Whale Talk

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2001

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Download PDF

Access Full Guide

Introduction

Before Reading

During Reading

After Reading

During Reading

Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

CHAPTERS 1-3

Get access to this full Teaching Guide and much more!

8,500+ In-Depth Study Guides
4,700+ Quick-Read Plot Summaries
Downloadable PDFs

Reading Check

1. What is T.J.’s legal first name?

2. What does T.J. decide to call his swim team?

3. What is Oliver Van Zandt saving money for?

The SuperSummary difference

8x more resources than SparkNotes and CliffsNotes combined
Study Guides you won't find anywhere else
100+ new titles every month

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What event does T.J. believe is the beginning of the chain of events in the novel?

2. How does T.J. kindly convince Chris to stop wearing the varsity jacket?

3. How did the conflict between T.J. and Rich Marshall begin?

Paired Resources

“Common Views and Myths About Bullying”

This factsheet from PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center offers brief and clear responses to common misunderstandings about bullying.
This resource relates to the theme of Violence and Bullying.
What kinds of bullying happen among the students in Whale Talk? Based on the factsheet you just read, what advice would you give T.J., Chris, and others in this story? What do you think the adults around T.J. should be doing differently to prevent bullying? Are any of the adults being bullies or encouraging bullying? What can students do when adults are part of the problem?