Orca Timeline

Why did they build it so high? People have been constructing tall buildings for thousands of years, for many different reasons. Castle walls kept people safe. Utility towers transmit TV and cell-phone signals. Observatories give people a bird’s eye view of the world. Beautiful buildings stand out in the crowd. Skyscrapers provide housing for a lot of people. There are some good reasons for building up, and a few bad ones as well. With a growing global population, we will need more and more space to live, learn and work in. But what does that mean for the health of the planet? Can we do it sustainably? Tall buildings may be part of the answer. From the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Leaning Tower of Pisa to the Burj Khalifa and the Shanghai Tower, “Why Humans Build Up” asks why and how we build higher and higher, and what that means for the planet.

Humans have searched out fun for centuries. Chariot races. Dueling crickets. Roller coasters. Rubik's Cubes. It seems we've always had a knack for finding interesting ways to have a good time. Of course, it wasn't always that way. Our earliest ancestors had to worry more about survival than finding something to do in their free time. But as we evolved and daily living got a little easier, we began to think a bit more about entertainment. In Are We Having Fun Yet?, readers follow the evolution of fun. It started simply, with storytelling by a fire. Soon it grew into activities like banquets, spectator sports, theater and fairs, to name just a few. Today huge theme parks attract thrill-seekers and people step into virtual worlds for fun. And that's just scratching the surface. With things like virtual reality, fidget spinners and global phenomena like Pokémon Go, who knows what the future of fun will hold!

If you could design a city that would be both a great place to live and good for the planet, what would it look like? Today, about four billion people-more than half the world's population-live in cities. This number could rise to seven billion by 2050. Cities face big challenges, including threats from climate change, food insecurity, a lack of clean water and rapid population growth, but they are also places where innovation and sustainability can thrive. Cities: How Humans Live Together travels through time to explore questions like When and why did cities form? How did people access food and water? Where did they go to the bathroom? Peek into the past to see how cities have changed through time and explore what could make cities more sustainable and welcoming for today and tomorrow.

Why do some people have a bad sense of direction? How can you avoid getting lost? Why did early mapmakers put fake towns on their maps and why does every traffic controller in the world speak English? From finding food, water and shelter to traveling for commerce, trade and eventually exploring the world, humans have always had to find their way from one place to another. Are We There Yet? examines the evolution of how we navigate the world. Our earliest ancestors relied on built-in navigation systems in our brains and followed clues like star patterns and animal behavior. Then came the invention of maps, faster transportation and eventually technology, like satellites and GPS. And from the depths of the ocean to faraway planets, there's still plenty of exploring to do. Where will we go next?

Community is essential for humans. But living together comes with challenges-challenges often solved by engineers! Access to clean drinking water? Engineers did that. Managing garbage? Engineers too. Safe and comfortable places to live with electricity and running water? You got it, engineers. Engineers are also behind the communication and transportation networks that keep our communities operating smoothly. Oh, and advances in healthcare? You can thank engineers for that too. Engineers have been shaping our world by designing and building amazing structures and machines for thousands of years. From ancient civilizations to modern metropolises, engineering inventions have been essential to human survival and prosperity. In Why Communities Need Engineers, young readers will discover how engineers have shaped life as we know it and how they could save our planet in the future. Key Selling Points • This STEM title introduces young readers to engineering innovations from the past and present that have helped shape our world and examines potential future innovations. The chapters are divided into areas that impact communities, including inventions in water access, waste, energy, shelter, communication, transportation and healthcare. • This book asks young readers to think critically about engineering design in their own communities, introduces career options in the field and inspires innovation for the future. • It highlights well-known (and not-so-well-known) engineering examples from around the world, including the steam engine, magnetic levitation trains, the development of the Apple computer, the telegraph, recycling robots, toilet-to-tap drinking water, the first prosthesis and stem cell therapy. • Extra content introduces readers to notable women in engineering, including Elsie MacGill (who produced British Hawker Hurricane fighter planes in WWII), Margaret A. Wilcox (inventor of the car heater) and Lilia Ann Abron (first Black woman to get a PhD in chemical engineering). • The author has a bachelor of applied science in civil engineering from the University of British Columbia. She studied at a time when not many women were in the field. Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series for middle-grade readers, this illustrated book examines how engineering has helped build successful communities in the past and present and what engineering innovations could look like in the future. Helen Liang earned her bachelor of applied science in civil engineering from the University of British Columbia and an associate certificate in technical writing with distinction from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. She enjoys volunteering in her community and church, hiking, writing and learning. Arden Taylor is a Toronto-based freelance illustrator. A graduate of Sheridan College with an honors bachelor of illustration, she enjoys digitally creating colorful illustrations of architecture and people and designs for wallpaper and other projects. Her clients include Hazlitt Magazine, California Institute of Technology, and her work has been featured in various magazines, newspapers, advertising campaigns and websites. She is the illustrator of Walls and The True Story of Vanilla. It's about time! From the past to the present and into the future, the Orca Timeline series explores how big ideas have shaped humanity. Discover what our collective history can tell us about the planet today and tomorrow. An engineer can help with that!

