequency she can communicate with this whale so that he doesn't feel alone. This starts her on a journey of courage, strength and self-discovery, and with a little help from her grandmother, she is able to set her plans in motion. This book has a great main character and beautiful message. I loved every page.

What a great read! I love the author's writing from the 1st person POV as both a girl with deafness and a whale -- pretty creative. I think children in grades 3 - 6 would adore this story, find compassion with the characters and also be inspired to learn more about the real Blue 52, hearing ranges, musical tones/scales and more.

Great book! I particularly loved Iris' relationships with her Deaf grandparents and her way of signing poems with her grandfather. Altogether, the relationships were really well written across the board -- from the clueless and harmful classmate Nina, to her brother and best friend, to her sometimes rocky but very realistic communication with her parents. I also love the cruise ship as getaway -- hard to imagine a more effective means of removing oneself from regular contact while presenting a very safe way to do it. Mad props to Grandma for her heist abilities and her wandering nature. I also really loved Iris' interactions with sound, and her keen appreciation of radio repair. I really hope, in the end, that she gets her Philco back. The focus on Blue 55 and his song was such a thoughtful and high impact emotional bridge -- but I love that Tristan calls Iris out on figuring out why she needs so badly to connect to this whale. The book shows some really beautiful growth over the course of the story, and Iris figuring out what she needs to continue that growth is an incredibly strong thread.

I appreciated that Lynne Kelly is totally transparent in her connections with the Deaf community in the Author's note, and also about the readers she hired to hold her story to account.

This is about a whale, but it is more about the girl who is chasing the whale. Iris, being the only deaf girl in her school, feels like no one understands her. When she learns about a whale who seems to have the same problem, she immediately feels a kinship with him. The book follows her quest to let this whale know someone is listening to him. The quest was made harder because she speaks a different language than everyone else. The way she relates to the hearing world and how they relate to her was interesting to see. Expressions are different in sign language, her teacher was upset because a poem she wrote didn't rhyme but to her it did. So even though she had a translator communication was not always easy. I never thought of sign language that way before. I liked how Kelly used the whale's story to tell Iris's. You could feel Iris's frustration with not belonging and not being understood, even when those who loved her tried their best. It is a wonderful look at a girl learning how to make her own space in a world that doesn't seem to have a space for her. And the people that love her learning how to let her.½

This book has a more rich and nuanced look as life as a Deaf person. The author is a sign language interpreter, which gives her more understanding than an author who just researches. Moreso, this isn’t just about a Deaf experience — it weaves in perspectives on being a kid with a knack and passion (in this case, radios engineering), when parents have a different cultural experience than their children, and the grief a grandparent might experience when their partner dies. All this, through the eyes of the protagonist kiddo. The beginning felt just a little bit sloggy, but that’s only because it established so many things that quickly became important to understand the story. This is one to not give up on the first chapter or two if you’re not into it.

A Whale of a Tale: what a fun and deep :) adventure! Iris has a lot going on! Her new school isn't working out well. Her grandpa passed away and her grandma is grieving so much that they can't talk they way they used to. (But things get happier!) When Iris finds out about a whale whose song is higher than all the "regular" whales, she has to do something to connect. After all, she was named for a whale! Iris has an interesting hobby: You might think it would be hard to re-build radios when you're deaf, but she's good at it. Her friend Wendell goes to a school for the deaf, so he has many more friends who can sign. His interesting hobby is space and he has a telescope that Iris gets to look through too. This book made me want to go to Alaska and see whales and dolphins with my friends!

Recommended Ages: Gr. 4-7

Plot Summary: Iris is in trouble at school, again. She just can't handle the pushy way Nina tries to communicate with her with fake sign language and pushed Nina. Mom is so upset that Iris has to move every single one of her radios and radio parts out of her room as punishment. The only thing keeping Iris sane is the story of a whale she learned about in school. Blue 55 isn't able to communicate with any other whales in the oceans because she speaks at a different frequency. Iris, seeing herself in same situation, relates to the whale and really wants to help. Iris sends some ideas to the scientists working on tagging Blue 55 and to her surprise, they think it's a great idea and mention that Iris should stop by the small town in Alaska if she's ever in the area. Iris is determined to get there, even if it means going behind her family's back. How can she make it happen? Will she really be able to try her idea on the whale? Will the whale respond?

