Iris may be deaf, but she is quite a girl. At only twelve years old, she is a genius when it comes to fixing radios. Using vibrations she feels through touch, she is able to repair the old radios she finds at a local junk store. When she finishes, she sells them back to the store's owner. Unfortunately, Iris wishes she could just repair radios all day long instead of going to school and dealing with the frustration of trying to communicate with people who don't understand her.
Things at school begin looking up the day Iris's science teacher shows a video of a whale named Blue 55. The whale is a hybrid species and it's been discovered that he can't communicate with other whales. Scientists in several wildlife sanctuaries listening to the sounds of whales discovered Blue 55's song is at a higher decibel than most other whales. Their tracking systems show that he tries to interact with other whale groups, but he is excluded.
When Iris sees the video, she immediately wants to help Blue 55. She begins researching whale songs and hertz measurements to find out how she can create a song specially designed for Blue 55. With the help of her friend Wendell, the school music teacher, and an app on her phone, Iris is able to create a song. She emails a scientist at the wildlife sanctuary mentioned on the video about the whale. She includes a recording of the song she created suggesting they could play it through underwater speakers for Blue 55 the next time he is in that part of the ocean.
What follows is an adventure that takes Iris and her grandmother to Alaska where she hopes to see the results of her hard work in person. Things may not go exactly as planned and she may be grounded until middle age, but Iris is determined to let the whale know someone hears him.
Author Lynne Kelly uses her experience as a American Sign Language translator to create a tale about a young girl and a lonely whale. Whether Iris is simply helping a whale or perhaps finding a way to make herself heard, readers will love this crazy, action-packed adventure.
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