The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera

Eight-year-old Kahu, a member of the Maori tribe of Whangara, New Zealand, fights to prove her love, her leadership, and her destiny. Her people claim descent from Kahutia Te Rangi, the legendary "whale rider." In every generation since Kahutia, a male heir has inherited the title of chief. But now there is no male heir, and the aging chief is desperate to find a successor. Kahu is his only great-grandchild--and Maori tradition has no use for a girl. But when hundreds of whales beach themselves and threaten the future of the Maori tribe, it is Kahu who saves the tribe when she reveals that she has the whale rider's ancient gift of communicating with whales. From Goodreads.

The main character in this book is eight year old Kahu but I like the way it is told from her uncle Rawiri's point of view.
Having lived in Greenland and seen a few whales I liked the description of whales. It was also cute with Kahu loving her grandfather so much even though he didn't want anything to do with her. And then Nanny Flowers, the grandmother, is quite a character and she made me giggle several times.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: June Challenges
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Meet a Million Members
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: The Amazing Book Race
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Clue#2
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Hogwarts Scavenger Hunt