Setting: Blue 55 is in Alaska/Oregon

Characters:
Iris Bailey - 12 y/o, loves fixing radios, deaf
Dad - never learned sign language well
Mom - tries to protect Iris
Grandpa - recently passed, born deaf, close with Iris
Grandma - grieving loss of husband, born with hearing
Wendell Jackson - only one in his family to be deaf, family members learned sign language quickly, mom a teacher at the school for the deaf
Mr. Charles - Iris's interpreter, tries his best not to show his feelings about other students and situations at school
Bennie - girl on cruise whose mom is a scientist, quick to become friends with Iris

Recurring Themes: deafness, belonging, family, passion, radio, grandparents

Controversial Issues: none

Personal Thoughts: I liked a lot of things about this book. The characters have stayed with me in the short time since I've read it, and the story was unique. This book gives a lot to discuss. I did have to suspend my disbelief at the end and it was ever so slightly longer than it needed to be and preachy. But a great window for me to see into the world of deafness. The characters definitely showed rather than told.

Genre: realistic fiction (although the rare chapters told from the whales perspective are fantasy, and the part with the whale swimming with Iris is probably quite a stretch)

Pacing: slow-medium
Characters: pretty well developed
Frame:
Storyline:

Activity:

Readalikes: One and Only Ivan½

Author's guest post at my blog:
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2021/07/foodfic-please-welcome-lynne-kelly.html

Interesting premise: a deaf 12-year old girl learns of the plight of a bi-species whale, who cannot communicate with others because its "song" is at a different frequency. Iris comes up with a great idea to send a song at 55 dB. While Iris is determined to help, she is also very self-centered and does not seem to care much for anyone else, except herself. She decides to head to Alaska on her own to see the whale, eventually teaming up with her grandmother, who is adrift, having recently lost her husband of many years. I liked Iris befriending the daughter of the marine biologist (scientist?) on the cruise ship.

children's diverse middlegrade fiction (Iris and her grandparents are Deaf; author is a sign language interpreter).
tender-hearted story about a girl who has no one to talk to at school connecting with a lonely whale who doesn't belong to a pod either. The story maybe is a little bit too long, but Iris is such a sweet, interesting person, one doesn't much mind spending the extra time with her.

"A sound can move anything if it's strong enough." Iris is twelve. She doesn't fit in at school. Her classmates and teachers don't understand her, and it isn't only because she is Deaf. As she struggles to deal with the death of her grandpa, being the only Deaf person in her school, she finds comfort in repairing old radios. After her science teacher shows a film about Blue 55, a whale whose songs aren't understood by other whales. She is determined to find a way to create a song that will help Blue 55 know that he is not alone. How far will she go to connect with Blue 55?

The story weaves together themes of family, isolation, friendship, science, and determination.

Although Iris is only 12 years old, she is a wiz at fixing up old radios. But as the only deaf student, she feels left out at school, and since her dad never really learned sign language, she doesn't feel completely in the loop at home either, even though her mom and brother did learn. Still mourning the death of her grandfather and feeling her grandmother's sorrow driving a wedge between her and her only other deaf relative, Iris seeks comfort in throwing herself into researching the existence of a unique whale, so unlike other whales that he cannot communicate with any of them through song. She becomes determined to find a way to fix Blue55's loneliness, mostly likely because she can't seem to fix her own.
This Schnieder Award winner from last year is okay, but there are a few things that, for me, keep it from being great. Iris didn't feel quite likeable enough for me to root for her as much as the story needs its reader to root for her. Also, the parallels between her story and the whale's (they're both outsiders and can't seem to find a family that will listen and understand them,...) are interesting ones, but the similarities between them don't need constant signposting. I got there pretty quickly on my own and I think middle grade readers will, too, and they really don't need *that* much help with it. There were also a few inconsistencies in the storyline (or maybe I was just not interested enough to remember any explanations that were somewhere given to sort things out?); for example, the biologists have trouble getting close enough to tag the whale so they can track his movements, but then Iris is somehow...tracking his movements through an app on her phone? Um, what? Anyway, sweet idea, but not super-well carried out, as it seems to me.

Iris a a smart girl who can fix almost anything but because she is deaf, she often doesn't get treated like she is smart. Then she learns about a whale called Blue55 who can't speak to other whales and she decides to help the whale talk. She studies frequencies and music and eventually come up with something she thinks will work. Now she enlists her grandmother and family to get her to the whale to give him the ability to talk and hear. This book would be great for a Language Arts class to study as it has many different themes to study in the book.

Iris loves fixing radios. She doesn't love school - at least the parts where she feels lonely. She can communicate with her interpreter Mr. Charles, but that's about it. When she sees a video in science class about Blue55, a whale who communicates at a different frequency than other whales. She is inspired to help the whale and maybe herself in the process. After studying frequencies and thinking about music, she writes and mixes a song for the whale. Desperate to get Blue 55 to hear the song, Iris and her grandma (recently widowed) take off for an Alaskan cruise. Iris and her grandparents are deaf. Her mom and brother sign, her dad not as much. There is a lot of family dynamic here and a focus on Iris being able to find her path as she works to help Blue 55.