Community is essential for humans. But living together comes with challenges-challenges often solved by engineers! Access to clean drinking water? Engineers did that. Managing garbage? Engineers too. Safe and comfortable places to live with electricity and running water? You got it, engineers. Engineers are also behind the communication and transportation networks that keep our communities operating smoothly. Oh, and advances in healthcare? You can thank engineers for that too. Engineers have been shaping our world by designing and building amazing structures and machines for thousands of years. From ancient civilizations to modern metropolises, engineering inventions have been essential to human survival and prosperity. In Why Communities Need Engineers, young readers will discover how engineers have shaped life as we know it and how they could save our planet in the future. Key Selling Points • This STEM title introduces young readers to engineering innovations from the past and present that have helped shape our world and examines potential future innovations. The chapters are divided into areas that impact communities, including inventions in water access, waste, energy, shelter, communication, transportation and healthcare. • This book asks young readers to think critically about engineering design in their own communities, introduces career options in the field and inspires innovation for the future. • It highlights well-known (and not-so-well-known) engineering examples from around the world, including the steam engine, magnetic levitation trains, the development of the Apple computer, the telegraph, recycling robots, toilet-to-tap drinking water, the first prosthesis and stem cell therapy. • Extra content introduces readers to notable women in engineering, including Elsie MacGill (who produced British Hawker Hurricane fighter planes in WWII), Margaret A. Wilcox (inventor of the car heater) and Lilia Ann Abron (first Black woman to get a PhD in chemical engineering). • The author has a bachelor of applied science in civil engineering from the University of British Columbia. She studied at a time when not many women were in the field. Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series for middle-grade readers, this illustrated book examines how engineering has helped build successful communities in the past and present and what engineering innovations could look like in the future. Helen Liang earned her bachelor of applied science in civil engineering from the University of British Columbia and an associate certificate in technical writing with distinction from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. She enjoys volunteering in her community and church, hiking, writing and learning. Arden Taylor is a Toronto-based freelance illustrator. A graduate of Sheridan College with an honors bachelor of illustration, she enjoys digitally creating colorful illustrations of architecture and people and designs for wallpaper and other projects. Her clients include Hazlitt Magazine, California Institute of Technology, and her work has been featured in various magazines, newspapers, advertising campaigns and websites. She is the illustrator of Walls and The True Story of Vanilla. It's about time! From the past to the present and into the future, the Orca Timeline series explores how big ideas have shaped humanity. Discover what our collective history can tell us about the planet today and tomorrow. An engineer can help with that!

Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series, with photographs and illustrations throughout, this book explores why and how people have built walls all over the world throughout the course of human history. Build them up. Break them down. Building walls that separate us from others is as old as humanity. People have built walls to keep others out for thousands of years, from the Great Wall of China to Hadrian's Wall to security fences along the US-Mexico border. But did you know they've also been built to keep people in, to grow food, to control nature and to collect taxes? Sometimes they've helped people and kept communities safe, but they've also created inequity and done more harm than good. Why do we have walls at all? Walls: the Long History of Human Barriers and Why We Build Them explores the many reasons humanity has put up walls over the course of our history, and why we continue building them today. Key Selling Points • An in-depth look at walls around the world throughout human history, up to the present day and into the future. • From the US-Mexico border wall to the Israeli West Bank barrier and the Hungarian border wall, controversial and divisive walls are being built around the world today. • This book will challenge young readers to think critically about why humans have built walls throughout history, who is affected, and the positive and negative consequences of building walls, for people and places. • Deals with themes of war and peace (ancient and modern), the climate crisis, human migration, racism, nationalism, protectionism, ecosystems and food insecurity. • The author is an award-winning journalist with CBC Radio in Victoria, British Columbia, and the author of books for both children and adults. It's about time! From the past to the present and into the future, the Orca Timeline series explores how big ideas have shaped humanity. Discover what our collective history can tell us about the planet today and tomorrow. Gregor Craigie is a radio journalist and writer. He has worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for many years. Before that he worked in several cities, including London, England, where he was an announcer for the BBC World Service and a reporter for CBS Radio. Gregor's first book for adults, On Borrowed Time: North America's Next Big Quake, was a finalist for the Writers' Trust Balsillie Prize for Public Policy and the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize. His first book for children was Why Humans Build Up: The Rise of Temples, Towers and Skyscrapers, part of the Orca Timeline series. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia. Arden Taylor is a Toronto-based freelance illustrator. A graduate of Sheridan College with an honors bachelor of illustration, she enjoys digitally creating colorful illustrations of architecture and people and designs for wallpaper and other projects. Her clients include Hazlitt Magazine and the California Institute of Technology, and her work has been featured in various magazines, newspapers, advertising campaigns and websites.

Let's talk. We don't think much about our ability to communicate. We simply have a conversation, make a call, send a text or use sign language to share information. But how was human language invented? And when? Communication is a way for us to express ourselves, share information and maintain relationships with others. Hundreds of years ago, humans needed to communicate to hunt, farm and defend against threats. Today, thanks to satellites and computers, we can communicate in an instant with just about anyone on Earth. Can We Talk? examines the evolution of human communication-from the theories about how spoken language began to the technological advances that connect the world now. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible. Key Selling Points • This STEAM title explores the evolution of human communication, from the past to the present, and it looks ahead to the future. Sidebar content explores unique research into human communication. • This topic is timely considering the speed of technological advances in communication today and will be relatable for tech-savvy kids who communicate a lot on devices. • Touches on many curriculum topics, including history, social sciences and technology. Looks at themes of human connection, the evolution of language and reclaiming language. • Maria Birmingham is an award-winning children's author. This is her third book in the Orca Timeline series after Are We Having Fun Yet? and Are We There Yet? Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series for middle-grade readers, this illustrated book examines how humans have communicated over time. Maria Birmingham has worked in the children's publishing industry for over 25 years. She is the award-winning author of several books for young people, including Are We There Yet? How Humans Find Their Way and Are We Having Fun Yet? The HUman Quest for a Good Time in the Orca Timeline series. She lives with her family in Brampton, Ontario. Xulin is an award-winning Canadian Chinese illustrator, cartoonist, writer and muralist based in Toronto. They write and illustrate comics at the intersection of science and social justice. As a lifelong learner passionate about education and science communication, they've dedicated their career to translating complex ideas into compelling and understandable illustrations. It's about time! From the past to the present and into the future, the Orca Timeline series explores how big ideas have shaped humanity. Discover what our collective history can tell us about the planet today and tomorrow. Communication is how we express ourselves, share information and build relationships with others. We talk, sign, call, text and even use whistling and yodeling to stay in touch. Hundreds of years ago, humans needed to connect to hunt, farm and defend against threats. Now, thanks to satellites and computers, we can be in touch with just about anyone, anywhere, at any time! Discover the way spoken language began, how it continues to change and the technology that connects us all today. Tell Me More!

