Book Description
What do your people at work and your spouse and kids at home have in common with a five-ton killer whale? Probably a whole lot more than you think, according to top business consultant and mega-bestselling author Ken Blanchard and his coauthors from SeaWorld. In this moving and inspirational new book, Blanchard explains that both whales and people perform better when you accentuate the positive. He shows how using the techniques of animal trainers -- specifically those responsible for the killer whales of SeaWorld -- can supercharge your effectiveness at work and at home.
When gruff business manager and family man Wes Kingsley visited SeaWorld, he marveled at the ability of the trainers to get these huge killer whales, among the most feared predators in the ocean, to perform amazing acrobatic leaps and dives. Later, talking to the chief trainer, he learned their techniques of building trust, accentuating the positive, and redirecting negative behavior -- all of which make these extraordinary performances possible. Kingsley took a hard look at his own often accusatory management style and recognized how some of his shortcomings as a manager, spouse, and father actually diminish trust and damage relationships. He began to see the difference between "GOTcha" (catching people doing things wrong) and "Whale Done!" (catching people doing things right).
In Whale Done!, Ken Blanchard shows how to make accentuating the positive and redirecting the negative the best tools to increase productivity, instead of creating situations that demoralize people. These techniques are remarkably easy to master and can be applied equally well at home, allowing readers to become better parents and more committed spouses in their happier and more successful personal lives.
Download Description
"What do your people at work and your spouse and kids at home have in common with a five-ton killer whale? Probably a whole lot more than you think, according to top business consultant and mega-bestselling author Ken Blanchard and his coauthors from SeaWorld. In this moving and inspirational new book, Blanchard explains that both whales and people perform better when you accentuate the positive. He shows how using the techniques of animal trainers -- specifically those responsible for the killer whales of SeaWorld -- can supercharge your effectiveness at work and at home. When gruff business manager and family man Wes Kingsley visited SeaWorld, he marveled at the ability of the trainers to get these huge killer whales, among the most feared predators in the ocean, to perform amazing acrobatic leaps and dives. Later, talking to the chief trainer, he learned their techniques of building trust, accentuating the positive, and redirecting negative behavior -- all of which make these extraordinary performances possible. Kingsley took a hard look at his own often accusatory management style and recognized how some of his shortcomings as a manager, spouse, and father actually diminish trust and damage relationships. He began to see the difference between ""GOTcha"" (catching people doing things wrong) and ""Whale Done!"" (catching people doing things right). In Whale Done!, Ken Blanchard shows how to make accentuating the positive and redirecting the negative the best tools to increase productivity, instead of creating situations that demoralize people. These techniques are remarkably easy to master and can be applied equally well at home, allowing readers to become better parents and more committed spouses in their happier and more successful personal lives. "
Customer Reviews:
Quality content spoiled by poor presentation.......2007-09-07
Let's break the book down into two halves: the message and the writing. The message is great, and genuinely insightful, particularly in some of the subtleties of how one builds a positive relationship (rewarding progress, rather than just acheivement) and smart ways to do rewards.
The writing, though, is a different story. Like so many management books often do, it tries to reveal this information as a parable, by telling you the story of foul-mannered Wes Kingsley finding his guru at SeaWorld. The writing is unabashedly corny, and tiring, particularly with its relentless use of GOTcha (sic) and WHALE DONE (sic). I have found that I can relate the entire useful content of the book in a 5-10 minute conversation, and so, that makes the actual size of the book seem unnecessary. The upside is that print is large, and the writing is breezy, and the book reads very quickly. Think of it as the Cheerios of books: bland but easily digested.
Having read much stronger books that use this sort of presentation (Goldratt's "The Goal" comes to mind) I would not readily recommend this book, except that the concepts contained within are original, and useful. I think that there are other concepts from animal training that could have been integrated to improve the book, but as it stands, it is a tolerable and useful read. An abridged version with less of the overwrought story would be a very strong work.
Whale Done.......2007-05-31
Have you actually wondered how they get those huge whales to jump out of the water at Sea World or Marine Land? This book can be used to train animals, family, workers in how to use positive praise to get what you want. It's not a gimmick, but giving praise to encourage better performance and not just when a good performance is seen but a way of life, a value system. A great book!!
Learn To Build Others Up.......2007-05-09
Orlando Sea World's killer whales are a source of inspiration in this book, which seeks to help you build up your relationships.
A Whale's Motivation.......2007-04-03
Most of us read anecdotes and examples about how people, who are paragon of virtues, perform to meet other people's expectations and go beyond it. This gives us hope and inspiration. What I found interesting about this book was that the inspiration came from an unlikely source - the killer whales of the Orlando SeaWorld.
The key concept being that the more attention you pay to a behavior, the more it will be repeated. Another concept the book emphasized was of re-channeling energies on the positive and away from the negative. Redirection is the most effective way to address undesirable behavior. It gets a person back on track almost immediately and works in ninety-nine percent of the cases where we might be tempted to use a Negative Response. I find more resonance with this quote after reading this book - "If you give as much energies to you dreams as you do to your fears, miracles start to happen".
Whale Done is an understatement!.......2007-02-06
This book was a fast and easy read...it was over before I knew it! My boss has started a book a month club for us and this was one of the required reading. At first I was reluctant because I thought it might be boring but I was severely mistaken in that assumption. We have begun applying the positive relationship building in our office and this method described in the text can be applied at home and in every day encounters with people as well. I can really see a difference in my co-workers as well as in my children and just the people I run into each day. For example: I go to Starbucks every morning for my weekly Frappuccino treat and they know me by name. Today I ran into one of the elderly employees there and she was frustrated because she was having trouble getting the new cash register to read her fingerprint to sign in and she could not remember how to make my drink. I simply explained that when she made the drink I knew it would be extra delicious because I was made to wait and would enjoy it more and that I really was not in any big hurry, my work would understand (we are after all focusing on the positive now. :-)). She relaxed, remembered how to prepare the drink and was able to summon another employee to help her sign into her register. She was suddenly smiling and seemed to be much happier. Rather than focusing on the negative setbacks I redirected her to the positive and you could see the difference it made in her over all performance as well as the beginning of her morning. :-) Whale done is awesome! I would recommend it to anyone wishing to put a more positive spin on life!
Book Description
Sometimes finding your own voice
is a matter of listening to the heart....
Jodi Picoult's powerful novel portrays an emotionally charged marriage that changes course in one explosive moment....For years, Jane Jones has lived in the shadow of her husband, renowned San Diego oceanographer Oliver Jones. But during an escalating argument, Jane turns on him with an alarming volatility. In anger and fear, Jane leaves with their teenage daughter, Rebecca, for a cross-country odyssey charted by letters from her brother Joley, guiding them to his Massachusetts apple farm, where surprising self-discoveries await. Now Oliver, an expert at tracking humpback whales across vast oceans, will search for his wife across a continent -- and find a new way to see the world, his family, and himself: through her eyes.
