A Whale of the Wild // by Rosanna Parry

I don't read a lot of middle grade books but I'm really glad I picked this one up. It was a fun and interesting story about one of my favorite animals growing up. I learned a lot about Orcas thanks to this book and really felt immersed into this adventure. It's definitely a book I could see myself buying for our future kids!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The illustrations in this book blew me away. They're gorgeous and mesh so well with the story. I love orcas, and this book is everything I needed when I was a young girl in Ohio obsessed with whales. The fact that this book is told from the POV of an orca will appeal to readers of many ages, and I can't wait to get this in the hands of my 5th graders.

The best part of this story is that, with the writing being so strong, kids will learn about orcas while they're unfolding the story and not even realize it! WIN WIN!

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

My first book by Rosanne Parry, but not my last. I got the book because I love marine mammals, but it was so much more than I was expecting. I loved the 2 views the story was told and Parry did a great job researching orcas. I will definitely be recommending this book.

I loved listening to this on audiobook. Well researched, great characters, and a sense of adventure while also learning about the pacific northwest, wildlife and ecoystems. Unique to tell the story from orca whale's perspectives.

I was drawn to this book after having loved Parry's book, A Wolf Called Wander, the nearly true story of a wolf that loses it pack and finds a place in the world. A Whale of the Wild is much in this same vein of middle grade ecological fiction that focuses around an orca whale pod, and most especially the young wayfinder in training named Vega.
I really love how Rosanne Perry used facts and incredible research to build these stories that I can see middle grade readers scooping up. Vega makes mistakes, and runs on emotions, and learns how to be a young adult while caring for her younger brother Deneeb. I loved the interactions with people throughout and how Parry builds the whale's eye view of the world, while opening the minds of young readers by presenting environmental factors like pollution in a way that is accessible to readers as young as 4th grade.
Teachers will love this book for the ties to non-fiction and persuasive articles about caring for our world's ocean creatures. Middle grade readers will love the short engaging text and the beautiful illustrations by Lindsey Moore.

It's a companion book to the beautiful story A Wolf Called Wander. This time, Rosanne Parry takes us on a journey with a pod of orcas, centering on the story of Vega, learning to be a wayfinder (for salmon). Someday in the future, she will become the family's matriarch. One can read this book and project oneself into this frightening adventure when, searching for the so-needed salmon, Vega ventures into the wider ocean with her young and smaller brother, Deneb. They are separated from the pod, run into a larger stranger whom Deneb rescues, and who travels with them for a while. They also connect with a larger pod of orcas who do not endanger them, but speak a different language and soon leave them behind.
Both are starving and the only knowledge Vega finally follows is that their way back is with the rising sun. Each supports the other with encouraging words. Parry is creating the language so that we humans can understand, but whales do communicate and do help each other and help other humans. Filled with ocean tales of survival, threats to the ecosystem, and knowledge of many other creatures, this is a tale that one doesn't want to stop reading. Lindsay Moore's black and white illustrations fill out the story with breaks of beautiful action. There is a map that shows the setting of this adventure and extra notes about orcas.

When I was 11 or 12 years old, I probably would have loved this book. I grew up reading the <u>Redwall</u> series. I loved anything by David Clement-Davies and Jean Craighead George. Needless to say, fantastical animal survival stories were my jam...so I don't know if it's reading books like these as an adult that makes them lose that sense of magic?

While reading <u>A Whale of the Wild</u>, I constantly found myself too focused and nit-picky about the factual issues and the over anthropomorphizing--if an orca whale was starving, it wouldn't wait for salmon. It would eat seals, it would eat sea birds, it would eat just about anything it could find. I also found the "whale"names for things a little too overdone and the chapters/perspectives too abruptly ending and transitioning, that I never really felt a connection to/cared for Vega or her brother.

Do I think there are plenty of kids that would love this book? Of course. Would I have loved this book 20 years ago? Probably. But as an adult reading this now, it's just not one of my favorite recently published middle grade novels.

This story is told from the perspective of two orca whale siblings, an older sister who wishes to live up to the expectation of her pod and a younger brother who wishes to protect and care for the pod as his sister leads the way.
A story of family and loss, but at its core a story of humanity- told with no humans. So many lessons to take away from this beautifully told tale, I can't wait to share it with my students this fall.
Highly recommend this book to any child or adult who wants to make the world a better place in any small way they are able.

This book was sweet and hopeful, but also had sad moments. I really enjoyed reading it and thought it was a great book. It is about Vega, an orca and her brother, Deneb. They get separated from their family and this tale is about them finding their way home. This book is perfect for readers ages 10-13.

