Orca Echoes

Filip, the ten-year-old son of Croatian immigrants, lives in a boring suburb of the big city, where he passes his time either at school or in his cozy kitchen, googling everything from dinosaurs to the Hubble Space Telescope. When his favorite uncle gets sick, Filip turns to Google for answers. Instead he receives a visit from the Great Googlini, a tiny woman in Converse sneakers who swirls out of the computer vents. She's not really a genie, she explains: "I'm more of an archivist." Her visit is a little bit of magic that lets Filip see the magic all around him. Ultimately about the things we can know and the things we can't, this is a smart, touching, funny chapter book about growing up, braving tough times and looking for answers.

The first book in the Lark Ba Detective series! It's the third day of summer vacation, and Lark's halmoni-that's Korean for grandmother-has promised to take Lark and her twin brother, Connor, to the library. Only trouble is, they arrive to discover that the town librarian is missing her key to the library. Lucky for her, Lark just happens to be a budding private eye. Can rookie detectives Lark and Connor solve this mystery and recover the lost key? The epub edition of this title is fully accessible. Key Selling Points • Eight-year-old twins turned private investigators are the main characters in this original and amusing series. • The main character struggles with dyslexia but demonstrates various tricks throughout the story that she uses to work with her learning disability. • Featuring a diverse family, Korean and Kenyan (Swahili), with vocabulary and customs featured in the story. • Using a dyslexia-friendly font, the book introduces readers to idioms and advanced vocabulary via Lark's point of view and includes a section at the end that explains the words and figures of speech used. • Fast-paced plots, child-friendly intrigue, accessible language and short chapters featuring black-and-white illustrations make this series perfect for emergent readers. In this early chapter book, rookie detectives Lark Ba and Connor come to the rescue when the librarian misplaces her library key. Award-winning author Natasha Deen graduated from the University of Alberta with a BA in psychology. In addition to her work as a presenter and workshop facilitator with schools, she writes for kids, young adults and adults. Natasha was the 2013 Regional Writer in Residence for the Metro Edmonton Library Federation. Natasha lives in Edmonton. The Lark Ba Detective series features a pair of plucky eight-year-old twins turned private investigators. Accessible language, short chapters and eye-catching illustrations make the Lark Ba series the perfect choice for mystery-minded emergent readers in your life. Lark Ba is on the case! "Although there are many labels that could be placed on this short chapter book's protagonist, none of them matter to the plucky little heroine who loves to read...the subjects of race and learning disabilities are incorporated neatly...Lark is a mixed-race girl debuting a lighthearted series...she may develop into a character with a fan base, like Ramona and Clementine before her." "The narrative style...has a distinctively personal flavour with the inclusion of crossed out spelling attempts. Lark's fascination with words enhances the text and adds humour...Lark Holds the Key provides an excellent example of the steps of problem solving...After reading this first book in the Lark Ba detective series, young readers will look forward to the sequel." "A problem-solving adventure led by a lovable character and enhanced with vocabulary lessons: there is much to celebrate in this story. Lark Ba is a welcome addition to early chapter book heroines." "There are enough clues in this engaging novel to allow readers to solve the mystery on their own, and astute detectives will be able to figure it out even before Lark does. Lark is a very likable and relatable character, with some quirkiness about her that children will find humorous…There are a perfect amount of illustrations, which are extremely appealing and perfectly enhance the story. This offering in the Orca Echoes Series of beginning chapter books is one that most libraries will see circulate."

Black Gold is the third book featuring Cyrus and Rudy's adventures on the farm, following Not for Sale and Blackberry Juice. Cyrus and Rudy spend the last days of summer selling dahlias, blackberries and tomatoes at their roadside stand. When a neighbor drops off a bin full of red wigglers, California earthworms that break down compost into fertilizer, Rudy and Cyrus become worm moguls as they discover just how in demand the Eisenia fetida are.

One spring, a nine-year-old Cree boy is visited by a master soapstone carver named Lindy, who gives him four pieces of soapstone. The primary secret to carving, the boy learns, is recognizing that each piece of soapstone already holds its true form inside. Lindy teaches the boy to listen to the soapstone and look to the world around him for signs as to what to carve. As the seasons change, the young boy's experiences lend him opportunities to develop his carving skills and become attuned to the signs around him. He eagerly awaits the following spring, which will bring Lindy's return and a chance to show off his carvings.

After moving into their new home, a keeling-over farmhouse in the country, nine-year-old Cyrus and his brother, Rudy, have trouble adjusting to all the changes. The fresh-from-the-farm egg yolks are blindingly yellow. The eccentric girl next door has a very unusual sense of style. And Rumpley, a donkey they inherited with the farmhouse, doesn't even know how to bray. Nothing about the country feels warm or familiar. But when Cyrus is stranded one evening by the tide, he finds his lifeline in an unlikely companion. Blackberry Juice is the sequel to Not For Sale.

After Morgan's backyard is flooded by the nearby river, her dog, Shire, finds a baby beaver that has been washed out of its den. Realizing that its parents aren't coming back, Morgan must quickly learn to care for the beaver, which she names Sammy. Morgan's parents warn her that he can't stay with them forever. Will Morgan be able to find a safe home for Sammy?

Angelica isn't a liar, she just loves making up stories. When Angelica goes to sleepaway camp and is mistaken for a princess, she could easily clear up the misunderstanding...but pretending to be royalty is way more fun! When her best friend from home surprises her at camp, Angelica is forced to fess up. Luckily, she also has a talent for repairing things, and when disaster strikes on the girls' kayaking trip, Jelly has to repair more than just her newfound friendships.

It's Ramadan, a time to focus on good deeds and to fast, and Badir and his brother, Anis, are out for a walk one evening while they wait for their iftar meal. In the park Badir sees a rat. A very, very large rat. He soon learns it's actually a beaver, an animal that doesn't live in Tunisia, the country Badir and his family have emigrated from. It turns out that some of the neighbors who enjoy the park think this beaver is a bit of a pest, but Badir thinks it's wonderful and learns everything he can about the iconic Canadian animal. When a petition is started to remove the beaver, Badir, who knows firsthand how difficult it is to leave your home behind, rallies his classmates to save it. And with a little help from new friends, the kids learn that collaboration and faith can change the way we think about the world.