Orca Echoes Resource Guide [1 ed.] 9781554693788, 9781554692408

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Resource Guide Alex Van Tol ISBN 978-1-55469-2408 Price:$45.00

Orca Echoes Resource Guide

orca echoes

Contents About Orca Echoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 A word about reading levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 How do I use this curriculum guide? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Classroom Teaching Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Literature Circles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Responding to Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Guided Reading Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Books Grouped by Subject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Book Titles with Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Book Summaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Index of Teachers’ Guides: following page Cover illustration from Bruno for Real by Helen Flook. Used with permission.

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Index of Teachers’ Guides A Bee in Your Ear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Big Tree Gang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 The Birthday Girl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Captain Jake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Cheetah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Dimples Delight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Down the Chimney with Googol and Googolplex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 A Frog in My Throat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 George Most Wanted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 George, the Best of All! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Ghost Wolf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 I, Bruno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Jeremy and the Enchanted Theater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Jeremy and the Fantastic Flying Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Jeremy and the Golden Fleece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Jeremy in the Underworld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Kelly’s Cabin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Marsh Island . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Maybe Later . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Monster Lunch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 A Noodle Up Your Nose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

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Bruno for Real . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Out and About with the Big Tree Gang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Over the Rainbow with Googol and Googolplex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 The Paper Wagon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 A Puppy is for Loving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 The Raspberry Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Rhyme Stones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Sam and Nate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Sea Dog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Sharing Snowy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Theodora Bear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Timberwolf Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

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Timberwolf Chase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Timberwolf Hunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Timberwolf Revenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Timberwolf Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Timberwolf Trap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 The True Story of George . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Under the Sea with Googol and Googolplex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 What a Hippopota-Mess! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

Orca Echoes Resource Guide

orca echoes Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

Orca Echoes Resource Guide

orca echoes

What are Orca Echoes, and how do I use the books in the classroom? Written by outstanding Canadian children’s authors such as Jean Little, Becky Citra, Sigmund Brouwer and Karleen Bradford, the books in the Orca Echoes series are short chapter books aimed at readers between ages seven and nine. They’re lively, entertaining and, best of all, fun to read. With generous illustrations and easy-to-follow plots, these books tell engaging stories about believable characters. Several strong thematic currents run through the Orca Echoes series. Looking for stories about friendship, courage or diversity? You’ll find them here, along with issues of responsibility, leadership and equality. Books in this series open the door for meaningful conversations about bullying, discrimination and peer pressure. A natural complement to your social studies curriculum, the books in the Orca Echoes series integrate seamlessly with concepts of personal and community identity. You’ve got a few choices for how to use these books. They’re designed for your students to read independently. But they’re also great for reading in small groups or for sharing with a buddy. And they make fun read-alouds. A word about reading levels It’s always a challenge to choose a range of books The Guided Reading framework that students will enjoy and that are at that just-right assigns a level from A to Z reading level. There are myriad readability levels according to a variety of factors available, which can be confusing for educators such as content, book and print and librarians. We’ve done the hard work for you. features, themes, language and Orca Echoes are aimed at grade 2 to 3 children and literary features. correspond to Guided Reading levels L, M, N. Orca employs a stringent editing process that ensures linear storylines, clear context and understandable situations. Stories in the Echoes series have a few characters, and we keep the vocabulary straightforward. Having books that span several levels makes it easier for you to select titles for groups of children with similar reading abilities. Offering a range of leveled books— a gradient of texts—allows you to assess your students’ progress over the course of the year too. As your collection expands, you’ll be helping your students hone their reading skills by exposing them to a wide variety of texts. When you bracket Orca Echoes books with titles in the Orca Young Readers series (levels N, O, P, Q, R) to serve your advanced readers and Orca picturebooks to serve your still-developing readers, you know you’re offering your students a satisfying variety of top-notch children’s literature. Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

How do I use this curriculum guide? Our goal in providing this curriculum guide is to make it easy for you to use Orca Echoes books in your classroom.

In addition, we’ve included a teaching guide for each book in the Orca Echoes series. Inside each teaching guide you’ll find: • a book summary • an author bio • information about the author’s process in writing the book • prereading ideas • discussion questions • suggested activities • other titles or related sources that might be of interest • awards and critical reviews Choosing the right novels for your students The guided reading levels make it easy for you to select Orca Echoes books that are at the appropriate level for your students. All you have to do is decide how to choose those titles: based on a theme? an author? or maybe a particular subject? The lists and summaries in this resource guide will help you as you select books for your class. Whole-class or group novel studies? A look at what’s grade appropriate Chances are, your students are at the grade 2 level—which means they’re new to novel studies. This is a good age to introduce a whole-class novel study using Orca Echoes. Many teachers find it helpful to do a couple of whole-class novel studies first before taking on the challenge of setting students up for teacher-supervised novel studies in small groups.

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What you’ll find in the curriculum guide In this overview, we’ve provided you with a number of broad-scope ideas for how to use any or all of the books in the Orca Echoes series. Then we give you a quickreference list of themes and a complete list of book summaries, alphabetized by title.

Regardless of group size, at the primary level your students are still reliant upon you to model for them the process of reading, discussing and writing about the stories they read. Starting with a whole-class novel study provides you with the opportunity to guide your students through every part of the novel study process. Because the whole group proceeds through the story at the same pace, you can ask questions, moderate discussions and model responses to the literature using the same book. 2

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orca echoes

Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Classroom teaching ideas Reading aloud to your students As an educator, you understand that young children love being read to. An adult who reads using a variety of voices, tonal inflections and good pacing will captivate even the most wiggly carpet worm. What better way to get kids fired up about reading literature? When you read aloud to children, you’re doing the decoding for them. This frees up a fair amount of brain space for your students to simply listen…and imagine. Because you’re doing all the hard work, you can even read a slightly more sophisticated book—one that might otherwise be out of reach for some children if they tackled it by themselves. Be sure to leave plenty of time to discuss the selection after you’ve finished reading.

