Isabel of the Whales

Isabel is a very special 11-year old girl. She doesnt know why, but she has always known that there is something extraordinary about her. And she has always had a fascination with whales. When her 5th grade class goes on a whale-watching trip, Isabel is excited beyond belief. She has never seen a whale up close in its natural environment, and her teacher is sure that they will see at least a couple along the Atlantic coast. But instead of just a few friendly whales, Isabels class is treated to a magnificent showing as what seems like hundreds of whales surround their ship.

While many of Isabels classmates are worried and nervous about their predicament, Isabel is overjoyed. In an overzealous attempt to reach out and touch one of the whales, Isabel leans a little too far over the railing. She tumbles off of the ship and into the ocean, much to the horror of her teacher and friends. But when Isabel should be drowning in the water, somehow she feels light and airy. Its as if she is just swimming around with the whales!

Isabel discovers that she has somehow turned into a whale herself, a humpback whale to be precise. As a Chosen one, she has been chosen to live with the whales and teach them about human life, as well as learn about whale life. And for the next year, she finds herself doing everything a humpback whale would, living with a pack of whales. Hester Velmans does an amazing job expressing the lifestyle of a whale in terms that a preteen can comprehend, complete with danger, love and heartache.

I enjoyed Isabel of the Whales far more than I expected to. While the book is directed at younger readers at a 9-12 year old level, I learned a lot about whales and Im 16! The plot progressed quickly, revealing more secrets about whale life with every page. This is a piece of literature that I would recommend to be included in a science curriculum. Isabel of the Whales taught me much more about whales than a textbook ever could!