Grayson

by Lynne Cox

Book Overview

Don't believe in interspecies communication? Grayson, author [Lynne] Cox's moving memoir about the lost baby whale she encountered when she was 17, just might change your mind.--PeopleIt was the dark of early morning; seventeen-year-old Lynne Cox was swimming her last half mile back to the pier after a long workout when she became aware that something was swimming with her. The ocean was charged with energy as if a squall was moving in; whatever...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0156034670
• ISBN13: 9780156034678
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.2" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 14 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 9 and higher

Customer Reviews

Grayson: A beautifully simple story

Based on a true story, Grayson is a short and sweet story of strength, compassion, and trust. The descriptions for all aspects of the book were captivating and lovely. The phrasing itself is a little strange, however considering that it is a true story it fits. Definitely a nice and quick read that I would highly recommend.

Plot is beautiful

Long distance swimmer Lynn Cox has set world records time and time again and she writes about her experiences. In this book she describes in gorgeous vivid imagry her experience with a baby whale that is breathtaking and worth every minute spent on it.

Hello, and thanks for all the fish!

While listening to this tale as an audiobook, I was surprised to be sitting at the edge of my recliner! For a very simple premise, Lynne Cox crafted a plot with a lot of excitement. I was touched by the sense of communion between the human swimmer and the baby whale, each of them vulnerable and exposed. The communication and intelligence of the whales in this story, plus a mega-pod of dophins, made me think of the line, "Goodbye, and thanks for all the fish!" the title of Douglas Adams' fourth book in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. (Where Wonko the scientist posits that dolphins were the actual creators of planet Earth.) I now own Grayson in an audio format and as a hardcover book, and I consider it a treasure.

Great book to share

I love the ocean and found this book beautiful and moving. It describes the experience of meeting a baby gray whale and then trying to help it find its mother. There is some wonderfully descriptive writing of the ocean, and facts added in that give it more meat. It also gives lots of advice and encouragement, not to give up, to follow your dreams and that anything is possible. We bought the audio book for a family vacation and my 4 year old and 7 year old both enjoyed the story very much. They are excited to attend a grunion run and are also excited about whales.

A Metaphor for Tenacity

About a third of the way through this one-sitting book, I began to think it could not possibly be true. However, as I continued to read the author's compelling style, I began to see the book as a metaphor for never giving up, for having compassion for the fellow inhabitants of this miraculous planet, and for life itself in all its forms. I highly recommend it to anyone who is struggling with the meaning of life or simply trying to get through it.

Read this book to your daughters!

I have two daughters, one in kindergarten, one in fourth grade, and every night I read them both to sleep with a chapter from this amazing book. Not only is it well written, but it tells the story of a teenage girl who has tenacity of spirit to swim in the cold ocean every day before dawn to train for swimming long distances. In doing so the writer/swimmer tells of how she faced her fears in those cold, dark swims and how she passionately loves the ocean and all the mysteries it contains. My girls were mesmerized by her story, and while the five year old fell asleep a lot sooner than my fourth grader, none of us could ask for a better story to read together. What a great message this book gives kids; to face the unknown, to have faith in oneself, to work hard for a goal that many people couldn't imagine, and all the while respecting and caring about our environment! Cox captures details about the tiniest of creatures to, naturally, the touching story of Grayson, a lost baby whale she stuggles to help. Grayson is filled with fascinating details about marine life off the Orange County coastline, specifically, Seal Beach, and reminds us all that there is something mysterious and wonderful about how connected we are and that we bear a responsibility to honor that connection. I loved this book! All of us reading it (ages 5, 9 and 45) couldn't wait to get to the next chapter. Frankly, I think Grayson really should be included in all fourth grade lesson plans and curriculums; it's so informative about marine biology and contains such a great tale of the inner strength of young people! Read Grayson to your children! Not only will you love the story yourself, but they'll thank you for the lessons it contains later on. All children, especially girls, need more role models like Lynne Cox.

Brilliantly Written . . . A Beautiful Story All Readers Will Love!

Lynn Cox has written a timeless masterpiece in this brilliantly written story of the unexpected ocean journey she found herself on one early dark morning in Southern California. Accompanied with 'Grayson', an orphaned baby gray whale lost from its migrating mother off the coast of California's Seal Beach, Lynn Cox takes the reader onto a most exhilarating oceanic adventure in search of the orphaned whale's nursing mother. As the reader journey's through the pages and the dark crisp water of the Pacific, you find yourself on your own odyssey - listening, feeling, and understanding what it is to trust yourself no matter what the circumstances life hands you are. With each powerful and purposeful stroke of Lynn's arm cutting into the water, you are reminded of the strength of your own will and capability. And as the sun cuts thru the early morning darkness and the journey to find Grayson's mother continues, we are all reminded that sense of will and purpose is boundless. I found the metaphor and imagery used in this joyfully wonderful true-life adventure to be so vivid and sharp and pulsating that I can't recommend this wonderful story enough to readers of all ages . . . and if you know someone who is not a person who dives into a good story - Grayson is as good a book as any I have ever read - and a great place for any potential reader to begin in reacquainting themselves with the wonderment of reading and the imagination, and perhaps a re-visit with themselves. `Grayson' is a timeless masterpiece I have read and re-read. From one author to another, I would like to thank Lynn for, after all these years, sharing with all of us the adventures of that magical day you were blessed with on Seal Beach.