Humans have been keeping secrets for generations and using cryptology to make sure those secrets don't fall into the wrong hands. From the development of ancient Greek ciphers, to the creation of the Enigma and today's CRISPR technology, codes and codebreakers have changed the course of history. Today cryptology addresses cybersecurity and the ethics of hacking our own genetic code. Cracking the Code reveals the history of codes, explores why humans keep secrets and introduces us to coding heroes like the Navajo Code Talkers from World War II. Codes have defined human history and will map our digital future. Will you be the next codebreaker to unlock the mysteries behind the codes that shape our world? Key Selling Points • This STEAM title explores the past, present and future of cryptology. It explores topics including codes that changed the world, coding machines and cybersecurity and the human genetic code, topics making headlines today. • Introduces well-known coding heroes such as Alan Turing and Ada Lovelace. It also includes people whose work hasn't been as well recognized, including the Cree and Navajo Code Talkers from World War II and Elizebeth Smith Friedman. Contemporary coders such as teenager Avye Couloute and Bruce Schneier are also discussed. • The book appeals to the natural curiosity of readers by detailing famous historical codes that remain unsolved today. This element not only adds a layer of mystery but also challenges readers who might be inspired to try solving these codes themselves. • Includes a number of curriculum connections including coding, computational thinking, computer science, cybersecurity, World War II. • Rachel Kehoe is the author of The Trailblazing Life of Viola Desmond in the Orca Biography series, which is one of the top 10 titles on the 2023 Ontario Library Association's Best Bets list. Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series for middle-grade readers, this illustrated book looks at the past, present and future of codes and codebreaking. Rachel Kehoe is an avid reader, traveler and photographer who has lived in Australia, Europe and Hong Kong. She has written for Muse, Faces and Science News for Students magazines and has also published non-fiction books on a range of topics including climate change, energy technology, artificial intelligence and mental health awareness. Her book, The Trailblazing Life of Viola Desmond, was listed as a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People in 2024. Rachel lives in Burlington, Ontario. Meegan Lim is an illustrator and arts facilitator striving to nurture community growth and healing through visual arts. She holds a bachelor of design and illustration from OCAD University. Her work primarily focuses on the intersections of food and cultural identity, manifesting through detailed gouache illustrations, digital paintings and risograph zines. Her illustrations have been featured in Chatelaine, Eater, Broken Pencil Magazine and the books What We Talk About When We Talk About Dumplings and What Do We Eat?. Meegan lives in Brampton, Ontario. It's about time! From the past to the present and into the future, the Orca Timeline series explores how big ideas have shaped humanity. Discover what our collective history can tell us about the planet today and tomorrow. Can you keep a secret?

There are so many ways humans think of time every day! There's lunchtime, snack time, bedtime, and we talk about saving time, killing time, keeping time, buying time and racing against time. Our early ancestors measured time by observing the sun and moon, and today, thanks to technology, we can know the exact time every second of the day. But time is about more than numbers. It's connected to feelings and memories, and our experiences can make time feel like it's moving too quickly or passing very, very slowly. Just a Minute delves into the past, present and future of humans' experience of time and how we track, use and try to manipulate it. Learn how the master timekeepers in our brains work, explore how animals and plants tell time and discover how our perception of time changes with what we're doing and as we age. We can't control time, but we can make every second count! Praise for Kirstie Hudson and Monique Polak ★ "A chronicle that will galvanize many young artists with their own history to honor, and Americans will see parallels with our country's history of assimilationist schooling." -The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books, starred review for Picking Up the Pieces ★ "A powerful testimony to the strength and resiliency of survivors and their families as well as the lasting impact that these institutions and policies have had within Indigenous communities. Highly recommended for school and public libraries." -Canadian Children's Book News, starred review for Picking Up the Pieces ★"The writing is fluid and easy to read, perfect for the middle school set…Polak's text explores memory from numerous angles and adapts its tone accordingly, from humorous to respectful and solemn when needed. The real-life examples are fascinating, and readers will come away with in-depth knowledge on the mind…A must-have title for libraries." -School Library Journal starred review for Remember This Key Selling Points • This STEAM title provides a comprehensive overview of time and how and why we measure it, touching on the historical, scientific, practical, philosophical and literal ways time has always been a part of human life. • Explores many facets of time, including animal time and natural cycles, physiology and biology of time in the human body, time and climate change, daylight saving time, lunar time and more. • Additionally, this title introduces young readers to social concepts of time, including time across cultures (circular versus linear time and Indigenous ways of knowing), mindfulness versus busyness and time in mythology and storytelling. • Features plenty of fun facts about the smallest units of time (zeptoseconds!), the recent discovery of time cells in the human brain, an explanation of how dogs know it's dinner time and how a walk in nature can slow down time. • Kirstie Hudson and Monique Polak are award-winning authors of nonfiction books for kids. Kirstie Hudson's co-authored book, The Witness Blanket, won the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction and Monique Polak's book, What World is Left, won a Janet Savage Blachford Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature. Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series for middle-grade readers, this illustrated book is a comprehensive overview of time, and how and why we measure it. Kirstie Hudson is an award-winning writer, editor and journalist. She was a long-time reporter and producer with CBC Radio. Kirstie coauthored two books with Indigenous artist Carey Newman. Picking Up the Pieces was a finalist for the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize. The Witness Blanket was the winner of the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction and a finalist for the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award. As an instructor at the University of Victoria, Kirstie shared her love of storytelling with students in writing and journalism. She lives in Victoria, BC.

Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series, with photographs and illustrations throughout, this book explores why and how people have built walls all over the world throughout the course of human history. Build them up. Break them down. Building walls that separate us from others is as old as humanity. People have built walls to keep others out for thousands of years, from the Great Wall of China to Hadrian's Wall to security fences along the US-Mexico border. But did you know they've also been built to keep people in, to grow food, to control nature and to collect taxes? Sometimes they've helped people and kept communities safe, but they've also created inequity and done more harm than good. Why do we have walls at all? Walls: the Long History of Human Barriers and Why We Build Them explores the many reasons humanity has put up walls over the course of our history, and why we continue building them today. Key Selling Points • An in-depth look at walls around the world throughout human history, up to the present day and into the future. • From the US-Mexico border wall to the Israeli West Bank barrier and the Hungarian border wall, controversial and divisive walls are being built around the world today. • This book will challenge young readers to think critically about why humans have built walls throughout history, who is affected, and the positive and negative consequences of building walls, for people and places. • Deals with themes of war and peace (ancient and modern), the climate crisis, human migration, racism, nationalism, protectionism, ecosystems and food insecurity. • The author is an award-winning journalist with CBC Radio in Victoria, British Columbia, and the author of books for both children and adults. It's about time! From the past to the present and into the future, the Orca Timeline series explores how big ideas have shaped humanity. Discover what our collective history can tell us about the planet today and tomorrow. Gregor Craigie is a radio journalist and writer. He has worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for many years. Before that he worked in several cities, including London, England, where he was an announcer for the BBC World Service and a reporter for CBS Radio. Gregor's first book for adults, On Borrowed Time: North America's Next Big Quake, was a finalist for the Writers' Trust Balsillie Prize for Public Policy and the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize. His first book for children was Why Humans Build Up: The Rise of Temples, Towers and Skyscrapers, part of the Orca Timeline series. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia. Arden Taylor is a Toronto-based freelance illustrator. A graduate of Sheridan College with an honors bachelor of illustration, she enjoys digitally creating colorful illustrations of architecture and people and designs for wallpaper and other projects. Her clients include Hazlitt Magazine and the California Institute of Technology, and her work has been featured in various magazines, newspapers, advertising campaigns and websites.

From where we live to what we eat, water plays a vital role in our survival. Since ancient times, water's life-giving power has inspired people's spiritual beliefs. It has influenced how humans migrated around the world. Recently, human ingenuity has taken water from a drinking source to an energy source, though not without consequences. As our population grows, cities expand and climate changes, what is the future of water? Innovations are making water equitable and accessible for all. Water warriors, determined to repair, protect and conserve water, are also shifting the mindset from humans needing water to water needing us. Making a Splash: How Humans Consume, Conserve and Care for Water looks at what has been done in the past and what can be done in the future to ensure the health and prosperity of our blue planet. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible. Key Selling Points: • This STEM title explores the human relationship with water from the past, present and into the future. The chapters discuss how water has influenced and informed human settlement, agriculture, invention and innovation, spirituality, exploration, water security, water equity and the current climate crisis. • Challenges young readers to think about the role water has in their lives and how they can take action to protect it for the future. • This book balances the good and the bad in our relationship with water. It examines global warming, pollution, waterborne illnesses, rising oceans and water inequity, but also dives into conservation projects, innovative sustainable technology and the stories of the people who are protecting water around the world. • It features water conservation projects such as the Indigenous-led Seal River Initiative in Manitoba and water warriors fighting to protect the Amazon River. • Colleen Nelson is an award-winning children's author and teacher. This is her first nonfiction title with Orca. Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series for middle-grade readers, this illustrated book explores our relationship with water and how we use, control and take care of it. Colleen Nelson is a teacher and award-winning author from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her nonfiction titles include If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It: How 25 Inspiring Individuals Found Their Dream Jobs and See It, Dream It, Do It: How 25 People Just like You Found Their Dream Jobs, both co-written with Kathie MacIsaac. Her middle-grade novels include The Umbrella House, Undercover Book List and The Harvey Stories series. When not writing, Colleen loves spending time outside and globe-trotting, preferably to places near a lake, river or ocean. Sophie Dubé is a Canadian illustrator and concept artist. She graduated with honors from the Sheridan College illustration program and has worked as an art director for Zazie Films. Sophie lives in Vancouver, where she enjoys taking her sketchbook along for hikes and camping trips. It's about time! From the past to the present and into the future, the Orca Timeline series explores how big ideas have shaped humanity. Discover what our collective history can tell us about the planet today and tomorrow. Water is so much more than something to drink. Since ancient times water has influenced where we live, what we eat and what we believe. Today it powers cities and towns around the world. From drinking and bathing to growing food and transportation, every drop is important to our survival. As our population grows and the climate changes, what is the future of water? Meet the people protecting water for the next generation. Discover new ideas to make clean water accessible for everyone. Ready to dive deeper? The health of our blue planet depends on it. Every Drop Counts