Download Description
Sometimes finding your own voice is a matter of listening to the heart.... Jodi Picoult's powerful novel portrays an emotionally charged marriage that changes course in one explosive moment....For years, Jane Jones has lived in the shadow of her husband, renowned San Diego oceanographer Oliver Jones. But during an escalating argument, Jane turns on him with an alarming volatility. In anger and fear, Jane leaves with their teenage daughter, Rebecca, for a cross-country odyssey charted by letters from her brother Joley, guiding them to his Massachusetts apple farm, where surprising self-discoveries await. Now Oliver, an expert at tracking humpback whales across vast oceans, will search for his wife across a continent -- and find a new way to see the world, his family, and himself: through her eyes.
Customer Reviews:
Not so much..........2007-09-28
I had heard that Jodi Picoult is one of the best fiction authors out right now, so I decided to pick up one of her books. Not knowing that it was her first novel, I grabbed Songs of the Humpback Whales. I thought the story sounded interesting and the idea of the five perspectives was interesting to me...well, I couldn't even finish this book. I usually become very involved in the stories I'm reading and often read late into the night and this book did NOTHING for me...it was work to get through a few chapters at a time. As I said before, I thought the idea of the following the different characters from chapter to chapter would be interesting...and it wasn't. It made the book very choppy and hard to follow...especially considering that the girl's story was written from the end to the beginning. Because of the lack of flow, I found myself completely disconnected from all the characters and I really didn't care about what happened to any of them...which is why I didn't finish the book.
I simply didn't care.......2007-09-27
Like many have noted already, this book lacked character development. I struggled to get through each chapter and found that I didn't like most of the main characters. Even now if I try to imagine what each person looks like, I can't come up with a picture in my mind. When I read stories about people, that is critical.
Even though Jane suffered abuse at the hands of her father (and I agree with the reviewer that the sexual abuse component didn't seem integral to the story) and even though she was a woman in search of...something, I found I didn't like her. She was not a sympathetic character. And her brother, Joley, was strange. I think he was in love with his own sister (he said, at the end, that she is his anchor). He wrote letters that no brother I know would ever dream of writing. In that regard, I found the prose, while elegant, unconvincing.
Jodi Picoult often explores issues of morality in her writings which I really appreciate. But this story left me bothered on several fronts. First, Jane is selfish. She justifies an extra-marital affair (and yes, Oliver was guilty of that too) saying "Sam was who I was supposed to connect with." Please. He is 25. She is 35. If she had connected earlier with him (say 10 years prior) we would have the situation of Rebecca and Hadley in reverse.
Speaking of, I was very troubled by their relationship. Again, Picoult describes their short-lived relationship with beautiful prose and flowery language, but one can't avoid the fact that a 15 year old girl has no business being with a 25 year old man. What happened between them on that mountain was a man taking advantage of a young, naive, emotionally immature girl. It was rape. Not only was she young, she was seriously ill with pneumonia.
I have enjoyed many of Picoult books, but this book was not one of them.
Very disappointing.......2007-09-17
I rarely write reviews for books, but I felt compelled to write a review for this book, as it was so disappointing. I have only read one other book by Jodi (The Pact) which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, the same cannot be said for this book, in fact I felt cheated for even reading the book. I felt the style of the book, in that five characters told the story, contributed to a lack of depth in the characters. Consequently, I cared little for any of the characters and ended up skipping any chapter written by Oliver. Rebecca was the most interesting character and I actually felt some emotion during her story. The other characters and story lines were wooden and I was not at all engaged by the main characters pilgramage or emotional awakening. In summary, a very disappointing story, lacking depth and emotion and the style of the "five voices" provided a disjointed read.
A Little Disappointing.......2007-09-01
I am an avid fan of Jodi Piccoult. I have read most of her books and find myself getting through them quickly, with little desire to put them down. I must express my disappointment with The Songs of the Humpback Whale. Although there are aspects of the books that I do like, it has been a challenge to get through. In fact I finally gave up about three-quarters of the way through and moved on to a new book. I kept thinking that it would grab me at some point and keep me intrigued, but it did not. I will continue to read Jodi Piccoult...I guess all authors have one book that is not a favorite of readers - this is mine.
It was "okay.".......2007-08-27
I read through the other reviews, and it's amusing that so many other readers had the same opinion about this book as I did. I have been a Jodi Picoult fan for several years, and I have never been disappointed with any of her titles. "My Sister's Keeper," "The Pact," and "Nineteen Minutes" were all amazing. My favorite aspect of Picoult's novels is that each seems to have a surprising twist at the end that I was not expecting. For this novel, I was expecting the twist that never came.
Like other readers, I was frustrated with some of the main characters. I liked Jane and Rebecca, and I enjoyed following their relationship, but the secondary characters were annoying. I was very confused at the beginning of the novel when some of the characters were introduced. For awhile, I thought that Sam might have been Jane's father. Joley was also a little creepy to me. I thought that there would be some crazy unexpected twist with his relationship with his sister. I didn't really make the connection between some of the things that he wrote about and the relevance with the rest of the plot. For example, the part that he wrote about the family in their childhood town who got the new windows for their house. Usually I can catch the analogies, but I must have missed that one.
While abuse was clearly a major theme in the book, I think it would have been fine if Picoult had left the abuse that Jane suffered from her father as physical and not sexual. It seemed as though that part was just thrown in, and there were not really any major ties to the rest of the novel. The physical abuse was easily related to Oliver hitting Jane as well as Jane hitting Oliver.
As for the telling of the story in five perspectives, I was initially excited about the idea. But it was confusing that Rebecca went backward, and I had a really difficult time following the chronological order of the story. Knowing so early on about Hadley's death made it seem as though there was nothing left to anticipate. The climax and the finale were the same, and I was disappointed that there wasn't really anything left to keep my attention. It was incredibly repetitive, and I think this could have been avoided if the situations that were described by different characters had not been so scattered, with each character giving varying information.
This is the first time that I have been anxious to finish a Picoult book because I was getting bored. The others that I have read have been fantastic, and I'm glad that she kept writing after this first book.
Amazon.com
In his entertaining adventure-in-whale-researching, Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings, Nathan Quinn, a prominent marine biologist, has been conducting studies in Hawaii for years trying to unravel the secret of why humpback whales sing. During a typical day of data gathering, Nate believes his mind is failing: the subject whale has "Bite Me" scrawled across its tail. Events become even stranger as the self-proclaimed "action nerds," Nate, photographer Clay, their research assistant Amy, and Kona, a white Rasta (a Jewish kid from New Jersey), encounter sabotage to their data and equipment. They also observe increasingly bizarre whale behavior, including a phone call from the whale to their wealthy sponsor to ask that Nate bring it a hot pastrami and Swiss on rye, and discover both a thriving underwater city and the secret to what happened to Amelia Earhart.
