Year: 2019

 

Title: Song for a Whale Author: Lynne Kelly Publisher: Delacorte Press Release Date: February 5, 2019

Iris is tech-savvy and curious, deaf and lonely. While she loves to fix radios, she struggles to find her place and make friends in a world where she only knows a handful of people like her. Then, Iris learns about Blue 55, a whale that sings songs in a different frequency from other whales. Her interest in Blue 55 takes her on a surprising adventure to communicate with the whale, leading to her own growth, new friendships, and a new perspective on her world.

Song for a Whale is a touching adventure that will surely garner fans amongst middle grades readers. Author Lynne Kelly provides an intimate perspective into how Iris’s deafness affects her. Iris is smart, capable, and tenacious but certainly not perfect, which makes her character perfectly relatable. The connection between Iris and Blue 55 is captivating, but the chapters told from Blue 55’s perspective take away from his mysterious existence more than it adds to the narrative. Overall, Song for a Whale provides an important perspective about how people can be heard. Its message about inclusion adds to the case that the book merits space on every library and classroom shelf. It will encourage students to consider new points of view, empathize with others, and venture out and try new things.

Classroom Applications

• Cross-Curricular Study – Teach the novel in conjunction with a Science unit about ocean life, whales, acoustic biology, or radios.
• Choice Read – Use the novel as part of a study about inclusivity and/or deaf culture and characters.
• Project – If learning about oceans or sea life in Science class, assign the novel as part of a project assignment.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

• Whales
• Ocean Life
• Acoustic Biology
• Deaf Culture/ASL
• Radios
• Sound Waves

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with Song for a Whale. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

• Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly (Character Connections, Themes)
• The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (Character Connections, Science Content)
• El Deafo by Cece Bell (Character Connections, Themes)

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Title: Front Desk Author: Kelly Yang Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books Release Date: May 29, 2018Interested in teaching Front Desk? Check out the LIT Lessons Front Desk Novel Study.

After immigrating to the United States from China in the 1990’s, Mia Tang and her parents are trying to make their way and create a life they always dreamed about. Yet, life is not easy for the family, even after they are hired to manage a hotel in California. The hotel’s owner is nothing short of cruel, but Mia and her parents try to make the best of their situation. As Mia helps with the hotel operations and faces problem after problem, she finds her voice through writing and discovers how the power of words can affect change.

Kelly Yang’s book, Front Desk, will surely be well-loved by upper elementary and middle grade students. Mia is a strong, determined character that is not afraid to take risks and do what is right. Yang’s writing is captivating and makes for an entertaining, quick read. The quick pace is both a strength and weakness. While there are numerous conflicts and relatable characters, the author’s character development lacked meaningful depth, leading to few character changes or transformations. Yang also missed an opportunity to expand upon the struggles immigrants face in the U.S. each time the Yang family secretly hosted one at the hotel. Lastly, a clear pattern emerged through Mia’s attempt to overcome obstacles; she utilized the power of words. While this lesson is incredibly important for young readers, another incredibly important one is that a person must persevere through failure. Mia’s efforts to persuade others and affect change through writing succeeds every time, which could send unrealistic messages. Regardless, it stands as missed opportunity to show how failure can be an important learning experience too.

Overall, Front Desk would be a great novel to teach in the upper elementary grades. The Tang family’s immigration story is riveting and highlights the struggles immigrants face when starting life anew in the United States. The book also provides numerous opportunities to extend students’ learning about U.S. immigration and its history.

Classroom Applications

• Cross-Curricular Study – Use the Front Desk Novel Study to build background knowledge about the history of Chinese immigration to the U.S. and argumentative writing.
• Literature Circles – Use the novel as part of a study about immigration, immigrants, and refugees.
• Writing – Use the novel as a way to teach a unit about writing letters, op-eds, or argumentative essays.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

• History of Chinese Immigration to the U.S.
• U.S. History of Immigration
• Life of Immigrants in the U.S.

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with Front Desk. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

• Refugee by Alan Gratz (Historical Connections, Character Connections, Themes)
• Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson (Themes, Character Connections)
• Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga (Themes, Character Connections, Nonfiction Connections)

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*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.