"Whale Talk" by Chris Crutcher follows the story of T.J. Jones, a biracial teenager who navigates the complexities of high school life in a small town. T.J. is determined to create a swim team at his school, despite the challenges posed by the administration and his peers. He faces prejudice, personal struggles, and the pressure to fit in, all while forming bonds with a diverse group of teammates, each with their own unique backgrounds and issues. As T.J. fights for acceptance and self-identity, he learns valuable lessons about friendship, resilience, and the importance of breaking down barriers. [Generated by language model - please report any problems].

This book has been graded for interest at 12-17 years.

There are 304 pages in this book.

It is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed.

This book was published in 2002 by Turtleback Books .

Chris Crutcher has written nine critically acclaimed novels, an autobiography, and two collections of short stories. Drawing on his experience as a family therapist and child protection specialist, Crutcher writes honestly about real issues facing teenagers today: making it through school, competing in sports, handling rejection and failure, and dealing with parents. He has won three lifetime achievement awards for the body of his work: the Margaret A. Edwards Award, the ALAN Award, and the NCTE National Intellectual Freedom Award. Chris Crutcher lives in Spokane, Washington.