From where we live to what we eat, water plays a vital role in our survival. Since ancient times, water's life-giving power has inspired people's spiritual beliefs. It has influenced how humans migrated around the world. Recently, human ingenuity has taken water from a drinking source to an energy source, though not without consequences. As our population grows, cities expand and climate changes, what is the future of water? Innovations are making water equitable and accessible for all. Water warriors, determined to repair, protect and conserve water, are also shifting the mindset from humans needing water to water needing us. Making a Splash: How Humans Consume, Conserve and Care for Water looks at what has been done in the past and what can be done in the future to ensure the health and prosperity of our blue planet. Key Selling Points: • This STEM title explores the human relationship with water from the past, present and into the future. The chapters discuss how water has influenced and informed human settlement, agriculture, invention and innovation, spirituality, exploration, water security, water equity and the current climate crisis. • Challenges young readers to think about the role water has in their lives and how they can take action to protect it for the future. • This book balances the good and the bad in our relationship with water. It examines global warming, pollution, waterborne illnesses, rising oceans and water inequity, but also dives into conservation projects, innovative sustainable technology and the stories of the people who are protecting water around the world. • It features water conservation projects such as the Indigenous-led Seal River Initiative in Manitoba and water warriors fighting to protect the Amazon River. • Colleen Nelson is an award-winning children's author and teacher. This is her first nonfiction title with Orca. Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series for middle-grade readers, this illustrated book explores our relationship with water and how we use, control and take care of it. Colleen Nelson is a teacher and award-winning author from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her nonfiction titles include If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It: How 25 Inspiring Individuals Found Their Dream Jobs and See It, Dream It, Do It: How 25 People Just like You Found Their Dream Jobs, both co-written with Kathie MacIsaac. Her middle-grade novels include The Umbrella House, Undercover Book List and The Harvey Stories series. When not writing, Colleen loves spending time outside and globe-trotting, preferably to places near a lake, river or ocean. Sophie Dubé is a Canadian illustrator and concept artist. She graduated with honors from the Sheridan College illustration program and has worked as an art director for Zazie Films. Sophie lives in Vancouver, where she enjoys taking her sketchbook along for hikes and camping trips. It's about time! From the past to the present and into the future, the Orca Timeline series explores how big ideas have shaped humanity. Discover what our collective history can tell us about the planet today and tomorrow. Water is so much more than something to drink. Since ancient times water has influenced where we live, what we eat and what we believe. Today it powers cities and towns around the world. From drinking and bathing to growing food and transportation, every drop is important to our survival. As our population grows and the climate changes, what is the future of water? Meet the people protecting water for the next generation. Discover new ideas to make clean water accessible for everyone. Ready to dive deeper? The health of our blue planet depends on it. Every Drop Counts

There are so many ways humans think of time every day! There's lunchtime, snack time, bedtime, and we talk about saving time, killing time, keeping time, buying time and racing against time. Our early ancestors measured time by observing the sun and moon, and today, thanks to technology, we can know the exact time every second of the day. But time is about more than numbers. It's connected to feelings and memories, and our experiences can make time feel like it's moving too quickly or passing very, very slowly. Just a Minute delves into the past, present and future of humans' experience of time and how we track, use and try to manipulate it. Learn how the master timekeepers in our brains work, explore how animals and plants tell time and discover how our perception of time changes with what we're doing and as we age. We can't control time, but we can make every second count! Praise for Kirstie Hudson and Monique Polak ★ "A chronicle that will galvanize many young artists with their own history to honor, and Americans will see parallels with our country's history of assimilationist schooling." -The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books, starred review for Picking Up the Pieces ★ "A powerful testimony to the strength and resiliency of survivors and their families as well as the lasting impact that these institutions and policies have had within Indigenous communities. Highly recommended for school and public libraries." -Canadian Children's Book News, starred review for Picking Up the Pieces ★"The writing is fluid and easy to read, perfect for the middle school set…Polak's text explores memory from numerous angles and adapts its tone accordingly, from humorous to respectful and solemn when needed. The real-life examples are fascinating, and readers will come away with in-depth knowledge on the mind…A must-have title for libraries." -School Library Journal starred review for Remember This Key Selling Points • This STEAM title provides a comprehensive overview of time and how and why we measure it, touching on the historical, scientific, practical, philosophical and literal ways time has always been a part of human life. • Explores many facets of time, including animal time and natural cycles, physiology and biology of time in the human body, time and climate change, daylight saving time, lunar time and more. • Additionally, this title introduces young readers to social concepts of time, including time across cultures (circular versus linear time and Indigenous ways of knowing), mindfulness versus busyness and time in mythology and storytelling. • Features plenty of fun facts about the smallest units of time (zeptoseconds!), the recent discovery of time cells in the human brain, an explanation of how dogs know it's dinner time and how a walk in nature can slow down time. • Kirstie Hudson and Monique Polak are award-winning authors of nonfiction books for kids. Kirstie Hudson's co-authored book, The Witness Blanket, won the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction and Monique Polak's book, What World is Left, won a Janet Savage Blachford Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature. Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series for middle-grade readers, this illustrated book is a comprehensive overview of time, and how and why we measure it. Kirstie Hudson is an award-winning writer, editor and journalist. She was a long-time reporter and producer with CBC Radio. Kirstie coauthored two books with Indigenous artist Carey Newman. Picking Up the Pieces was a finalist for the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize. The Witness Blanket was the winner of the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction and a finalist for the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award. As an instructor at the University of Victoria, Kirstie shared her love of storytelling with students in writing and journalism. She lives in Victoria, BC.

