age range: 8-12 years
genre: contemporary fiction
Lynne Kelly’s website
curriculum and discussion guide

At its luminous heart, Song for a Whale is a tale about longing for connection and finding it in the most magical and unexpected of places. Fascinating, brave and tender, this is a story like no other about a song like no other. A triumph.
—Katherine Applegate, Newbery Award-winning author of The One and Only Ivan

Song for a Whale is beautifully written and is such an important story for kids with big struggles in their lives.  I fell into Iris’s world from the first chapter.  Lynne Kelly does an amazing job telling the story from Iris’s perspective.
—Millicent Simmonds, actress, Wonderstruck and A Quiet Place

A quick-moving, suspenseful plot takes her from junkyards to a cruise ship as she [Iris] 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…this remains a satisfying, energetic read. Iris’ adventures will engross readers.
—Kirkus Reviews

The strength of the book is its strong portrayal of Iris as a deaf girl in a hearing world and an intelligent 12-year-old in headlong, single-minded pursuit of her goal.
—Booklist

Subtly and poignantly drawing a parallel between the girl and whale, Kelly (Chained), who has worked as a sign language interpreter, relays Iris’s venture with credibility and urgency. This finely crafted novel affectingly illuminates issues of loneliness, belonging, and the power of communication.
—Publishers Weekly

Iris’s depth of empathy, the joy she feels working with radios, and the skillful way she navigates two different worlds of communication create an authenticity that will resonate with Deaf and hearing readers alike… An uplifting tale that’s a solid addition to most collections; especially recommended for libraries needing stronger representation of Deaf protagonists. —School Library Journal

Please tell us about your book. 

Song For a Whale is about twelve-year-old Iris, who feels most at home in her electronics workshop where she repairs antique radios. She’s the only deaf student at her school, so she can’t talk to the other kids there. And she’s a frequent guest at the principal’s office. She always loved spending time with her deaf grandparents, but Grandpa is gone now and Grandma isn’t the same without him. One day in science class, Iris learns about Blue 55, the loneliest whale in the world, who sings at a frequency unintelligible to all other whales. Iris immediately feels connected to the whale and hatches a plan to reach out to him. With her Deaf grandmother by her side, Iris sets out on a trip from Texas to Alaska to find Blue 55 and let him know someone hears his song.

What inspired you to write this story?

Learning about the real 52 hertz whale, who sings at a frequency of about 52 hertz instead of 10 to 20 like most baleen whales. His song has some characteristics of blue whale and fin whale songs, so maybe he’s a hybrid of the two. He’s been around since the late 80s that we know of, and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard of him before. I was fascinated, wondering what life was like for a whale who sang like no other. I started reading as much as I could about him, and soon started writing about him. 

Could you share with readers how you conducted your research or share a few interesting tidbits you learned while researching? 

Yes, I learned a lot about whale songs, which I enjoyed because I’m so interested in animal communication. Some recent recordings of the 52 hertz whale song suggest that there could be more than one source of the song. Maybe there’s a small population of whales that sing it. Also the song has been growing lower over time, so it’s more like 47 hertz now. 

The humpback whales are the symphony players of the sea—they’re the ones most people think of when the think of whale songs. They have a huge range of sounds, from very low to very high, and the songs can go on for hours. What I love most is that a pod will pick up snippets of songs from one in a different region of the world. Bowhead whales are known as the “jazz musicians of the sea,” because they constantly improvise new songs. 

What are some special challenges associated with introducing a setting your audience might be unfamiliar with? 

Much of the book takes place aboard an Alaskan cruise, a place not many readers will have seen. I think the challenge is in describing the setting clearly enough for readers to envision it without going on so long that the description drags or takes them out of the story. 

I was fortunate enough to be able to take on two week-long interpreting assignments for deaf people taking Alaskan cruises, so that helped a lot with the setting details. One of those assignments was shortly after I started working on the story, and the second was a year later. That first trip informed some of the early scene work I was doing and the second one was really helpful during the revision stage. I got to see the sights that Iris and her grandmother would be sailing past, the towns they’d stop in, and the ship itself. 

One thing that helps get the unfamiliar setting description in there while still moving the story along is to have the setting do more “work” in the scene. For a scene where the ship is trying to make it through a fjord, I put that at a part of the story where Iris isn’t sure she’s going to succeed in her journey. I tried to show the walls of the mountainside seemingly closing in on the ship as they navigate through the icy waters. The ship captain finally has to give up and turn back, and Iris worries that she’ll have to do the same thing.  

