Happy Read Across America Week, Fallon. If you have kiddos in school, you probably already know Read Across America Weeks is March 2-6. Your younger kiddos are probably doing some activities and dress-up days at school, and maybe even some guest appearances by book lovers in the community. I can even confirm that yours truly will be making a quick guest appearance to read aloud to some littles at Lahontan Elementary on Wednesday, at 11:15 a.m.
At the Diegel Home for Wayward Girls, we have been discussing humpback whales ever since we came home from Maui. They are the most fascinating creatures, and we are all totally taken with them, so you know we couldn’t turn down a read-aloud that was not only on-topic but just a dang good book.
Written by sign language interpreter, Lynne Kelly, “Song for a Whale” is the story of Iris, a twelve-year-old tech genius who loves to repair old radios. As the only deaf person in her school, Iris is tired of people treating her like she isn’t smart. She feels like no one is ever really listening to her, and it is starting to affect her life at school as well as at home. When she learns about a mysterious and special whale called Blue 55, a whale who is unable to communicate with other whales in his species, Iris understands how alone he must feel. Then she has an idea: she sets out to find a way to “sing” to Blue 55. Blue 55 is three thousand miles away – how will she play her song for him from such a distance?
When I tell you that we loved this book, I am not kidding. “Song for a Whale” is a perfect middle-grade book to enjoy together. It might be a little bit young for my kids, but that didn’t stop them from begging me for just one more chapter at reading time. My teenager said, “I was worried it would be babyish, but a good story is just a good story, no matter the age you are.” Queue this book-loving mama’s heart exploding in her chest. If you are anything like us, it will send you down a million rabbit holes - including how radios work, learning ASL, exploring sound frequency, and watching one whale documentary after another. The chapters in “Song for a Whale” are short, making it a perfect bedtime read for your littles.
Now that I have shared what my kiddos love to read, pop over to my Instagram, @allison.the.reader, and let’s swap some ideas to get and keep those kids Reading Across America all year long.
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