Thoughtful, irreverent, and often hilarious, Moore has crafted a tale that contains a bit of the saga of declining whale populations due to hunting and habitat destruction, as well as his over-the-top, decadent wit as applied to scientific methodology and professional jealousies. Moore notes a pasty, rival scientist "looked like Death out for his after-dinner stroll before a busy night of e-mailing heart attacks and tumors to a few million lucky winners," and that killer whales (which are all named Kevin), are "just four tons of doofus dressed up like a police car." Smart, sincere, and a whale of a story, Fluke is terrific. --Michael Ferch
Book Description
Just why do humpback whales sing? That's the question that has marine behavioral biologist Nate Quinn and his crew poking, charting, recording, and photographing very big, wet, gray marine mammals. Until the extraordinary day when a whale lifts its tail into the air to display a cryptic message spelled out in foot-high letters: Bite me.
Trouble is, Nate's beginning to wonder if he hasn't spent just a little too much time in the sun. 'Cause no one else on his team saw a thing -- not his longtime partner, Clay Demodocus; not their saucy young research assistant; not even the spliff-puffing white-boy Rastaman Kona (né Preston Applebaum). But later, when a roll of film returns from the lab missing the crucial tail shot -- and his research facility is trashed -- Nate realizes something very fishy indeed is going on.
By turns witty, irreverent, fascinating, puzzling, and surprising, Fluke is Christopher Moore at his outrageous best.
Download Description
"
Just why do humpback whales sing? That's the question that has marine behavioral biologist Nate Quinn and his crew poking, charting, recording, and photographing very big, wet, gray marine mammals. Until the extraordinary day when a whale lifts its tail into the air to display a cryptic message spelled out in foot-high letters: Bite me.
Trouble is, Nate's beginning to wonder if he hasn't spent just a little too much time in the sun. 'Cause no one else on his team saw a thing -- not his longtime partner, Clay Demodocus; not their saucy young research assistant; not even the spliff-puffing white-boy Rastaman Kona (né Preston Applebaum). But later, when a roll of film returns from the lab missing the crucial tail shot -- and his research facility is trashed -- Nate realizes something very fishy indeed is going on.
By turns witty, irreverent, fascinating, puzzling, and surprising, Fluke is Christopher Moore at his outrageous best.
"
Customer Reviews:
What a weird strange trip.......2007-08-01
I've only recently discovered the writings of Christopher Moore, but I'm now on a quest to read all of his books, and I can't tell you why. They are all uniquely quirky and funny. Each of his novels is a fairly quick read with a love story, a mystery, and some sort of paranormal element thrown in for good measure.
His style of writing makes his books so easy to digest. You don't have to think, just giggle.
I started out by reading "LAMB" and actually 'learned' some religous history. I found his account fascinating and exciting. It led me to want to read more of his writings, and I've been glad that I have.
Fluke is a great book, but its premise starts to get a little strange. If I want to start thinking about my impact on the planet, I stick to "ISHMAEL".
I recommend Christopher Moore as an author and this book as a second or third book of his to pick-up. To get a flavor for his work, start out with "YOU SUCK - A LOVE STORY" and then either this or "LAMB".
Laugh and learn about sea mammals.......2007-07-28
Christopher Moore cracks me up.
His absurd humor is addicting.
Get the audio book and you can laugh while driving.
3 1/2 stars would be more accurate.......2007-05-30
For anyone looking for a break from the mundane, cliche novels that are out there, then Christopher Moore will certainly fit the bill; and Fluke is no exception. The story is of a whale biologist and his eventful (and unbelievable) research in Hawaii. Of course, Moore's insane and inane plot devolves from there.
Although this book delivered a few laughs, I did not find it nearly as funny as "A Dirty Job" (although Moore's comments on "advanced poop-chute technology" should not be missed).
The plot overall is as crazy and unexpected as you would expect from Moore, but seems to drag a little toward the end. Also, I was not terribly happy with the resolution of everything.
The characters are very likeable, but do not seem to do much growing over the course of the novel.
Fluke is worth checking out if you are a fan of Moore's, or if you have some free time on your hands, but you may be better off getting it at the library.
Fluke.......2007-04-12
My husband and I listened to this on vacation in San Diego. We spent alot of time on the freeways. Fluke kept us laughing and entertained the whole time!
great.......2007-03-31
I liked this book so much I've now read several more of his. This one is still the best so far. Clever, fun, fast paced, unpredictable! I recommend it highly.
Book Description
Grayson is Lynne Cox’s first book since Swimming to Antarctica (“Riveting”—Sports Illustrated; “Pitch-perfect”—Outside). In it she tells the story of a miraculous ocean encounter that happened to her when she was seventeen and in training for a big swim (she had already swum the English Channel, twice, and the Catalina Channel).
It was the dark of early morning; Lynne was in 55-degree water as smooth as black ice, two hundred yards offshore, outside the wave break. She was swimming her last half-mile back to the pier before heading home for breakfast when she became aware that something was swimming with her. The ocean was charged with energy as if a squall was moving in; thousands of baby anchovy darted through the water like lit sparklers, trying to evade something larger. Whatever it was, it felt large enough to be a white shark coursing beneath her body.
It wasn’t a shark. It became clear that it was a baby gray whale—following alongside Lynne for a mile or so. Lynne had been swimming for more than an hour; she needed to get out of the water to rest, but she realized that if she did, the young calf would follow her onto shore and die from collapsed lungs.
The baby whale—eighteen feet long!—was migrating on a three-month trek to its feeding grounds in the Bering Sea, an eight-thousand-mile journey. It would have to be carried on its mother’s back for much of that distance, and was dependent on its mother’s milk for food—baby whales drink up to fifty gallons of milk a day. If Lynne didn’t find the mother whale, the baby would suffer from dehydration and starve to death.
Something so enormous—the mother whale was fifty feet long—suddenly seemed very small in the vast Pacific Ocean. How could Lynne possibly find her?
This is the story—part mystery, part magical tale—of what happened . . .
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful story.......2007-09-28
This is a great story, I love the book and have given it to many friends
More self-absorbed than interesting.......2007-08-30
From the black, inky black, so very black ocean at the start to her misunderstanding of gray whales and sonar at the end, Grayson romps along but never quite gets there. I found myself repeatedly flipping to the author biography on the jacket flap, wondering how on earth Lynne Cox ever got published in The New Yorker...and how she could have apparently spent so much time in the ocean without learning very much about its inhabitants.