What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?

Teachers can use the text to connect to lessons on sound waves, whale songs, sign language and deafness, poetry, ocean life, and geology.And here’s a downloadable curriculum and discussion guide! 

age range: 12 and up
genre: survival; cli-fi
setting: a post-oil era, government-abandoned, wild-fire-ravaged, climate-altered Alaska
Paul Greci’s website

This fast-paced book contains all the hallmarks of a classic wilderness survival novel (deadly terrain, vicious predators, literal cliff-hangers) and the best of the postapocalyptic genre … The author’s decades of Alaskan wilderness experience is evident throughout … A great high-stakes wilderness survival tale.
—School Library Journal

Heart-thumping suspense for readers who liked Rick Yancey’s The 5th Wave. —Booklist

This rugged survival story places a group of teens in a dark, burned-out post-apocalyptic nightmare. Your heart will pound for them as they face terrible dangers and impossible odds. Gripping, vivid, and haunting!
— Emmy Laybourne, international bestselling author of the Monument 14 trilogy

A compelling story that wouldn’t let me stop reading. Greci has created both a frightening landscape and characters you believe in and want to survive it.
— Eric Walters, author of the bestselling Rule of Three series

A brutal vision of things to come. Greci delivers an apocalyptic odyssey that’s honest, relentless, and backed by his firsthand knowledge of the wilderness.
— Lex Thomas, author of the Quarantine series

Heart-racing… A rugged wilderness lover’s post-disaster survivalist tale.
—Kirkus Reviews

Please tell us about your book.

The Wild Landsis a character driven YA thriller about a seventeen-year-old boy and his ten-year-old sister walking across a post-oil era, government-abandoned, wild-fire-ravaged, climate-altered Alaska looking for a safe place to live. It is a wilderness survival story where encountering humans is more dangerous than encountering grizzly bears.

What inspired you to write this story?

I spend a lot time in the Alaska wilderness and love writing wilderness survival stories. I am fascinated both with survival and with climate change, so putting the two together was a story idea that resonated with me.

Could you share with readers how you conducted your research?

I regularly read about climate change, and much has been written speculating about how Alaska will change over time given the current warming trends. I have visited many of the places in the book, imagining how they might look in the future with climate change.

What are some special challenges associated with writing a story set in the future?

In writing The Wild Lands, I wanted the story grounded in reality, meaning that it was not that much of a leap from current political, economic, and environmental conditions for a reader to be able to connect with both the story events and the settings in which they take place.

What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?

My book is a coming-of-age story for the main character, Travis. It also has three strong female characters, who all go through their own coming-of-age journeys. It would also be a good story to use to discuss the qualities of good leadership. And, of course, if you are into wilderness survival or want to shine a light on climate change and/or resource use, there’s plenty there for rich discussions and writing projects. Also, exploring sibling relationships would be a good topic for classroom discussions. Finally, the idea that sometimes you have to be your own “mentor” when there is no one to turn to is a major theme in the story—standing on your own and taking care of yourself, while at the same time, being there for the people you care about.

age range: 9 – 12
genre: contemporary fiction
Melanie’s website
Bookmap (for book talks)
discussion questions

There’s abundant warmth, humor, and heart in this charmer, and readers will root for both characters and pumpkin. A winning debut. —Kirkus (starred review)

In a warmhearted debut novel, Hill shows what happens when a serious-minded girl is forced to reevaluate her priorities and reach out to others…Offering distinctive characters, a relatable plot, and some useful gardening tips, Hill’s story promotes connectivity in neighborhoods and communities. —Publishers Weekly

The book is a bittersweet tribute to the experience of growing up in a close-knit neighborhood; characters are written with care and depth…Fans of Sharon Creech’s Moo and other books about intergenerational friendship will enjoy this book. —School Library Journal

Please tell us about your book.

Giant Pumpkin Suite is about a neighborhood—kids of all ages, four generations, neighbors who get along, and neighbors who don’t. When the book starts, there’s not a lot of connection between the neighbors, except for the Brutigans and Mr. Pickering. But events transpire…. One of those events is the growing of a giant pumpkin (we’re talking giant, as in well over one thousand pounds), which winds up being something of a neighborhood effort. Another is an accident that changes the summer plans, at least—and maybe the life—of Rose Brutigan.