For Vega, a young Orca whale living in the waters near the Seattle, WA area, finding food means surviving. For some reason, the salmon have failed to return to the area on time, and her family faces starvation. Always inquisitive and playful, Vega struggles to make the right choices as each day without food leaves the pod bewildered and weaker. Her greatmother trusts that one day, Vega will lead their pod as an experienced Wayfinder. But her cousin doubts Vega’s abilities.

Her younger brother, Deneb, staunchly supports his sister, even when her decisions separate the two of them from the pod and launch them on a journey far from home in search of safety and food.

Vega and Deneb narrate this gripping story that takes readers through the lives of an Orca pod living in the Pacific Northwest. The author’s descriptions of humans from Vega’s perspective made me laugh. Her understanding of the importance of family, friendships, and diversity to the fragile ecosystem of our lives made me weep.

Why You’ll Love This Book

While written for middle-grade students, this book would make a perfect read-aloud for younger students. The author includes facts and research about Orca whales at the end of the book—enough to satisfy all the questions that arise while reading. For example, while Vega refers to herself as a youngster, the reader discovers she has lived through 40 seasons.

The magical illustrations help draw young readers into the story—a must for readers who have just started reading longer chapter books. Even if you don't fall into the intended category, buy the book and read it anyway. You won't regret it, even if you're 99.

The author mentions that she loved writing about a matriarchy, about a young female who was destined to lead one day and what that would feel like to grow up knowing that power was your future. That was a different mindset for characters, but then so was seeing the world from a killer whale's point of view.

Vega, that young female, cares deeply for her family and learns from her mother and greatmother. She and all her kin appreciate the natural rhythm of life. The way they describe and think of what they encounter shows that bond. Vega thinks about the salmon run: "Rain falls. Mountains call their salmon home. One big circle, like the long dance we make with our whole family every salmon season." Her cousin Aquila explains the earth shifting along the tectonic plates: "The earth itches, just as we do. It rubs against rocks as we do and sometimes bits of it break free, just like we shed old skin."

One of the things I liked about the book was the tie between the whales and the stars. All of them are named for stars - Vega, Deneb, Altair, etc. And they know their locations just as well as they know the sea stacks, islands, and coves along the coast. I also liked the loyalty of the family. Hearing about Uncle Rigel saving family members from capture by humans, or Vega's own determination to get her brother back home makes the kinship seem as if it is also a safety net. Everyone is connected to each other, to life, to the world.

A perfect middle-grade read for those who enjoy stories about the sea and its inhabitants, or sibling adventures, or survival stories

Middle school readers would enjoy this story of family, courage, loss, and survival. Readers will learn about the habits, environment, and family structure of orcas told through the eyes of the orcas themselves.

Vega and Deneb are two young orcas (whales) living in the Salish Sea when an earthquake and subsequent tsunami strike. They become separated from their kinship group. They face danger and starvation as they search for their family members.

Thank you to Net Galley, Harper Collins Publishers, and author Rosanne Parry for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this interesting and educational book!

I received an electronic ARC from Greenwillow Books through NetGalley.
Told from the perspectives of two young orca whales. Parry takes readers through the adventures they have with their pod. She portrays their lives in a realistic manner. A major natural disaster occurs and the family is separated. Vega and her brother Deneb are alone and the story continues with their journey of survival. They reunite with one mother and son from the family when they return to their gathering area. The book ends on a hopeful note as they continue to seek the rest of their family unit.
Informative text will be included at the end of the book for further research.

This book is perfect for orca fans who care about the ocean. With compelling and distinct voices, orca siblings Vega and Daneeb narrate the story of their lives with their pod. A tsunami hits and they are separated from their pod. I was on the dye of my seat hoping that these two siblings would survive the odds. Readers learn about the impact humans have upon the ocean, as well as the impact of a tsunami and the lives of orcas in the wild. The information in the story is memorable and a natural part of the tale. I look forward to reading the back matter that will be included. This would be a great title to include in a middle school science unit on the ocean. It’s a natural fit with NGSS.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

With thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.

An animal adventure novel told in alternating voices. Parry does a fantastic job weaving in information about orcas, their habitats and the challenges they are facing, while telling a story about family and survival. The book has beautiful illustrations and fits well with several Next Generation Science Standards.

I'm quite looking forward to the published edition so I can read all the extras that Parry has included for her readers.

Parry does it again! Fans of A Wolf Called Wander will fall in love with A Whale of the Wild.

Told in alternating voices, a tale of love, loss, courage, and hope comes to life in the Salish Sea. Vega and Deneb take the reader on a heart-wrenching journey that shows just how important it is to stick together.

I’m looking forward to the published edition and reading the extras Parry includes for her readers.

This was so beautiful! The illustrations were lovely and it had important topics such as family bonds and global warming. This will be super important and helpful for children everywhere. Thank you for the advanced copy!