Until last summer, I thought the only thing I had in common with that whale on the beach was a name.
- first sentence
Twelve-year-old Iris is a wiz with electronics. She loves fixing up antique radios and making them work again. She is the only deaf student in her school and feels like she is always separate from everyone else. Other students and some teachers tend to overlook her and think she isn't smart because she is deaf. When Iris learns about Blue 55, a whale who is unable to communicate with other whales because he sings a different song, she is determined to create a song for him so he won't feel so alone. She is single-minded and no matter what her parents say, she intends to go to Alaska to meet Blue 55.
Lynne Kelly is a sign-language interpreter and incorporates realistic elements of Deaf culture, including information about American Sign Language at the end of the book. It was surprising to me that Iris's dad didn't learn ASL so he could communicate with her. But the author explains that deaf children are often born to hearing parents who don't all learn ASL. So that issue between Iris and her dad is something many deaf children experience.
The characters in this book are well-developed, flaws and all, including Blue 55 who has his own chapters (told from his point of view). Anyone who feels isolated or understands what it is like to be different will relate to this book and find a way to empathize with others.

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. Except for one best friend and her grandmother, who is also deaf, Iris feels very alone. Then in science class, Iris 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. Iris is so good with fixing radios, she knows she can invent a way to "sing" to Blue 55. But, she also has to travel 3,000 miles to play her song for him. So, Iris begins a journey ... across miles, supported by love, and growing in confidence.

We all want to belong and be seen, that the message that book sends. Also whales!
Weren't my favorite, but deep dive inside mute culture was really important and intresting. If there was a book written about grandma from this story I'd read that in a heart beat!

Song for a Whale is about a young deaf girl that learns that a whale named Blue 55 sings but at different frequencies. The girl, Iris, is a tech genius, always fixing technology devices like the class computer and old radios. However she is stereotyped as not being smart because she is deaf. Iris sets out to invent a way that she can sing to Blue 55 so she can communicate with him. I recommend this book because it gives a large insight on how people who are deaf may feel with the stigmas and stereotypes that are out there. It also shows students that just because you may have a disability it does not make you any less smarter than someone else who does not have a disability.

Iris is deaf and communicates with sign language. Her grandparents are also deaf and sign. Iris’ parents and brother are hearing, and sign with her although her father is less adept. Her best friend is Wendell, also deaf but who attends a deaf school. At her public school, Iris learns about Blue 55, a blue whale that sings at a higher hertz level than other whales. This makes communication between him and other whales difficult. He has no family and swims the ocean alone. Iris connects immediately with Blue 55’s loneliness and feels strongly about finding a way to communicate to him. After corresponding with a whale scientist and working with the music teacher at school, Iris creates a recording at Blue’s hertz level. Her dream is to travel to the whale sanctuary in Alaska and play her song when 55 swims by. Her grandmother, still grieving since Grandpa’s death, will be the key to getting Iris to Blue 55. Iris’ sense of determination and can-do spirit pace this solid story. Despite setbacks, she finds ways to overcome or work around them. The only thing that didn’t ring true to me was her diving into the ocean to meet Blue 55. A moment of magical realism??

A young deaf girl tries to help a deaf whale

I loved all the information in this book: about Deaf culture and about whales. I learned that many Deaf people are happy with their culture and don't feel deprived by not hearing. I learned that large baleen whales, such as humpbacks, play with dolphins. Bottle-nosed Dolphins have been seen sliding off Humpback Whale's broad noses, as described in the story. This novel also includes lots of information about electronics, particularly repairing old radios. I love how Iris doesn't need to hear to repair the radios. She can feel the vibrations when they are working correctly. Additionally, the novel sensitively addresses grief and healing as Iris and her grandmother mourn the death of grandfather and husband. How cool is all of this! Don't miss the extensive Author's Note covering Whale Communication and the 52-Hertz Whale, Deafness & Sign Language.

Iris has such a kind heart! Iris and her grandmother are deaf and their togetherness is so sweet throughout the novel. Iris uses her tech skills to find a way for a whale to communicate with others. She worries the whale is lonely without having others to communicate with in the waters. Will her idea work? Excellent middle grade read!

I find the story "song for a whale" to be a wonderfully inspiring tale about a young girl who is deaf and goes on a journey with her grandmother to help the worlds longest whale, It's a wonderful story that shows you can find hope and inspiration in about anything, even giant whales. I think its a wonderful story for older ages to learn about hope and determination. it also shows not to let anything get in the way of your goals.

Song for a whale is about a deaf girl named Iris who becomes determined to help the worlds loneliest whale communicate. Her journey with her grandmother and her mission to help this massive mammal are inspiring, showing a rarely seen perspective. Having an emotional, yet powerful plot Song for a Whale gives readers a new perspective that has rarely been conveyed so flawlessly.