Cover of Song for A Whale

Song for A Whale

by Lynne Kelly · Grades 4–7

Song for A Whale by Lynne Kelly is on US reading lists at grades 4–7. It appears on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Grades 4–7 · 211 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9781848126923). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Assigned across 2 curriculum lists

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook)Schneider Family Book Award

This page shows where Song for A Whale is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Reading level at a glance

Grade range
Grades 4–7
Pages
211
Reading time
about 3h 50m (est.)
First published
2019
ISBN-13
9781848126923

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-19; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

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About this book

Book facts and sources (2)
Award won
  • Schneider Family Book Award, 2020 (source: Wikipedia)
On award reading lists
  • Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook) (source: Wikipedia)
Catalog record
First published 2019 · 211 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

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Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is Song for A Whale?
Song for A Whale is listed for grades 4–7. It appears on 2 book-award lists. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Song for A Whale?
It takes about 3h 50m to read Song for A Whale (211 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 230 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Song for A Whale?
Song for A Whale appears on reading lists for Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook), Schneider Family Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Song for A Whale banned in schools?
Song for A Whale does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 4–7 — drawn from the book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, read-aloud.

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