Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2001.   TJ Jones decides the best way to fight back against the jocks that rule the school is to form his own “perfect” swim team.

Ages 14-18

Genre: Realistic fiction – this story does not have an idyllic setting or characters; it uses colloquial language and tragedy
Adventure – this story has believable characters, a likable and imperfect protagonist, a dangerous antagonist, and a situation that readers could imagine themselves being involved in.

Appealing aspects of this book – HS boys; adopted teens; multiracial/-ethnic teens; misfits vs. popular majority; HS sports

Uses for this book in schools – study of racism in contemporary fiction; study of school culture; connection with Vietnam War

Other titles by this author:
Athletic shorts: six short stories
Chinese handcuffs
The crazy horse electric game
Ironman: a novel
King of the mild frontier: an ill-advised autobiography
Running loose
Staying fat for Sarah Byrnes
Stotan!

Learn more about this author at his website: aboutcrutcher.com