Plot Summary
Cutter High School is the typical place where the jocks rule the school and the outsider misfits struggle to fit in. T.J. Jones mixed-race, smart, and athletic and he also doesn't agree with how the less popular kids are treated. He decides to put together a swim team made up of himself and a group of misfits at the suggestion of his English teacher, Mr. Simet. The team grows closer with each meet and becomes a stronger team in more ways the one. They deal with bullies like racist football player Mike Barbour who has a personal vendetta against one of the swim team members, Chris, who is developmentally disabled. All the characters have life lessons to learn, even T.J. whose story comes to a mind-blowing conclusion in a heart wrenching scene with his mentally unstable father.
Critical Evaluation
Whale Talk is a heartwarming and sometimes painful look at high school and the dynamics between the popular kids and the outsiders get played out. T.J. is the narrator and at times seems wise beyond his years but his character is one the reader will root for until the end. His ability to bring together a group of misfit kids to form a successful swim team while becoming friends and overcoming life's trials is at the heart of the story. The book deals with prejudice all many levels (racism, disability) in a way that is accessible and easy to grasp for teenagers. A great book for any collection.
Reader's Annotation
A group of high school outcasts are asked by the smart and athletic T.J. to form a swim team.
About the Author
Chris Crutcher was born on July 17, 1946 in Dayton Ohio to a WWII bomber pilot and a homemaker. Crutcher grew up in Cascade, Idaho, a logging town north of Boise.
He has been honored with dozens of awards and honors including the CLA's 2005 St. Katharine Drexel Award, Writer Magazine's 2004 Writers Who Make A Difference Award, the ALA's 2000 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, the NCTE's 1998 National Intellectual Freedom Award and the ALAN Award. And he takes great pride in landing on the ALA Freedom to Read Foundation's top ten banned books and authors lists, whenever it happens.
Genre/ Subgenre
Issues/ Outsiders
Contemporary Life/ Sports
Curriculum Ties
Sociology
Booktalking Ideas
1) Bullying is a hot topic. What types of bullying happen in the book and what would you do if you were one of the characters getting bullied?
2) Did the book change your view on who can be considered a jock or athlete?
Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 12+
Challenge Issues
Racism, bullying
Challenge defense ideas
-Become familiar with the book and its content.
-Refer to the collection development policy of the library, see http://sfpl.org/pdf/about/policies/collection-development-plan.pdf
-Refer to reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly available for viewing on amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Whale-Talk-Chris-Crutcher/dp/0061771317/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292301736&sr=1-1
Why Included in Titles Selected
Recommended by a coworker
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