Author(s): Arlo Kelly

NZ Middle Fiction 8-12-year-olds | 2023 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults | Adventure and Real Life Stories

Eric loves his quiet life living on a remote beach with its ever-changing weather. However he is visually impaired and gets frustrated by how his parents worry about him and restrict what he does on his own. But one summer Eric has a chance encounter with a minke whale which leads to a special connection that Eric decides he must protect at all costs.

Set on the beautiful east coast of New Zealand, this story is about Eric's experiences that summer, his secret friendship with the whale, his need for his parents to understand he is growing up, and pushing himself in ways he never has before.