Green space is good for us all. Parks and gardens bring life to communities big and small all over the world and provide a habitat for native plants and animals. Ensuring access to these outdoor spaces can inspire art, music and literature and create ways for communities to grow their own food. But today, green space everywhere is at risk. Keep Our World Green looks at how green space has evolved throughout history, from the first public garden to the origins of bonsai trees. It examines the political, social and environmental challenges of maintaining green spaces because of pollution, inequality and the effects of the climate crisis. It also introduces the people working to protect these places for the future-you can be a green space activist too! Come on, let's take a walk in the park together! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible. Key Selling Points • This book explores the past, present and future of green space around the world. The chapters look at why green space matters, the evolution of gardens and public parks, how green space inspires art, music and literature, how green space is threatened, inequality in access to green space, innovation and examples of green ideas, how green space builds community and how young people can help preserve it for the future. • This book challenges young readers to think about the role of green space in their own lives and what role they can play in conserving and protecting it in their communities. • It deals with timely themes including the effects of climate change, environmental conservation and protection, biodiversity, accessibility, inequality, environmental racism, food security and urban renewal. • It introduces young readers to famous green spaces around the world, including the classical gardens of Suzhuo, China; Monet's garden at Giverny; Georgia O'Keeffe's Abiquiú Garden; Birkenhead Park (the first public park); New York's Central Park; The Giant Tijuca Forest in Brazil, Cat Ba National Park in Vietnam and the floating gardens in Bangladesh. • Frieda Wishinsky is the award-winning author of more than 80 books. She grew up near Central Park, New York City and visits parks, gardens and green spaces everywhere. Frieda took many of the photographs included in the book herself. Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series for middle-grade readers, this illustrated book examines parks, gardens and public green spaces throughout history and shares why it's important to protect them for future generations. Frieda Wishinsky is the international award-winning author of over 80 picture books, novels and nonfiction. Her books have been translated into many languages, including Spanish, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, French, Chinese and Korean. Frieda loves exploring new ideas and sharing the writing process with writers and readers of all ages. Frieda also loves to travel and take pictures. She enjoys walks and talks with friends and family, eating chocolate and, of course, visiting parks, gardens and green spaces everywhere. Sara Theuerkauf is an illustrator and interior architect. Her work captures moments of simple ritual coziness and reflects her affinity for nature, textiles, traditional craft, maps and design. Her best ideas for sketches come to her on long walks through the forest or botanical gardens near her studio in Vancouver. It's about time! From the past to the present and into the future, the Orca Timeline series explores how big ideas have shaped humanity. Discover what our collective history can tell us about the planet today and tomorrow. Green space matters! Green space is good for us. It helps us stay healthy, feel happier and breathe clean air. Throughout human history, parks and gardens bring life to communities, inspire art, music and literature, and make space for people to grow food. But protecting green space is no walk in the park. Pollution, inequality and a changing climate are puttin

Do you go to school? If you are reading this book, chances are you do. Education allows us to learn about the world, develop new skills and fulfill our dreams for the future. But school can be dramatically different for children depending on things like where they live, how much money their families make and even what they look like. Grab your tablet for a day at school in Ancient Rome. Take a class in a 19th-century one-room schoolhouse in the United States. Discover how nature schools and Indigenous land-based education work. Find out how technology and artificial intelligence (AI) is changing curriculums and how teachers, librarians and students are fighting book bans in schools. Time for School explores who learns, what we learn, where we learn, when we learn and how we learn in the past, present and into the future. Key Selling Points • Explores the past, present and future of schools and who learns, why we learn, where we learn, when we learn and how we learn. • Explores current topics including inclusivity and equity in access to education, cyberbullying, SOGI curriculum, book bans, technology and AI in the classroom, alternative schools, nature schools and Indigenous land-based education. • Young readers will discover what it was like to go school around the world at different times in human history, including in Ancient Rome, a one-room schoolhouse in 19th-century North America and in secret schools during World War Two. • Includes facts and statistics about kids and school. Boston Latin is the oldest public school in the United States and it opened in 1635. The COVID-19 pandemic meant 370 million children were at risk of missing free school meals. Most kids in North America get to school by vehicle, but others bike, walk or take a boat, subway, snowmobile, or gondola. • Leah Payne is public librarian, writer and editor. She has written two books in the Orca Footprints series: Less is More: Join the Low-Waste Movement and Get Outside: How Humans Connect with Nature. Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series for middle-grade readers, this illustrated book examines the past, present and future of schools around the world and the who, what, where, when and how we learn. Leah Payne is a writer, editor, public librarian and mother. She holds a bachelor's degree in communication from Simon Fraser University and a master's degree in library and information studies (MLIS) from the University of British Columbia. Leah lives in British Columbia with her family. She loves reading and learning and would probably go to school forever if she could! Leah is also the author of Less Is More and Get Outside!, both published by Orca. Paige Jung is a Chinese Canadian illustrator, muralist and artist from so-called "Vancouver", Canada. Using digital, gouache and acrylic mediums, Paige is known for her proficient use of color and gestural shapes to create illustrations that tell stories of connection, wonder, community and what makes us human. Paige is grateful to be creating, living and gathering on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. It's about time! From the past to the present and into the future, the Orca Timeline series explores how big ideas have shaped humanity. Discover what our collective history can tell us about the planet today and tomorrow. Let's Get to Class "Readers embark on an engaging journey through the diverse landscapes of education. Readers will be drawn to the color and variety, while educators and librarians will appreciate how the art reinforces the book's central theme. Highly recommended for school and public libraries; this book bridges social science, history, and education. The narrative provides an illuminating, thoughtful, and rich exploration of schooling then and now."

It's about time! From the past to the present and into the future, the Orca Timeline series explores how big ideas have shaped humanity. Discover what our collective history can tell us about the planet today and tomorrow. Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series, with photographs and illustrations throughout, this book examines the innovative ways humanity grows, finds and eats food. What's cooking? Every day, no matter where we are or where we need to go, humans need food. Imagine carrying meals with you as you parachute into a war zone. Or trying to stay well fed while building the pyramids. People have always found ways to work together to put a meal on the table. What Do We Eat? is a delicious celebration of human creativity and cooperation, wrapped up in bite-sized slices of history, with a look at what scientists and inventors are cooking for the future. We are gobbling up Earth's resources, and food is not shared equally. But today there's a magic tree transforming the dry African plains, food "ambulances" on the move and cities that have declared access to food a human right. Hungry to find out more? Let's roll up our sleeves and find out what's for dinner. Key Selling Points • Showcases a range of STEM topics, such as engineering design, agriculture and biology, as well as social studies, geography and history. • Each topic is presented through bite-sized stories about food, covering the Egyptian Pyramid builders, the ancient Roman army, World War II paratroopers, Mars astronauts and more. • Focuses on themes of resourcefulness, innovation, resilience and cooperation, offering many specific, positive examples of humans working together to solve problems and get a meal on the table. • This book is timely, as it discusses the current inequities in access to food as well as the global issue of food waste. As well, it considers the future of food in light of the climate crisis and a growing population, and highlights both innovative technologies and ideas from our past that might help us in the future, such as robotics and sensing, indoor vertical farms, lab-cultured meat, seaweed farming and the eating of insects. • Asks readers to think critically about food, has links to numerous curriculum themes and has been vetted by experts in food security, agriculture, history and environmental studies. • The author is an established writer of nonfiction titles for young people, including Cities, the award-winning Fresh Air, Clean Water and Design Like Nature, all published by Orca. Megan Clendenan enjoys learning about how people ate throughout history and hopes that the foods of the future will be more sustainable and just. She is the author of Cities: How Humans Live Together and the Green Earth Award winner Fresh Air, Clean Water: Our Right to a Healthy Environment. She is a co-author of Design Like Nature: Biomimicry for a Healthy Planet, part of the Orca Footprints series. Megan lives near Vancouver, British Columbia, with her family, where she likes growing vegetables in her backyard. Meegan Lim is an illustrator and arts facilitator striving to nurture community growth and healing through visual arts. She holds a bachelor of design and illustration from OCAD University. Her work primarily focuses on the intersections of food and cultural identity, manifesting through detailed gouache illustrations, digital paintings and risograph zines. Her illustrations have been featured in Chatelaine, Eater, Broken Pencil Magazine and the book What We Talk About When We Talk About Dumplings. Meegan lives in Brampton, Ontario.

Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series, with photographs and illustrations throughout, this book examines the history, science, ethics and social issues related to infectious diseases and vaccines. Our best shot. Vaccination is one of humanity's most effective and greatest discoveries. Infections like the plague, smallpox and other deadly diseases have affected and killed people for thousands of years, but the invention of vaccines forever changed our relationship with these diseases. More recently the urgency of developing an effective vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic brought vaccination to the public's attention. Simmering tensions around vaccine hesitancy, misinformation and mistrust of science came to the forefront. Although an earlier form of protection against infectious diseases has been practiced for a long time, vaccines have only been around for 200 years. Why We Need Vaccines explores the history of vaccine discovery, the science of how vaccines work and the public-health achievements that vaccines have made possible. It also discusses vaccine mandates and inequality in access to vaccines on local and global scales. It challenges young readers to take responsibility for themselves, their families and their communities so we can all be part of the solution to take down infectious diseases. Key Selling Points • Covers STEM topics, including the history, biology, evolution and effects of viruses and vaccine development. • The book discusses misinformation, mental biases and how to think critically about information found online (or elsewhere). It challenges young readers to think about social and ethical responsibility when it comes to vaccination, and their responsibilities as individuals and members of a larger community. • COVID-19 and the race to develop a vaccine for it put the topic of vaccines, vaccine mandates and vaccine hesitancy in the spotlight. • The book includes career profiles of professionals in the field, such as a doctor, a nurse, a medical historian, an epidemiologist, a medical ethicist, an IT specialist and others. One profile is of two young people who volunteer with a nonprofit focused on training youth to become vaccine ambassadors in their schools and communities. • The author is a biologist and science writer, and her mother was an infectious diseases doctor. It's about time! From the past to the present and into the future, the Orca Timeline series explores how big ideas have shaped humanity. Discover what our collective history can tell us about the planet today and tomorrow.

It's about time! From the past to the present and into the future, the Orca Timeline series explores how big ideas have shaped humanity. Discover what our collective history can tell us about the planet today and tomorrow. Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series, with photographs and illustrations throughout, this book examines the innovative ways humanity grows, finds and eats food. What's cooking? Every day, no matter where we are or where we need to go, humans need food. Imagine carrying meals with you as you parachute into a war zone. Or trying to stay well fed while building the pyramids. People have always found ways to work together to put a meal on the table. What Do We Eat? is a delicious celebration of human creativity and cooperation, wrapped up in bite-sized slices of history, with a look at what scientists and inventors are cooking for the future. We are gobbling up Earth's resources, and food is not shared equally. But today there's a magic tree transforming the dry African plains, food "ambulances" on the move and cities that have declared access to food a human right. Hungry to find out more? Let's roll up our sleeves and find out what's for dinner. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible. Key Selling Points • Showcases a range of STEM topics, such as engineering design, agriculture and biology, as well as social studies, geography and history. • Each topic is presented through bite-sized stories about food, covering the Egyptian Pyramid builders, the ancient Roman army, World War II paratroopers, Mars astronauts and more. • Focuses on themes of resourcefulness, innovation, resilience and cooperation, offering many specific, positive examples of humans working together to solve problems and get a meal on the table. • This book is timely, as it discusses the current inequities in access to food as well as the global issue of food waste. As well, it considers the future of food in light of the climate crisis and a growing population, and highlights both innovative technologies and ideas from our past that might help us in the future, such as robotics and sensing, indoor vertical farms, lab-cultured meat, seaweed farming and the eating of insects. • Asks readers to think critically about food, has links to numerous curriculum themes and has been vetted by experts in food security, agriculture, history and environmental studies. • The author is an established writer of nonfiction titles for young people, including Cities, the award-winning Fresh Air, Clean Water and Design Like Nature, all published by Orca. Megan Clendenan enjoys learning about how people ate throughout history and hopes that the foods of the future will be more sustainable and just. She is the author of Cities: How Humans Live Together and the Green Earth Award winner Fresh Air, Clean Water: Our Right to a Healthy Environment. She is a co-author of Design Like Nature: Biomimicry for a Healthy Planet, part of the Orca Footprints series. Megan lives near Vancouver, British Columbia, with her family, where she likes growing vegetables in her backyard. Meegan Lim is an illustrator and arts facilitator striving to nurture community growth and healing through visual arts. She holds a bachelor of design and illustration from OCAD University. Her work primarily focuses on the intersections of food and cultural identity, manifesting through detailed gouache illustrations, digital paintings and risograph zines. Her illustrations have been featured in Chatelaine, Eater, Broken Pencil Magazine and the book What We Talk About When We Talk About Dumplings. Meegan lives in Brampton, Ontario.

