Whale Talk

Author: Chris Crutcher
Publisher: Dell Laurel-Leaf
Year Published: 2001
Cost:$12.45 (Hardcover)
Other Bibliographic Information:
ISBN:0-440-22938-3
ISBN13:978-0-440-22938-4
Word Count:63,247
Reading Level:6.1
Interest Level:7-12

Plot summary:

T. J. Jones, the book's main character, has always refused to support the organized sports at his school, he sees an opportunity to get back at coaches and athletes at his school by supporting a new swim team. He recruits some of the school's most unpopular misfits: a fat boy, a one legged boy with a bad attitude, and a boy usually ridiculed for being retarded. T. J. Jones is determined to make sure that each of the boys earns a varsity letter jacket. There are many other subplots and bigger issues that the author tackles throughout the book. Under the influence of friendship and a feeling of being wanted the boys come to realize that their own worth does not depend on their popularity with the other students.

Issues for Being Challenge:

The issues that are likely to be challenged are: The use of profanity, issue of racism, spousal and child abuse, sexuality, and violence.


Evaluation:

I enjoyed reading this book from cover to cover. Mr. Crutcher continues to inspire his readers with real-life situations depicted in his books. In reading Whale Talk, I felt that Chris Crutcher was trying to cover every issue available, from racism, to school corruption, to child abuse. The language is pretty harsh, but it does add to the "realistic feel" of the book. Whale Talk is a book that is worth reading over and over again.


Reader’s annotation:

T. J. gathers a group of misfits into a team consisting of what he calls "one swimmer of color, a representative from each extreme of the educational spectrum, a muscle man, a giant, a chameleon, and a one-legged psychopath." T. J. himself is part-black, part-Japanese and adopted. His ultimate goal is that every member of the team will earn a Cutter High School varsity letter.

Reviews Excerpts:

"This being Crutcher, the action is fast and furious, the language foul, the victims' stories heart-rending, the climax violent and the themes thought-provoking."
~Chicago Tribune

"In the hands of a lesser storyteller, the tale would fall apart under its own weight. But Crutcher (Ironman, 1995, etc) juggles the disparate elements of his plot with characteristic energy, crafting a compulsively readable story that rings true with genuine feeling and is propelled by exhilarating swimming action to an end that is both cataclysmic and triumphant."
~Kirkus

"[Crutcher] uses well-constructed characters and quick pacing to examine how the sometimes cruel and abusive circumstances of life affect every link in the human chain. A heartwrenching series of plot twists leads to an end in which goodness at least partially prevails."
~Booklist

"Crutcher uses a broad brush in an undeniably robust and energetic story....T. J. himself is witty, self-assured, fearless, intelligent, and wise beyond his years."
~School Library Journal

"Crutcher offers an unusual yet resonant mixture of black comedy and tragedy that lays bare the superficiality of the high school scene. The book's shocking climax will force readers to re-examine their own values and may cause them to alter their perception of individuals pegged as 'losers.'"
~Publisher's Weekly

"Crutcher's superior gifts as a storyteller and his background as a working therapist combine to make magic in Whale Talk. The thread of truth in his fiction reminds us that heroes can come in any shape, color, ability or size, and friendship can bridge nearly any divide. A truly exceptional book."
~Washington Post

"Crutcher knows his stuff, and he pumps adrenaline through the sports scenes while honestly acknowledging the personal struggles of his adolescent readers."
~Horn Book

"Whale Talk is a heartwarming story that keeps you on the edge of your seat to the very end of the book. Crutcher's skill at making each character come to life is nothing short of amazing. From love to lust, from life to death, from right to wrong, this book deals with real situations and posits real solutions. I strongly recommend this book to teens and adults because the lessons it teaches will stay with you."
~ Philadelphia Inquirer

" Crutcher is at his darkest but also his funniest here, and the book conveys his most timely message—forgiveness, not revenge."
~VOYA

"Whale Talk provides an opportunity for young readers, as well as parents and teachers, to learn some profoundly important lessons about life. Much like a whale out on the ocean who sings because it needs to, whether its song is heard by other whales or not, everyone needs to sing their own song -- of trauma and of triumph"
~Recess, PBS

"Kids read Chris Crutcher (Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Ironman, Athletic Shorts) because his works speak for them; he advocates in a manner that adults should pay attention to, as well."
~ ALAN Review

"Librarians say Crutcher, who's written a string of acclaimed books, is one of the few writers who really "gets" teenage boys. His elaborate plotlines and offbeat characters remind us of novelist John Irving."
~ Contra Costa Times

"This is a remarkable book. It deals with the hardest of issues and yet it leaves you inspired, even hopeful, that kids can heal. I highly recommend WHALE TALK. It's a novel you or your children will never forget."
~ Chinaberry

"Chris Crutcher, therapist and author of seven prize-winning young adult books, here gives his many fans another wise and compassionate story full of the intensity of athletic competition and hair-raising incidents of child abuse. "
~Amazon.com

"Crutcher's wry wisecracking is in full force in WHALE TALK's hero, T. J. Jones, whose good heart and flair for the sarcastic make him one of my favorite teen book characters ever."
~Teenreads.com




Awards Won:
* ALA Top 10 Best Book for Young Adults
* Book Sense Pick
* Washington State Book Award
* ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
* ALA Best Book for Young Adults
* Texas Library Association Tayshas High School Reading List
* New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age

Author Website:http://www.chriscrutcher.com/