Cover of Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas

Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas

by Zachariah OHora

Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

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:North Carolina Children's Book Award

Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas by Zachariah OHora is assigned in US schools at grades k–3. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades K–3
Age range
Ages 5–9
Pages
25
Reading time
about 30 minutes (est.)
First published
2024
Genre
Picture Book Nonfiction
ISBN-13
9781774883952

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.

About this book

Nonfiction picture book about flautist Paul Horn and Haida, a captive orca who answered his music, and the two boys who watched it happen.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Picture Book Nonfiction title, typically at grades k–3. Written in the 2020s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

Was this page helpful?

Common questions

What grade level is Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas?
Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades K–3. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas?
It takes about 30 minutes to read Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas (25 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 30 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas?
Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas appears on reading lists for North Carolina Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas banned in schools?
Whalesong: The True Story of the Musician Who Talked to Orcas 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 K–3 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.

Keep browsing