Lil Snack Book Club: The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera (August 4th)

Join us for our Little Snack Book Club! We'll be reading novellas each month. What's a novella? A “novella” is a piece of prose fiction shorter than a novel but longer than a short story. Novellas often focus on one central conflict, aren't overcrowded with characters, and a bit of a faster pace. This is the perfect book club for those that want to add another book to their monthly reading but don't have the time to read another full novel. Or if you're new to reading or consider yourself a slow reader and the thought of reading one book a month for a book club is a bit intimidating, this is the book club for you!
All of our book clubs are low-key with a goal of creating community and meeting bookish friends. You will need to read the book ahead of time, so pick up your copy in store or on bookshop.org!
About This Book:
Eight-year-old Kahu craves her great-grandfather’s love and attention. But he is focused on his duties as chief of a Māori tribe in Whangara, on the east coast of New Zealand—a tribe that claims descent from the legendary “whale rider.” In every generation since the whale rider, a male has inherited the title of chief. But now there is no male heir—there’s only Kahu. She should be the next in line for the title, but her great-grandfather is blinded by tradition and sees no use for a girl. Kahu will not be ignored. And in her struggle, she has a unique ally: the whale rider himself, from whom she has inherited the ability to communicate with whales. Once that sacred gift is revealed, Kahu may be able to reestablish her people’s ancestral connections, earn her great-grandfather’s attention, and lead her tribe to a bold new future. Penguin Classics is the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world, representing a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.