Green space is good for us all. Parks and gardens bring life to communities big and small all over the world and provide a habitat for native plants and animals. Ensuring access to these outdoor spaces can inspire art, music and literature and create ways for communities to grow their own food. But today, green space everywhere is at risk. Keep Our World Green looks at how green space has evolved throughout history, from the first public garden to the origins of bonsai trees. It examines the political, social and environmental challenges of maintaining green spaces because of pollution, inequality and the effects of the climate crisis. It also introduces the people working to protect these places for the future-you can be a green space activist too! Come on, let's take a walk in the park together! Key Selling Points • This book explores the past, present and future of green space around the world. The chapters look at why green space matters, the evolution of gardens and public parks, how green space inspires art, music and literature, how green space is threatened, inequality in access to green space, innovation and examples of green ideas, how green space builds community and how young people can help preserve it for the future. • This book challenges young readers to think about the role of green space in their own lives and what role they can play in conserving and protecting it in their communities. • It deals with timely themes including the effects of climate change, environmental conservation and protection, biodiversity, accessibility, inequality, environmental racism, food security and urban renewal. • It introduces young readers to famous green spaces around the world, including the classical gardens of Suzhuo, China; Monet's garden at Giverny; Georgia O'Keeffe's Abiquiú Garden; Birkenhead Park (the first public park); New York's Central Park; The Giant Tijuca Forest in Brazil, Cat Ba National Park in Vietnam and the floating gardens in Bangladesh. • Frieda Wishinsky is the award-winning author of more than 80 books. She grew up near Central Park, New York City and visits parks, gardens and green spaces everywhere. Frieda took many of the photographs included in the book herself. Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series for middle-grade readers, this illustrated book examines parks, gardens and public green spaces throughout history and shares why it's important to protect them for future generations. Frieda Wishinsky is the international award-winning author of over 80 picture books, novels and nonfiction. Her books have been translated into many languages, including Spanish, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, French, Chinese and Korean. Frieda loves exploring new ideas and sharing the writing process with writers and readers of all ages. Frieda also loves to travel and take pictures. She enjoys walks and talks with friends and family, eating chocolate and, of course, visiting parks, gardens and green spaces everywhere. Sara Theuerkauf is an illustrator and interior architect. Her work captures moments of simple ritual coziness and reflects her affinity for nature, textiles, traditional craft, maps and design. Her best ideas for sketches come to her on long walks through the forest or botanical gardens near her studio in Vancouver. It's about time! From the past to the present and into the future, the Orca Timeline series explores how big ideas have shaped humanity. Discover what our collective history can tell us about the planet today and tomorrow. Green space matters! Green space is good for us. It helps us stay healthy, feel happier and breathe clean air. Throughout human history, parks and gardens bring life to communities, inspire art, music and literature, and make space for people to grow food. But protecting green space is no walk in the park. Pollution, inequality and a changing climate are putting green space at risk. Meet the people working to prote

Do you go to school? If you are reading this book, chances are you do. Education allows us to learn about the world, develop new skills and fulfill our dreams for the future. But school can be dramatically different for children depending on things like where they live, how much money their families make and even what they look like. Grab your tablet for a day at school in Ancient Rome. Take a class in a 19th-century one-room schoolhouse in the United States. Discover how nature schools and Indigenous land-based education work. Find out how technology and artificial intelligence (AI) is changing curriculums and how teachers, librarians and students are fighting book bans in schools. Time for School explores who learns, what we learn, where we learn, when we learn and how we learn in the past, present and into the future. Key Selling Points • Explores the past, present and future of schools and who learns, why we learn, where we learn, when we learn and how we learn. • Explores current topics including inclusivity and equity in access to education, cyberbullying, SOGI curriculum, book bans, technology and AI in the classroom, alternative schools, nature schools and Indigenous land-based education. • Young readers will discover what it was like to go school around the world at different times in human history, including in Ancient Rome, a one-room schoolhouse in 19th-century North America and in secret schools during World War Two. • Includes facts and statistics about kids and school. Boston Latin is the oldest public school in the United States and it opened in 1635. The COVID-19 pandemic meant 370 million children were at risk of missing free school meals. Most kids in North America get to school by vehicle, but others bike, walk or take a boat, subway, snowmobile, or gondola. • Leah Payne is public librarian, writer and editor. She has written two books in the Orca Footprints series: Less is More: Join the Low-Waste Movement and Get Outside: How Humans Connect with Nature. Part of the nonfiction Orca Timeline series for middle-grade readers, this illustrated book examines the past, present and future of schools around the world and the who, what, where, when and how we learn. Leah Payne is a writer, editor, public librarian and mother. She holds a bachelor's degree in communication from Simon Fraser University and a master's degree in library and information studies (MLIS) from the University of British Columbia. Leah lives in British Columbia with her family. She loves reading and learning and would probably go to school forever if she could! Leah is also the author of Less Is More and Get Outside!, both published by Orca. Paige Jung is a Chinese Canadian illustrator, muralist and artist from so-called "Vancouver", Canada. Using digital, gouache and acrylic mediums, Paige is known for her proficient use of color and gestural shapes to create illustrations that tell stories of connection, wonder, community and what makes us human. Paige is grateful to be creating, living and gathering on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. It's about time! From the past to the present and into the future, the Orca Timeline series explores how big ideas have shaped humanity. Discover what our collective history can tell us about the planet today and tomorrow. Let's Get to Class "Readers embark on an engaging journey through the diverse landscapes of education. Readers will be drawn to the color and variety, while educators and librarians will appreciate how the art reinforces the book's central theme. Highly recommended for school and public libraries; this book bridges social science, history, and education. The narrative provides an illuminating, thoughtful, and rich exploration of schooling then and now."