From the reviews, I was prepared to read about a singular connection between a human being and a gray whale made one lonely morning...instead I found a self-absorbed "true" story about a young woman's encounter with a young whale that wandered off course for several hours, then met up with its mother again. Despite Lynne's self-proclaimed connection with the ocean, she doesn't even realize the young whale is swimming near her until pointed out by her friend on the pier. And then suddenly she feels she is the one totally responsible for the whale, even swimming insanely out to an oil derrick offshore to stay with Grayson. Although she places herself front and center, this event involved many people, including dockside workers, lifeguard patrols, fishing boats, and even the ship Queen Mary. This comes as a slight shock to the reader, as her emphasis on the singularity of her swim with the whale initially has us believing the book is about her interaction with the whale, rather than a multi-pronged rescue effort. It would have read better as a simple narration of what happened, instead of her projections of what the whales were thinking, complete with dopey imaginings of telepathic whale-human connection.
I think there is a nice little story in here somewhere, but Lynne Cox desperately needs better editing, and would have done better to have written it as "based on a true story", which would have allowed the plethora of animal description and interaction without causing readers familiar with marine fauna to suffer from eyeroll strain.
Good read aloud.......2007-08-20
Because of the music of the prose here and the subject matter, this is a great little book to read aloud to kids. It's a charming little story, with a bit of oceanography thrown in.
For an afternoon on the sun porch..........2007-07-31
Greyson is a tale by Lynne Cox in which she has a close encounter with a large ocean dweller. Having taken place in her teens, this story is her "coming of age" in a few short hours. This book probably won't change your life, but it might just shift your perspective a little - and that is a good thing.
A bit of a disappointment.......2007-05-22
This book was a bit of a disappointment for me. I was hoping for a story about a whale, but got the reminicenses (sp) of a woman remembering...well, herself rather than the whale. She prattles on about her open-minded thinking and brash individualism. Whatever. I wanted to hear about the whale and the ocean. I suppose this could be taken as a motivational speech; but, again, I was hoping the whale would take center stage. I also wish she had written this as a younger woman so that we might have experienced some of her wonder and awe (at the creature -- not herself).
Average customer rating:
- Hilarious, moving & instructive
- Talking Whale?
- Definitely worth the time to read
- WHALE TALK IS A VERY , VERY GREAT BOOK
- A whale of a good book!
|
Whale Talk
Chris Crutcher
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 Fiction
| Prejudice & Racism
| Social Issues
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Self-Esteem & Self-Respect
| Social Situations
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Water Sports
| Sports
| Sports & Activities
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Crutcher, Chris
| ( C )
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
School
| Issues
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| School & Sports
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
Crutcher, Chris
| ( C )
| Authors, A-Z
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
( C )
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
| Carle, Eric
| Carroll, Lewis
| Christopher, Matt
| Cleary, Beverly
| Cole, Joanna
| Cooper, Susan
| Cousins, Lucy
| Craig, Helen
School
| Issues
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Fiction
| Prejudice & Racism
| Social Issues
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Fiction
| Self-Esteem & Self-Respect
| Social Situations
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Water Sports
| Sports
| Sports & Activities
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
( C )
| Authors, A-Z
| Teens
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
| Cabot, Meg
| Cooney, Caroline B.
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Teens
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Fiction
| School & Sports
| Teens
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Speak
-
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
-
Breathing Underwater
-
Ironman
-
The Sledding Hill
ASIN: 0440229383
Release Date: 2002-12-10 |
Amazon.com
T. J. Jones is black, Japanese, and white; his given name is The Tao (honest!), and he's the son of a woman who abandoned him when she got heavily into crack and crank. As a child he was full of rage, but now as a senior in high school he's pretty much overcome all that. With the help of a good therapist and his decent, loving, ex-hippie adoptive parents, he's not only fairly even-keeled, he has turned out to be smart and funny.
Injustice, however, still fills him with fury. So when big-deal football star Mike Barbour bullies brain-damaged Chris Coughlin for wearing his dead brother's letter jacket, T.J. hatches a scheme for revenge. He assembles a swim team (in a school with no pool) made up of the most outrageous outsiders and misfits he can find and extracts a conditional promise of those sacred letter jackets from the coach. After weeks of dedicated practice at the All Night Fitness pool, the seven mermen get good enough not to embarrass themselves in competition. The really important thing, though, turns out to be the long bus rides to meets, a safe place to share the hurts that have made them who they are. Meanwhile, T.J.'s father, who has taken in a battered little girl to ease his lifelong guilt over his role in the accidental death of a baby, tangles with another bully--her stepfather--and his growing murderous rage.
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. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell
Book Description
There’s bad news and good news about the Cutter High School swim team. The bad news is that they don’t have a pool. The good news is that only one of them can swim anyway. A group of misfits brought together by T. J. Jones (the J is redundant), the Cutter All Night Mermen struggle to find their places in a school that has no place for them. T.J. is convinced that a varsity letter jacket–exclusive, revered, the symbol (as far as T.J. is concerned) of all that is screwed up at Cutter High–will also be an effective tool. He’s right. He’s also wrong. Still, it’s always the quest that counts. And the bus on which the Mermen travel to swim meets soon becomes the space where they gradually allow themselves to talk, to fit, to grow. Together they’ll fight for dignity in a world where tragedy and comedy dance side by side, where a moment’s inattention can bring lifelong heartache, and where true acceptance is the only prescription for what ails us.
Customer Reviews:
Hilarious, moving & instructive.......2007-07-13
This book might win a Newberry Award if it were for younger kids and didn't use naughty language. That's the sort of thing I'd compare it to.
I've never written a review before, but this book, which I listened to in my car with my 12-year-old daughter, was wonderful. We both laughed out loud a number of times; it's extremely witty (and the audio narrator does an excellent job). It's heart-breaking at times (child abuse, loss). And it's very instructive for young people trying to make sense of the world, especially complex issues involving race, psychology, child abuse, and such.
It's arguably a bit much for a 12-year-old -- lots of questionable language (authentic, but "naughty"), and a few references to people having sex (nothing graphic, though). I'd prefer it for years 15 and up, but my daughter seemed to get a lot out of it, and the parts that worried me ... well, I hope they sort of went over her head. But I was delighted to have her hear about life from the perspective of a multi-racial kid, especially one who accepts himself but still has to put up with grief from morons in his high school.
Talking Whale?.......2007-06-13
Whale Talk
Do you have a big heart full of the kind of love that you would give a friend or even a complete stranger? That's how the Tao (pronounced The Dow) is in the book Whale Talk by Christopher Crutcher. The book takes place in Spokane, Washington. T.J Jones (The Tao) and his teacher, Mr. Simet, get together a swim team for Cutter High School. Mr. Simet has one reason for the swim team, and T.J. has another for the team, but it's the complete opposite of Mr. Simet. T.J. wants to help Chris Coughlin out of his bulling problem (Chris is handicapped). T.J. ends up going to the State championship and winning two events. But after the Championship, a tragedy strikes, one that will haunt T.J. until the day he dies.
