{"product_id":"whale-talk-book-chris-crutcher-9780688180195","title":"Whale Talk","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"A truly exceptional book.\"--Washington Post\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 Whale Talk. 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.\"--Washington Post\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.'\"--Publishers Weekly\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAn American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cbr\u003e New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age\u003cbr\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis is more than a story about swimming. It's about what happens when the kids who are ignored decide to get loud.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Fiercely Independent Protagonist:\u003c\/b\u003e Meet T.J. Jones, a multiracial, adopted kid with a genius IQ and a deep sense of justice, who has refused to play the jocks' game--until now.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Ultimate Found Family:\u003c\/b\u003e The All-Night Mermen aren't your typical athletes. They're a team of outcasts, misfits, and loners who find their strength when they finally find each other.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eStanding Up for the Underdog:\u003c\/b\u003e When T.J. sees a bully target a special-needs student, he decides to fight back not with his fists, but with a swim team that will challenge the entire school's unfair social hierarchy.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eUnforgettable Dark Humor:\u003c\/b\u003e Filled with razor-sharp wit and unflinching honesty, this novel tackles tough subjects like abuse and prejudice with a voice that is as hilarious as it is heartbreaking.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49586486968593,"sku":"GOR003419737","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49610677944593,"sku":"GOR009540221","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50193477239057,"sku":"CIN0688180191G","price":4.06,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50196660060433,"sku":"CIN0688180191A","price":6.07,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50229719695633,"sku":"CIN0688180191VG","price":4.58,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0688180191.jpg?v=1751455245","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/products\/whale-talk-book-chris-crutcher-9780688180195","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}