Rose and her twin brother, Thomas, are the main characters. They’re twelve, but in very different spots for being twelve. Rose is nearly six feet tall and can’t seem to stop growing, left-handed, way ahead in everything, and pretty wrapped up in practicing for an upcoming cello competition. Thomas is four-foot-six and hasn’t started growing, right handed, not so ahead of his peers (and totally unconcerned with being ahead), and very wrapped up in growing a giant pumpkin with Mr. Pickering, their next door neighbor. They are very different kids, but quite close, nonetheless.

It’s a summer of fresh-squeezed lemonade, mail-order worms, lots of change and challenge, bright green vines and a deep orange pumpkin, new friends, tap dancing and classic musicals, Charlotte’s Web, and GROWTH for all (not just the pumpkin!).

What inspired you to write this story?

I was incredibly inspired by a co-worker’s tales of his adult son growing a giant pumpkin in his backyard. One seed, one pumpkin, in a tiny urban backyard. He was competing against people who had fields of giant pumpkins and could choose their biggest at the time of competition. I was completely smitten by the one-seed-one-pumpkin idea as a plot. And so I started the book as a story completely focused on giant pumpkins—a couple of kids, with the aid of the old man next door, plant one seed in their totally inadequately-sized backyard…and gigantic wonders ensue!

I wrote chapters and chapters about the ins and outs of growing giant pumpkins. And then one of my writing teachers told me that I needed something else going on in the story. Pumpkins—even giant ones—couldn’t carry the whole book, she said. I was fairly devastated by this news. And flummoxed as to what else I could add to what I thought was already a fascinating story about giant pumpkin growing.

After I quit moaning and whining, I figured the easiest thing to try would be to add another competition that could run alongside the giant pumpkin growing competition. So I added a competition about something I knew almost nothing about—J.S. Bach’s Cello Suites. I love the cello. I do not play the cello, however. I’ve always wanted to learn—perhaps I still will. But I can’t really remember a time I didn’t adore Bach’s Cello Suites. (Great study/homework and writing/working music!) So, I decided to add a competition around the playing of those cello suites. This necessitated lots of research, but it was so fun for me—I love learning about new things.

Could you share with readers how you conducted your research or share a few interesting tidbits you learned while researching?

I needed a lot of experts for this book. I needed cellists who could tell me the details of cello practice and performance. (I knew a few, thank goodness!) I needed a giant pumpkin grower to talk with me about worms and blossoms and leaves and vines. (I only knew one!) As the story became more involved I added more experts: a librarian, a doctor, a luthier who builds and repairs cellos, someone who could advise me on Japanese tea ceremonies…. So many things I knew nothing about!

I knew some of these folks, though most of them not terribly well. I was simply bold and called them to ask for help. Everyone said yes! Some I did not know—they were contacts of friends and family. When I put the call out (“Hey, does anyone I know happen to know a luthier? How about a hand surgeon?) people generously introduced me to exactly the people I needed. These experts recommended wonderful books and resources, sent me pictures and videos, explained and re-explained…but what they really did was give me a sort of hotline to call with questions—ignorant, odd, or silly questions were welcomed! My giant pumpkin expert answered questions for six years straight….

These people were also incredibly encouraging and kind. When I was dragging and losing faith, they were cheering me on. I could not have written the book without them.

What are some special challenges associated with introducing topics your audience might be unfamiliar with?

I really felt like I was probably introducing my readers to two subjects they likely knew little or nothing about: giant pumpkins, and Bach’s Cello Suites. Now, giant pumpkins are easily recognized as fascinating, but most people have no idea the incredible amount of work it takes to grow one. I had to work hard at giving enough information to make things clear and interesting…but not go overboard and make this a How-To-Grow-A-Giant-Pumpkin book instead of a novel. It was a tricky balance.

The Bach Cello Suites were even trickier to introduce. I love this music, but I love classical music in general and know something about it. When I was writing about Rose practicing and the suites themselves, I had to keep asking myself, “What is fascinating about this—why does Rose love these suites?” I did a lot of research on those suites to find some tidbits that might draw in a reader who was not immediately or easily interested in all-things-Bach. Introducing Bach’s love of numbers and cyphers and puzzles was a part of that. And I hoped Rose’s emotions around the music she played would somehow transfer to the reader even if they’d never heard the suites before.

What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?

