A Whale of the Wild

Citing specific evidence from the text, discuss how human activity negatively impacts the protagonist, her family, and the Salish Sea as a whole. In what ways do humans exert a positive influence on natural habitats in this novel? What message is Parry seeking to impart to her young audience?

How does Capella begin as a symbol of hope, and how does she become a motif of Human Influence on Natural Habitats? How does Capella’s death impact the novel’s structure and the protagonist’s characterization?

In what ways is Vega shaped by the theme of Survival in a Changing Environment? What factors transform her home, and how does she respond to these challenges? How is the Vega at the end of the novel different from the Vega the audience encounters at the start of the story?

How does Vega and Deneb’s relationship shift over the course of the story, and what contributes to this change? Use specific evidence from the novel to examine how the two main characters develop the theme of The Importance of Familial Bonds through their efforts to support one another.

Compare and contrast the novel to other middle-grade works of survival fiction with a strong focus on nature, such as Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet and Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins. How do the writers build suspense and examine the relationships between people and the environment? What other similarities and differences strike you?

How does the author present the Salish Sea as both a beautiful and an endangered place? What about this particular real-world setting makes it well suited for an exploration of the themes of survival in a changing environment and human influence on natural habitats?

How does Parry use the motif of salmon to advance the theme of survival in a changing environment? How does this motif influence the novel’s structure, suspense, and characterization?

How does Parry’s novel compare and contrast to other middle-grade adventure stories with animal protagonists like S. F. Said’s Varjak Paw and Dave Eggers’ The Eyes and the Impossible? Discuss the protagonists’ character arcs and the lessons the writers seek to offer their young readers.