My favorite part of the book is when Chris Coughlin gives T.J. some love back. Through out this book, T.J. shows Chris the love a friend would give a friend. This makes it special because T.J. loved Chris as a friend, that Chris gave him love, in the form of something, in return, even when it wasn't expected.
The theme of the book is love. This book shows that if the world doesn't have love, it has hate and if you don't have love, you have hate. With out love in the world, there would be no peace. It also shows us that even if you are a different color you still have the right to be loved.
This book was one of the best books I've read. I would recommend it to anyone who has a big heart with enough love for everyone in the world. I liked this book so much, because it caused me to stop and think, to check and see if I had enough lover in my heart for everyone in the world, just as the characters had.
Definitely worth the time to read.......2007-03-08
Whale talk was an incredible book. Not only was it written in a way that kept your attention every second of it, but it covered several important themes. Almost anybody in highschool or even older would enjoy this book because of its relevance to school life. The subject of racism in this book makes the reade think. The main character is one of the only non-white residents of their town, and even their area of the state. His struggles with racism are mainly in an attempt to make life better for another little girl in his town, not to stand up for himself. The main character is all about fairness, and he will do whatever it takes to stand up to people making life worse for someone else. He is responsible for starting a swim team at his school that makes it easy to get a varsity letter. The biggest reason why he did that was so that the brother of a now-deceased school hero can get his coveted varsity letter. Because their school is such a jock school, the team of misfits is not very widely accepted. The team is made of social outcasts and unlikely athletes, but they all end up very close to eachother. This book was inspiring athletically and thought-provoking socially. I'd reccomend it to anyone.
WHALE TALK IS A VERY , VERY GREAT BOOK.......2007-02-10
WHALE TALK WAS VERY, VERY GOOD. I LIKED IT A LOT. IT HAD A LOT OF SWEAR WORDS IN IT, WHICH MADE ME WHAT TO READ IT MORE. THE PEOPLE IN THIS BOOK SWEAR A LOT LIKE I DO. THIS BOOK IS ABOUT SWIMMING AND SPORTS IF YOU LIKE SPORTS AND LIFE AND LITERATURE, THAN YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME A TEAHER I HAD EVER ASSIGNED ME A BOOK WITH THIS AMOUNT OF SWEAR WOODS WHICH WAS ODD. THIS BOOK WAS A LITLLE HARD FOR ME TO READ BY MYSELF. THIS BOOK WAS A 220 PAGE BOOK, I LIKE LONG BOOKS WITH THAT MANY PAGES. YOU SHOULD ALSO TRY TO READ THESE OTHER CHRIS CRUTCHER BOOKS LIKE IRONMAN, STOTAN,AND CHINESE HANDCUFFS. CHRIS CRUTCHER SOUNDS LIKE A VERY GOOD AUTHOR.
ERIC, 16 YEARS OLD MISS WATER IS MY TEAHER
A whale of a good book!.......2007-01-18
This is perhaps the best book Crutcher has penned. It is a good technical novel with plenty of literary merit, but more importantly it will put your brain on spin cycle if you ever thought you had your mind made up about just about any social issue. It will literally turn your soul and make you think about the power of what comes out of your mouth as you brush up against the human condition each day. You might think they are mere words, but Crutcher shows us that what flows out of our mouth has the power to curse, or to bless--no matter what you believe about God. If you have any reluctant readers in your world hand them a copy of this book. I have used it in the classroom for my more rebellious students, and I have yet to have a kid hand it back to me without finishing it and then asking for another Crutcher book.
Book Description
In this delicious follow-up to Murder on the Rocks, developers have returned to Cranberry Island. This time, they're planning to wipe out a natural cranberry bog, along with the island's namesake berries, to build a luxury subdivision. Natalie Barnes isn't sweet on the idea of commercial interests souring their cozy oasis, but the single innkeeper has other problems on her plate: a withering relationship with her best friend Charlene, the sudden appearance of her ex-fiancé with a tempting proposal, and eerie bumps in the night suggesting the Gray Whale Inn is haunted. Worst of all, there's a killer on the loose, picking off people like ripe fruit. When Charlene's lover-the handsome chaplain with a stake in the development- is stabbed to death, Natalie promises to find the murderer for her griefstricken friend, who's also the number-one suspect.
Customer Reviews:
What a fabulous series !.......2007-09-05
I stumbled across the previous (and first) book in the "Gray Whale Inn" series -- "Murder on the Rocks" -- when looking at my Amazon recommendations. It looked so incredibly good, that I immediately picked up that book as well as this one (the second in the series). What a hit !!! Amazon didn't steer me wrong.
If you love cozy mysteries, you'll love this one ! I think it is one of the most well-done series I have read in awhile and I compare it to Cleo Coyle's Coffeehouse mysteries. The location of Cranberry Island, Maine is what really makes the book. The writing is so descriptive that I expected to see the coast of Maine outside my window when a stopped reading for a moment. The descriptions of the setting are so intriging that I actually spent some time looking on Google for information on the Cranberry Islands --- I was that fascinated!
If you love a good mystery --- If you love the coast of Maine ---- If you love B&B's ----- this series is for you !!!!
Dead and Berried.......2007-07-03
This was a great read .. Am looking forward to more book's by this author .
No Rest for the Residence on Cranberry Island.......2007-05-22
Natalie Barnes is facing the beginnings of the off season. With few bookings at her bed and breakfast over the winter months, she's hoping to make ends meet. But that soon becomes the least of her worries. A stranger noise is waking her up in the middle of the night. Is her inn haunted? Her ex-fiancee has shown up as a guest, wanting another chance at making their relationship work.
But more troubling is the death of Polly Sarkes. Polly had lived on the island her entire life and helped with the laundry at the Gray Whale Inn. When she appears to vanish, Natalie goes to her house and finds her dead, an apparent suicide. At least that's what the sheriff quickly rules it, but Natalie isn't so sure. Her friend had too much life. Beside, she was in the middle of packing a suitcase. Natalie quickly learns that Polly was the only hold out in a deal to sell some land for a new development. Was that the motive for her murder?
I enjoyed the first in this series, so I was looking forward to this one. I was glad to join these characters again. After two books, they already feel like old friends. And the recipes at the back sound wonderful again.
On the whole, the plot was great with plenty of twists that kept me turning pages. I do have a couple complaints about it, however. Murder related to development on the island was the plot of book number one. I was disappointed to see that play such a prominent part of this book. Additionally, the ending, while satisfying, was rushed.
