Whalesinger

Hurt and angry after his brother’s tragic death, 17-year-old Nick escapes the pressures of his family in Vancouver by working as a research assistant for a conservation group on the beautiful Point Reyes coastline of California. There he meets Marty, and, to his surprise, finds himself drawn to her quiet, intense manner. Shy and intuitive, Marty discovers that she is able to communicate with a mother gray whale forced to summer nearby with her sick calf. When Nick and Marty learn that the conservation project is a front for a scheme to plunder the treasure of Sir Francis Drake’s sunken frigate, a tense confrontation occurs. Love, anger, hatred, and forgiveness fill this many-layered, deeply felt novel as it builds toward an unforgettable climax. This riveting environmental tale about two teenagers in love and their bond with a mother whale and her baby was written by award-winning Welwyn Wilton Katz, one of Canada's leading novelists for children. A whale sings, history repeats itself, and two teenagers find what they most need in this haunting, complex story.” Kirkus Reviews The major characters, although battered, come through alive, and perhaps more whole, to face their future. Intriguing.” School Library Journal