Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

  • Chapter 1: 220

    non-fiction; personal narritive--1-18 pages; total (18)
    In this chapter you are introduced to the main character. his name is The Tao Jones. His real parents were hippies so that's why they names him that. He calls himself TJ. He is black-asian but has foster parents.
  • chapter 2: 220

    19-32 pages; total (32)
    In this chapter, TJ and his teacher Simet make a swim team at the school. They start recruting people for the team. We're introduced to a brain damaged kid, Chris Coughlin, who's brother died and the school bully, Mike Barbour, who is also the football star and picks on Chris.
  • Chapter 3: 220

    33-45 pages-- total (45)
    In this chapter, Rich Marshall, the football star that already graduated, is introduced. Rich has taken Mike under his wing. Mike and his friend Wyberg beat up TJ for protecting a deer that they were hunting.
  • chapter 4: 220

    46-56 pages-- total (56)
    In this chapter TJ and Simet start they're team. TJ starts swimming at 3:30 every morning to get used to it after not swimming for a long time. We're introduced to his childhood therapist, Georgia Brown. Carly Hudson is intoroduced as the girl TJ likes. She has had a hard life with her father beating her and her mom.
  • chapter 5: 220

    57-74 pages-- total (74)
    In this chapter TJ's father is introduced, who drove his truck six hours until he realized there was a baby's body caught between his tire and truck. He did a lot of drugs to try to heal the pain of what he did. TJ talks to Simet about the swim team and how they start practice. Georgia councils a little girl names Heidi Who's dad yells racial slurs at her and TJ finds out that she's Rich's daughter.
  • chapter 6: 220

    75-83 pages-- total (85)
    In this chapter the swim team gets better and better. One of the coaches tells TJ he saw Mike picking on Chris behind a hardware store. TJ gets mad and trys to figure something out.
  • chapter 7-11: 220

    84-150 pages-- total (150)
    In these chapters, Andy Mott finally shows up for practice. The team has their first swim meet. Rich gets drunk and starts a big fight with TJ about Alicia, his wife, and Heidi. The boys on the team have guy talk about girls while they work out. Mike got physical with the head cheerleader, Kristen, and raped her. Then TJ almost beats him up and gets a ticket.
  • chapters 12-15: 220

    151-220 pages-- total (220)
    In these chapters the swim team gets to go to state. They get to state and start getting ready for it. TJ's dad and Rich get in a fight. The swim team joins a basketball tounement together called hoopfest.Rich shoots TJ's dad during a bame and died. Rich gets arrested.