These complaints weren't enough to keep me from enjoying the book, however. I'm already booking my next stay at the Gray Whale Inn.
An excellent second episode in this mystery series.......2007-03-21
When Natalie Barnes' laundress doesn't show up for work, the island innkeeper goes to Polly's house to investigate ... and finds the woman lying in the nearby cranberry bog. And that's just the beginning of a busy time for Natalie, who spends the next few days trying to prove that Polly's death was murder, not suicide. When the new Episcopalian priest is killed as well, Natalie not only tries to figure out the connection but also winds up being a prime suspect. A series of follow-up mishaps have Natalie believing the local rumors about her home being haunted by the ghost of a previously-murdered woman. And in the midst of it all, her ex-fiance from Texas shows up with a new marriage proposal, even as he outwardly flirts with a blonde and buxom bed-and-breakfast guest. How will it all end? Who knew life on a small island off the coast of Maine could be so hectic and fraught with danger?
Ms. MacInerney has given us an excellent sequel to the first Gray Whale Inn mystery. We hope for many more!
Hoping for more...........2007-03-09
This is Karen's second book. I enjoy her writing and her tales. I secretly would like to own and run a B and B so reading Karen's books allows me to do that without the expense of money or energy. Her books are witty and intriging with a bit of scandal and crime. They are what I would call a "light" read that captivates you into wanting more. When life is frustrating and overwelming, Karen's prose will take you to another place and keep your interest. Her stories are also set by the sea in Maine. Hey, could it get much better?
Average customer rating:
- book
- Endearing for the young child/ Instructional for the classroom teacher
- A lovely children's book
- Excellent Book
- Disappointed
|
Dear Mr. Blueberry (Aladdin Picture Books)
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Fiction
| Mammals
| Animals
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Fiction
| Mammals
| Animals
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Yours Truly, Goldilocks (Stories to Go!)
-
The Jolly Postman
-
Dear Peter Rabbit (Stories to Go!)
-
With Love, Little Red Hen
-
Dear Annie
ASIN: 0689807686 |
Book Description
"Dear Mr. Blueberry, I love whales very much and I think I saw one in my pond today. Please send me some information on whales." It's vacation time, so Emily has to write to her teacher to help when she discovers a blue whale living in her pond. Mr. Blueberry answers that she must be mistaken, because whales live in the ocean, not in ponds.
Throughout the summer, Emily and Mr. Blueberry exchange letters, until Emily has a happy surprise to share with her teacher. In the process, Emily learns a lot about whales. And Mr. Blueberry leans even more about imagination, faith, and love.
Customer Reviews:
book.......2007-05-09
This is an all time favorite in our preschool. Had trouble finding it until now. Great service. Good book.
Endearing for the young child/ Instructional for the classroom teacher.......2007-01-12
Wow! This book serves a plethora of functions... From the very young they will be enchanted with the beautifully jewel toned colours on the pages... If your child likes ocean animals they will learn all about whales in this beautifully told tale of the growing bond between a young student and her teacher as Mr. Blueberry teaches and corrects her misconceptions of whales habits and habitats. It is a great vehicle to use in the classroom to teach letter writing, writing notebook, and several other writing workshop minilessons. Great literacy selection... My son who is 6 as well as my class of aged 10 and 11 year olds adore this book on many different levels... ;)
A lovely children's book.......2005-11-13
I've been using this book with my kindergarten and first grade to introduce text illustration. They absolutely love it. I get applause every time I read it.
The illustrations are beautiful watercolors inspired by Emily's view of what is going on in her back yard.
My favorite part of the book is that readers are not told conclusively whether there was actually a whale in Emily's pond. It preserves a bit of the magic of believing that Arthur the whale was real.
A wonderful book for boys and girls.
Excellent Book.......2005-09-21
I loved this story. My third grade students enjoyed the playful letters between Emily and Mr. Blueberry. We are studying animals in science and they are doing a research project on an animal. We are modeling a writing project after the format of this book. They are writing the letters from both perspectives using the animal they are learning about. They are enjoying being the 'expert' on their animal.
Disappointed.......2005-08-02
Reading the reviews for this book I thought it would be a more substantial book than what I found. It is a cute idea, but it is lacking in content. Very disappointed...will probably end up as a garage sale book.
Book Description
Trading Texas heat for Maine's tangy salt air, Natalie Barnes risked it all to buy the Gray Whale Inn, a quaint bed and breakfast on Cranberry Island. She adores whipping up her signature blueberry coffee cake and killer cranberry scones for her guests. But when her guests start turning up dead, the police and most of the townspeople think Natalie has added murder to the mix.
Now, Natalie must get cooking to solve the mystery and find the true killer before she loses the Gray Whale Inn. Or her life...
Customer Reviews:
Delighted.......2007-08-09
Delighted to discover this author, heroine and inn! The mysteries are well developed and the recipes are an extra treat. I hope there will be more than two!
Simply Awful........2007-08-09
I can't even finish it, it's so poorly written and so boring. I am so disappointed. I thought I had found a new author to read. Oh, well.
The Best Food Mystery Ever!!!!.......2007-06-22
I love this book! I could not put it down! I also can't wait to start trying her recipes, they sound delicious! I could almost taste the blueberry coffee cake as I was reading! I am on to "Dean and Berried"!
Needs some work.......2007-05-18
I just finished "Murder on the Rocks" and while I think this series has potential, the writing needs to be edited better.
1. Natalie frequently complains about how she is flat broke and unable to eat at restaurants. She runs out of groceries and ends up with nothing to eat but a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. However, she is constantly baking up huge batches of cookies and brownies to take to friends and neighbors around the island. Whenever she needs something out of the freezer, she is pawing through chuck roasts and bacon to find the fruit she needs. So is she broke and hungry or not?
2. When a guest at her inn is found dead, Natalie sneaks into his room (against direct police orders) and finds significant evidence that she then hides. When the police later suspect her of being the killer, Natalie is unable to show evidence pointing away from her, because she stole it from the crime scene. Is she really this stupid?
3. An intruder breaks in and clobbers Natalie. She doesn't bother to call the police immediately, instead just waits for them to show up the next day.
4. Natalie pretends to be someone she's not in order to obtain private information she has no right to, and opens and reads her guests' mail.
While the plot is presented as "Natalie is a suspect in a murder she didn't commit and tries to find the real killer" she is guilty of numerous counts of obstruction of justice and just plain stupidity. It was hard to swallow.
Cranberries and Whales.......2007-04-13
A delightful quick read. Anyone who has ever been to Maine - or perhaps even stayed in a bed and breakfast will enjoy the story line of this joyful mystery novel. Natalie, the central character and owner of The Gray Whale Inn shows a lot of moxie when threatened by an unprofessional officer of the law. In MacInerney's subsequent book, Dead and Berried, Natalie displays courage again by not abiding her close friend to be falsely accused of a crime by the same officer.