There’s a lot of STEM/STEAM potential with Giant Pumpkin Suite. The growing of the giant pumpkins has a ton of gardening, chemistry, biology, genetics etc. wrapped up in it. Rose is a math lover and the link between music (especially Bach) and math is a thread throughout the book. Also, at the state fair, a probability problem rears its real-life head—Rose “saves” them because she understands how probability works.

Very fun side-explorations could be done around classic musicals, tap dancing, Japanese history and culture, Bach, stringed instrument building, jazz music, and Charlotte’s Web.

age range: 8-12
genre: contemporary fiction; memory loss
author’s website

If Scout Finch had had a sister, she would be future “world-famous lawyer” Guinevere St. Clair….Makechnie’s debut will have readers in stitches. Gwyn’s voice is distinct and likable, carrying readers through the eventful narrative with ease. Guinevere St. Clair is indeed 100 percent unforgettable. — *STARRED Kirkus Reviews

The smart dialogue and flowing description…highlights the eccentric, yet wholly believable characters. This is part mystery, part study of the human heart, and one pierced with rays of hope. Everyone here, adults and children, have lessons they need to learn, and first-time novelist Makechnie offers them those paths, in startling ways. — *STARRED Booklist Review

Please tell us about your book. 

Guinevere St. Clair has just moved to Crow, Iowa. She’s going to be a lawyer. She was the fastest girl in New York City. She knows everything there is to know about the brain. And now that she’s living in Iowa, she wants to ride into her first day of school on a cow named Willowdale Princess Deon Dawn. But Gwyn isn’t in Crow, Iowa, just for royal cows. Her family has moved there, where her parents grew up, in the hopes of jogging her mother Vienna’s memory.

Vienna has been suffering from memory loss since Gwyn was four. She can no longer remember anything past the age of thirteen, not even that she has two young daughters. Gwyn’s father is obsessed with finding the cure to his wife’s injured brain, but Gwyn’s focused on problems that seem a little more within her reach. Like proving that the very strange Gaysie Cutter who lives down the road is behind the disappearance of an old farmer named Wilbur Truesdale.

Gwyn is sure she can crack the case, but when she does she finds that not all of her investigations lead her to the places she would have expected. In fact they might just lead her to learn about the mother she’s been doing her best to forget.

What inspired you to write this story?

The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair is based on the true events of a woman I knew who suffered a traumatic brain injury, leaving her unable to remember anything after the age of 13. I was fixated on the relationship between an incredibly patient husband and a wife who could not remember him or their children. It was a story I could not let go of. I wrote a fictional story from the point of view of a child and what it might be like to be literally “forgotten.”

Could you share with readers how you conducted your research or share a few interesting tidbits you learned while researching? 

I read a lot of books. The one that really kicked off my interest in the brain was The Brain That Heals Itself by Norman Doidge. The premise is that the brain is not fixed but always changing, and with the right therapy, can actually change and heal itself. I also teach Anatomy & Physiology, so any subject involving the human body is of huge interest. I’m not even close to being a brain expert, but I’m crossing my fingers I got it all right in the book.

Brain details were the hardest, but there were smaller details that needed to be consistent and accurate. I created a fictional town in Iowa and had to make sure that tree species, weather, and smell details were accurate. Also: cows. Had to get cow facts right! Willowdale Princess Deon Dawn was my father’s pet cow when he was a child in Idaho – I just love that.

What are some special challenges associated with fictionalizing a true story? 

Because I started with a true event, it was really hard for me to start fictionalizing. In the beginning I hesitated with even the smallest of details, like hair color or the arrangement of furniture in the living room where I conducted a short interview. I kept having to tell myself that the brain diagnosis and therapy had to be medically accurate, but otherwise, I had to create a fictional world – and I think this is important. If you aren’t writing non-fiction, then it’s probably best to stay away from writing exact replicas of people you know. But for a long time it always felt like a betrayal or lie to deviate from original events. Eventually, when my story world was built, I was at peace with it and loved my fictional St. Clair family – they have become very real to me!

What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?

Family themes play heavily in the book, especially between Guinevere and her little sister and between Guinevere and her mother and father. There is also the theme of friendship and how those relationships can really sustain you in hard times. There is the theme of being vulnerable and letting yourself be hurt so that you can continue to hope. Guinevere is also a huge and curious reader. She loves stories, loves learning, and loves figuring out hard problems. Memory and the brain would also be a fun classroom discussion.

Thanks for having me – I appreciate it!

Thank you for sharing your story with us, Amy!