Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher, GreenWillow Books, 2001.
ISBN: 978-0-688-18019-5

Plot Summary

Growing up in a small town that prizes athletics over all else, T.J. Jones, despite being a fine athlete, has so far managed to avoid joining his school’s cliquish teams. But when his English teacher begs him to join the new swimming team, T.J. reluctantly agrees as long as he is allowed to recruit the swimmers. Gathering all the misfits that wouldn’t normally have a chance to earn a coveted letter jacket, T.J. plans to thwart his school’s athletic department by creating the most unlikely of swim teams. Soon, however, T.J. must consider more than letter jackets as he begins helping his former therapist, Georgia Brown, with Heidi, a deeply wounded little girl who believes that the color of her skin makes her unworthy of love. Because Heidi only trusts T.J. and Georgia, T.J. becomes much more involved in her life, and that of her battered mother’s, than originally planned. Somehow he must now not only find a way to ensure that his teammates earn their jackets but help Heidi and her mother find a safe place to live as well.

Critical Evaluation

While Whale Talk is excellent for broadening students’ horizons as well as for bibliotherapeutic purposes, the novel seems implausible as it tries to touch upon too many issues. Indeed, it seems like almost every character has suffered a deep wound in some way—T.J. is adopted and one of the few students who is bi-racial in his small, mostly Caucasian town, Mr. Jones is caught up in a cycle of depression and guilt over accidentally killing a child, Icko is homeless, Chris is mentally handicapped, Andy only has one leg, Simon is overweight, Carly has a misogynistic father, and Heidi’s father is dead, resulting in her suffering under Rich Marshall’s abusive, racist reign. Other issues in the book include graphic animal abuse, murder, and freedom of expression issues. While all of these topics are important and necessary to discuss within the realm of young adult fiction, Whale Talk’s dedication to all of them seems excessive. In fact, while this book is a triumphant story of misfits conquering their school’s cliquish sports’ program, instead of feeling uplifted many readers will leave the novel bitter and unsatisfied. Perhaps the ending is the worst part of all, although it is not surprising after all the gross misfortunes that plague most of the characters’ pasts. Overall, Whale Talk should be in libraries’ collections because of its bibliotherapeutic purposes and its fine writing but I believe the novel would have been better if the author decided to address fewer issues within its pages. Still, it cannot be denied that with some issues, such as helping a victim of abuse, it is an invaluable resource.

Reader’s Annotation

T.J. Jones takes pride in the fact that he has never participated in school sports but when Coach Simet begs him to join the swim team he reluctantly agrees. In charge of recruiting, T.J. comes up with a brilliant plan that will finally allow all the high school outcasts their shot at a letterman jacket but will he be able to pull it off?

About the Author

“Chris Crutcher, 64, is the author of thirteen books -- ten novels, two short story collections and an autobiography. Prior to his work as an author, he taught school in Washington and California and acted as director of an Oakland alternative school for nearly a decade. That academic history coupled with 25 years as a child and family therapist specializing in abuse and neglect has infused his literary work with realism and emotional heft. His signature blend of tragedy and comedy have made him a favorite with teen and adult readers. He is also one of the most frequently banned authors in North America -- a fact he considers an accomplishment, rather than a drawback” (Crutcher, n.d.)

Currently, Crutcher is both a therapist and a writer (Crutcher, n.d.). When he isn’t hard at work he enjoys playing a variety of sports including basketball and swimming. He also enjoys music and lecturing (Crutcher, n.d.).

Crutcher, C. (n.d.) Biography. Retrieved from http://www.chriscrutcher.com/biography.html

Genre

Bibliotherapy, Coming of Age, Realistic fiction, Sport stories

Tags

Anger management, alcoholic, battered wife syndrome, racism, murder, outcasts, swimming, basketball, out of wedlock birth, child abuse

Curriculum Ties

Whale Talk would fit well in any unit involving social hierarchies and abusive relationships.

Booktalk Ideas

--Share a little bit about each character including why they want to join the swim team & what makes them different from others in the student body.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Reading Level: 6^th grade

Interest Level: 9^th-12^th grade (14-18 yrs.)

AR BookFinder. (2010) Whale talk. Retrieved from http://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=49654&l=EN&slid=190961802

Challenge Issues

Adults have challenged Whale Talk multiple times and it is easy to see why as Crutcher writes about child abuse, abusive relationships, racism, bullies, and animal cruelty. If challenged, librarians should point to the positive themes in the novel such as, acceptance, courage to stand up for what is right, and the importance to healthy community. Librarians should also show how the book relates to the school curriculum and explain the library’s acquisition policy.

Favorite Quotes

“And I realized I had reached adulthood without even knowing what it is to be human. Nobody ever told me how dangerous it is, how risky. I started wishing I were a whale. At least they know what it is to be a whale. I mean, think of it. I walk outside and scream at the top of my lungs, and it travels maybe two blocks. A whale unleashes his cry, and it travels hundreds or even thousands of miles. Every whale in the ocean will at one time or another run into that song. And I figure whales probably don’t edit. If they think it, they say it. If some man-whale cheats on his wife, her anguish, her rage, her despair, is heard and understood by every whale who swims into the range of her voice. The joy of lovemaking, the crippling heartache of a lost child—it’s all heard and understood. Predators and prey have equal voice…Whale talk is the truth, and in a very short period of time, if you’re a whale, you know exactly what it is to be you.” –T.J. Jones’ father, p. 131

Why Was This Included?

I chose this book because I hadn’t yet picked any sports books for my blog and I knew that Chris Crutcher was a famous YA author who should be included in any YA collection. I specifically chose Whale Talk because it was the only Crutcher sports story available at my library branch.