The plot line moves right along - the array of characters are both interesting and entertaining and quite frankly, the mystery works because the reader is never sure who among the characters could be the villan. The intriguing writing of MacInerney piques the reader's interest because of the ebb and flow of the goodness (and not so good) of the characters.
Read Murder on the Rocks and the second of the series and you will be watching for her next book.
Book Description
A riveting and inspiring memoir about a couple who fell in love, fell apart, and finally overcame the pressures of fame, family, and Asperger's syndrome to build a life together.
When Jerry and Mary Newport met, the connection was instant; neither had ever felt more comfortable. A musical genius and a mathematical wonder, the two shared astronomical IQs, but they also shared something else -- they both were diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism that affects millions of Americans and makes social contact painfully unbearable. Finding each other after a lifetime of loneliness was a miracle. When Jerry and Mary married, they were catapulted into the limelight. They appeared on 60 Minutes and soon were known as "superstars in the world of autism," shining examples of two people who refused to give up in the face of their mutual challenges.
But just when it appeared that their lives would enjoy a fairy-tale ending, their marriage fell apart. The Hollywood feeding frenzy was too much to handle, and they divorced. After years of heartache, soul searching, and personal growth, Jerry and Mary remarried. Today, with their union stronger than ever, they have dedicated themselves to helping countless other people with Asperger's and autism lead lives of dignity. Mozart and the Whale is an unforgettable love story, the incredible chronicle of their journey together -- and apart.
Customer Reviews:
Motzart and the Whale .......2007-10-10
Very good book, well written, would recommend it to anyone who someone with autism. AAA+++
Insightful and Frustrating.......2007-08-26
"Mozart and the Whale" is the story of two people with Asperger's. Despite their areas of competence and even brilliance (Jerry and mathematics), they fail to rise above entry-level jobs such as taxi-driver, librarian assistant, cashier, etc. due to being held back by lacking normal career drive and planning, unpredictable and uncontrollable rages, inability to form normal social relationships and emotional connections, not answering the phone at times, and self-focus, as well as inappropriate job behavior.
The authors take us through their early lives, meeting and marrying, splitting, and finally joining up again. The bad news is that both come close to suicide, and the good news is that they eventually find happiness together.
What is the solution? Jerry suggests understanding adults during one's early life are very helpful, but that marrying Asperger's people together is not a solution - eg. the male/female ratio is about 4:1.
My "frustration" with the book? That so much is lost due to a slightly different DNA, internal brain wiring and/or chemical balance.
Really wanted this book.......2007-04-12
After seeing the movie and meeting Jerry and Mary Newport really wanted and needed the book. Usually like books over the movies. So glad to have and I am reading it right now. Good to have it.
Their honesty is refreshing........2007-04-09
This book is an honest account of growing up autistic. The authors do not, as many authors on the spectrum do, attempt to force-fit their lives into some sort of mold. They describe their lives as they were, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
In doing so, they have made a book that's easier for me as an autistic person to identify with, than a lot of the books in which people fit themselves to a mold. I loved reading about Mary's increased trouble in school during adolescence, I had the same problem, and some of the same responses to it. While it was a confusing and horrible time in my life as far as my own experience of it goes, it might have been less confusing if I'd had a book like this at the time. If Mary Newport reads this, I want to thank her for writing about that.
I also like their unflinching looks at their flaws. The ability to look at oneself honestly without shying away from the bad parts is something I have admired, and wanted to emulate, for some time.
The most important thing that I got out of this book, more than the many complex details in the lives of the authors, was the honesty, the ability to tell it like it was to the best of the authors' ability. I am glad they wrote it, and glad to read it: It is a refreshing change from a lot of what's out there in the world of autism literature.
Painful, poignant, and hilarious: a rocky road to love.......2007-03-06
Jerry and Mary were both adults before they learned there was a name for the way they were - Asperger's Syndrome - or "autism-lite" as Jerry dubs it. They met in middle age after a lifetime of no relationships (him) or destructive relationships (her), and their moving, painful and funny memoir starts out at their nadir - apart and suicidal.
But even as Jerry lies miserable, waiting for the 60 pills he took to do their job, he's distracted. "For an instant, I started to obsess about the number sixty, mulling over what an interesting number it is and how I never imagined I'd die because of it. Sixty is the product of 2 times 2 times 3 times 5. Sixty is the number of degrees of arc covered by the side of a hexagon inscribed inside a circle. Each side equals the radius, and the hexagon is made of six equilateral triangles linked together. Fold them all outside and you get six more, forming a total of twelve which makes a Star of David with one equilateral triangle for each tribe of Israel...."
Jerry is a numbers savant who aced an actuarial exam without the prerequisite education, but couldn't get through the interview. He's worked mostly as a courier and a cab driver. Mary is an artistic savant. Painting and music are her passions and she, too, has had a series of jobs, including cook and hairdresser.
Taking off from the lowest point, they alternate chapters, tracing their lives from childhood and the frustrations and loneliness they felt trying to fit in. Much of it is painful; attempts to cope with confusion and alienation, bullying from other children, intense family dynamics. But there are joyous moments of epiphany and accomplishment - usually alone. And there is humor throughout.
Their early relationship is wildly joyous. They delight in each other's talents and eccentricities. But when they move in together things change. Jerry is regimented and insecure; Mary is spontaneous and unpredictable. Jerry is given to terrible tantrums, Mary is plagued by depression.
By the time they marry their relationship is hanging on by sheer will, rather than compromise and understanding. Neither of them are any good at reading non-verbal cues or putting themselves in the other's place. But neither wants to be alone and there are enough good times to put off the inevitable crash and burn.
The alternating chapters illuminate one another. There are surprises - things that loom large for one go unmentioned by the other, for instance, and the honesty, brutal at times, is both disarming and uncomfortable.
We know from the beginning that they reconcile. The learning curve as they begin to manage their demons and consider one another more deliberately is affecting and admirable.
The Newports' memoir offers an intimate window on life and love with Aspergers. Their quirks and brilliance enliven the narrative and show the reader a different perspective on the world. An eye-opening, heart-wrenching read, leavened with humor and hope.
Average customer rating:
- brilliant, beautiful, powerful folk tale of girl power
- Has its problems, but still works.
