{"product_id":"whale-talk-chris-crutcher-9780688180195","title":"Whale Talk","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"A truly exceptional book.\"\u003cem\u003e--Washington Post\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere's bad news and good news about the Cutter High School swim team. The bad news is that they don't have a pool. The good news is that only one of them can swim anyway. Bestselling author Chris Crutcher's controversial and acclaimed novel follows a group of outcasts as they take on inequality and injustice in their high school. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Crutcher's superior gifts as a storyteller and his background as a working therapist combine to make magic in \u003cem\u003eWhale Talk\u003c\/em\u003e. The thread of truth in his fiction reminds us that heroes can come in any shape, color, ability or size, and friendship can bridge nearly any divide.\"--\u003cem\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eT.J. Jones hates the blatant preferential treatment jocks receive at his high school, and the reverence paid to the varsity lettermen. When he sees a member of the wrestling team threatening an underclassman, T.J. decides he's had enough. He recruits some of the biggest misfits at Cutter High to form a swim team. They may not have very much talent, but the All-Night Mermen prove to be way more than T.J. anticipated. As the unlikely athletes move closer to their goal, these new friends might learn that the journey is worth more than the reward. For fans of Andrew Smith and Marieke Nijkamp. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Crutcher offers an unusual yet resonant mixture of black comedy and tragedy that lays bare the superficiality of the high-school scene. The book's shocking climax will force readers to re-examine their own values and may cause them to alter their perception of individuals pegged as 'losers.'\"--\u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults\u003cbr\u003eNew York Public Library Books for the Teen Age\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Chris Crutcher\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0688180191\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780688180195\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Greenwillow Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/10\/2001\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 224\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.87lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.23h x 6.27w x 0.87d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAccelerated Reader:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReading Level:\u003c\/b\u003e 6.1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePoint Value:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eInterest Level:\u003c\/b\u003e Upper Grade\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eQuiz #\/Name: \u003c\/b\u003e49654 \/ Whale Talk\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAward:\u003c\/b\u003e Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award - Winner\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAward:\u003c\/b\u003e Bookseller's Choice - Winner\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Review - Children\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/01\/2001 pg. 328\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/12\/2001 pg. 91\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eHorn Book Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e 05\/01\/2001 pg. 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 05\/01\/2001 pg. 148\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eHornbook Guide to Children\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/01\/2001 pg. 321 - Superior,Well Above Average\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eHornbook Guide to Children\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/01\/2001 pg. 321 - Superior,Well Above Average\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/01\/2001 pg. 1462\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/11\/2001","brand":"Chris Crutcher","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":46767112225023,"sku":"9780688180195","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_cabb4c9b-4d45-48d0-a48f-0ca450ca70b9.jpg?v=1744168887","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/whale-talk-chris-crutcher-9780688180195","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}