- The film is certainly better
- Excellent coming of age story
- Lyrical....
|
The Whale Rider
Witi Ihimaera
Manufacturer: Harcourt Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Teens
| Subjects
| Books
| Authors, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Health, Mind & Body
| History & Historical Fiction
| Horror
| Literature & Fiction
| Manga
| Mysteries
| Reference
| Religion & Spirituality
| School & Sports
| Science & Technology
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Series
| Social Issues
Fiction
| Multigenerational
| Family Life
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Multicultural Stories
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fiction
| Girls & Women
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Australia & Oceania
| Fiction
| Explore the World
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Fiction
| Explore the World
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
| Africa
| Asia
| Canada
| Central & South America
| Europe & Russia
| General
| Other
| United States
Fiction
| Multigenerational
| Family Life
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Fiction
| Girls & Women
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Multicultural Stories
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Whale Rider
-
RABBIT-PROOF FENCE
-
The Bone People: A Novel
-
Once Were Warriors
-
Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind (Readers Circle)
ASIN: 0152050167 |
Book Description
Eight-year-old Kahu, a member of the Maori tribe of Whangara, New Zealand, fights to prove her love, her leadership, and her destiny. Her people claim descent from Kahutia Te Rangi, the legendary "whale rider." In every generation since Kahutia, a male heir has inherited the title of chief. But now there is no male heir, and the aging chief is desperate to find a successor. Kahu is his only great-grandchild--and Maori tradition has no use for a girl. But when hundreds of whales beach themselves and threaten the future of the Maori tribe, it is Kahu who saves the tribe when she reveals that she has the whale rider's ancient gift of communicating with whales.
Now available in simultaneous hardcover and paperback editions.
Feature film in theaters in June 2003!
Customer Reviews:
brilliant, beautiful, powerful folk tale of girl power.......2007-05-05
I love this movie, so I decided to read the book. As with any book on which a brilliant and well-executed film is based, it's a challenge for the reader to fall in love with the original story. The film was very faithful, and so it wasn't difficult to love this novel as well. But there are some deficiencies. First of all, the characters seem more real and dimensional in the film than the book. This is especially true of the heroine, who seems a mystical and distant child in the book, but comes off more real through Keisha Castle-Hughes' portrayal. Second, the film is much more realistic, only slightly testing the boundaries of reality and disbelief. The book is much more fantastic, though it contains more insight into the tribe's culture. And yet, the book is utterly powerful, honestly moving, and incredibly beautiful. It's a brilliant modern folk tale of a Maori tribe threatened by the modern world to hold onto its traditions. The chief (Koro) rejects his great-granddaughter Kahu who has broken the male line of succession. Koro tries desperately to maintain his tribe, reinforce the old traditions, and keep their connection with their totem animal, the whale on which their ancestor traveled to their lands. Meanwhile, Kahu desperately seeks her great-grandfather's love, not to mention acceptance. It slowly becomes obvious that Kahu--despite her gender and great-grandfather's rejection--is deeply connected to the whales and the sea (which is actually a taboo for a female to engage in), and is the salvation of her tribe. Obviously, fate and destiny care not for gender and traditions, as this girl is apparently destined for great things. It's an incredible story of family, destiny, strength, girl power, expectations, traditions, and culture. Grade: A
Has its problems, but still works........2006-08-24
Witi Ihimaera, Whale Rider (Harcourt, 1987)
This relatively obscure little book exploded after being adapted into an award-winning film. The book still hasn't gotten as popular as the movie, though, and that's something of a crime against nature. I have not yet seen the movie-- I wanted to read the book first (and will likely see the movie next week)-- but I know how the whole book-to-movie thing usually goes. And it's usually a crime against nature when the book doesn't get popular even after the movie's a big hit, so I'm playing the odds on that one.
As for the book itself, it's quite a good little tale, full of a young adult kind of magic realism that's likely to make the reader, if he hasn't already, consider the link between magic realism, the literary cliché du jour, and folktales. Ihimaera gives us the Whale Rider creation myth while telling us the story of a Maori chieftain who refuses to see that his granddaughter Kuha is developing into the new chieftain before his eyes because of his traditional beliefs that a male must take the position. (Despite, we find out, the fact that women have held the position in the past. Hard-headed old sod, eh?) We spend much of our time just learning about the characters, with Ihimaera throwing in some interesting perspectives at times; for example, narrator Rawiri, Kuha's uncle, leaves New Zealand for two years to run a coffee plantation in Papua New Guinea (and this allows for some rather odd humor, as well as a blistering excoriation of modern racism in the region), and we find out about Kuha's development only through letters and phone calls for a while. Yet it is rare that Ihimaera takes his focus off Kuha for more than a paragraph or two at a time.
A lovely tale, well worth your time, whether you've seen the movie or not. *** ½
The film is certainly better.......2006-05-31
Like most people, I bought the book after watching the film... in fact it took me ages to find the book because here in Spain it was called "the legend of the whales". Anyway, I thought the film was very moving and since when I'm obsessed with a movie I buy also the book, I did.
The first thing that surprised me was that the girl is not called Pai, but Kahu, and second, that it was told from the uncle's perspective rather than the girl. I though it wouldn't be good because on the film the uncle is a rather minor character... and in fact, it isn't.
I found the story dull and had to make myself keep reading. The only good thing I can say is that at least it explained a lot of the myth of Paikea, which in the movie wasn't explained that much. Other than that, there wasn't anything to keep me hokked to the book.
Niki Caro is a great scriptwriter because she made a fantastic film from this rather forgettable book.
Excellent coming of age story.......2005-11-20
This is an excellent coming of age story for a young girl, or boy! Readers will find delightful lore and learn something of New Zealand. The movie wasn't a disappointment, though I'm glad I read the book first.
Chrissy K. McVay
author of 'Souls of the North Wind'
Lyrical...........2005-09-21
Simple without being simplistic, here's a magical tale of destiny and love. Essential reading for those who have become world-weary and cynical from the constant battering of our scientific-material world.
Books:
- Why Size Matters: From Bacteria to Blue Whales
- Winter's Gift
- Yorkshire Terriers for Dummies
- Zen Shorts (Caldecott Honor Book)
- A Good Dog: The Story of Orson, Who Changed My Life
- Animals and the Afterlife: True Stories of Our Best Friends' Journey Beyond Death
- Appalachia: The Voices of Sleeping Birds
- Barnyard in Your Backyard: A Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Goats, Sheep, and Cows
- Bassett Hounds (Complete Pet Owner's Manuals)
- Behold a Pale Horse
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance
- When Bad Things Happen to Good People
- Speak for Yourself: A Handbook on Practical Public Speaking
- Principles of Program Analysis
- The Formation of a Persecuting Society: Power and Deviance in Western Europe
- This Jazz Man
- Throwim' Way Leg: Tree-Kangaroos, Possums, and Penis Gourds
- The Competitive Runner's Handbook: The Bestselling Guide to Running 5Ks through Marathons
- Performance Measurement and Management: A Strategic Approach to Management Accounting
- Downers Grove
Gung Ho! Turn On the People in Any Organization
Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results
Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach To Customer Service
High Five!
The Leadership Pill: The Missing Ingredient in Motivating People Today