“Reading aloud is a commercial for reading... Think of it this way: McDonald’s doesn’t stop advertising just because the vast majority of Americans know about its restaurants. Each year it spends more money on ads to remind people how good its products taste. Don’t cut your reading advertising budget as children grow older.” --author, artist and journalist Jim Trelease, from The Read Aloud Handbook (now

Reading aloud to your students helps them build their literacy skills. Even though they’re not reading actively, listening to the story helps them to better understand the structure of written language and to learn new ways of using language. At the same time, listening to read-alouds expands your students’ vocabularies. Even after children have learned to read on their own, reading aloud to them offers many benefits. Keeping kids hooked on reading is one of them. Independent silent reading Offering a regular period each day for reading silently helps your students develop into well-rounded readers. Silent reading and oral reading each activate slightly different parts of the brain, which in turn develops a wider network of pathways and creates a stronger reader overall. Whether you call it DEAR (Drop Everything and Read), SSR (Sustained Silent Reading) or something entirely different, children love silent reading time in the classroom or library. It’s an opportunity for them to read something of their own choosing; a Research shows an upward chance to decompress and focus attention; a time to trend in overall achievement snuggle up in a special “book nook” in the classroom. in schools with the greatest Encouraging children to read for pleasure helps to amount of free reading time (Elley, 1992). develop a lifelong love of reading. Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Guided reading Educators know there’s a wide range of reading The guided-reading approach to ability within any age group—and you also know teaching helps your students learn that in order for children to develop into powerful effective strategies for making readers, they have to have access to books at the right sense of what they’re reading. level. By matching your students to developmentally appropriate books, the guided-reading technique helps students develop robust reading skills. Working with small groups of about three to six students, you provide support for readers as they practice various reading strategies like analyzing word structure, predicting, using context clues, visualization and working through letter/sound relationships. Independent reading is the goal of guided-reading instruction. To lead students toward a place of greater independence and to help them gradually move toward reading increasingly difficult texts on their own, offer books which your students can read with about 90% accuracy. This way, your students can enjoy the story without too much interference from unfamiliar words or phrasings. Reading a book that’s at an appropriate level for learning offers your students some challenges and opportunities for problem solving but still allows kids to feel competent since they can read the story with relative fluency. When students do come up against a challenging construction, they can apply various reading strategies (i.e., sounding words out, using context clues, etc.) to get a handle on the meaning. Working with a small group means you’re there to assist your students in applying those reading strategies, and to help them work through those road blocks to comprehension.

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Buddy reading Almost every child loves to read with a friend. In many schools, buddy reading programs pair older students with younger ones, encouraging both readers to share works of literature that are special to them. But sharing a story is equally satisfying when children of the same age are buddied up too. All that needs to be done is to put students in pairs, give them a great book (or two) to share and have them take turns reading aloud. They might even enjoy reading a selection out loud simultaneously. The value of shared reading can’t be overestimated: your stronger readers will serve as powerful models for your developing readers; in turn, developing readers have a chance to make mistakes and take risks in a relatively safe social setting.

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orca echoes

Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Here’s a snapshot of how guided reading works with books in the Orca Echoes series: • Sessions should be short, between 15 and 25 minutes. • While you’re working with a small group of children with similar needs, you’ll want to have your other students engaged in literacy centers. Depending on the nature of your class, you may wish to have another adult present to facilitate supervision. • Begin by introducing the book to your students. Show them the cover, say the title and invite them to predict what the story might be about. • Invite students to talk about what they already know about the subject. This instills confidence in your students that they already have some background in the subject. Brainstorming together also provides your students with information that will help them apply problem-solving strategies as they read. • Choose selections that will help students build upon their existing strategies. • Have your students read the selected passage quietly in their own book, or have them take turns reading to their small group. Observe, assist and encourage where necessary. • After reading, guide the students in a discussion of the words and ideas in the selection. How did they use their problem-solving strategies to make meaning? • Refer back to the book to provide students with a chance to practice a range of comprehension strategies. Want to know more about guided reading? A quick online search will turn up numerous articles and how-tos that will help you bring this powerful teaching strategy to your classroom. Literature circles Lit circles, you say? At the grade 2 level? Well, yes. This is the right time to introduce your students to literature circles, by guiding them in an exploration of the different jobs involved. Literature circles are small, temporary discussion groups that offer students the opportunity to apply the literacy skills they are learning. They provide a new way of exploring literature. Literature circles support an inquiry-based method of learning, allowing for plenty of choice. At this age, it’ll be a hands-on process, with you modeling for students the various jobs inherent in literature circles and giving them plenty of time to practice. You won’t divide children into groups to read and analyze books by themselves; rather, you’ll acquaint students with each role as a whole-class activity (i.e., one day, everybody is the Word Master; another day, everybody is the Investigator). When your students do begin to participate in lit circles in the upper grades, they’ll enjoy the advantage of knowing what’s expected of them. Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

You’ll find that your students will need considerable guidance from you to get a handle on certain jobs, but with others they’ll be more independent. Let’s have a look at the most common lit circle jobs:

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• Word Master—Students at the primary level are rapidly expanding their vocabularies. The Word Master’s job is to select a few unfamiliar or interesting words from the passage, then jot them down. With your guidance, the Word Master provides a written or illustrated definition to share with the group. • Summarizer—Teaching children to summarize succinctly is an ongoing process. Summarizing is a complex skill, and one that needs continual building as students progress through the elementary grades. It takes a lot of practice! Guide your students to think of the main idea(s) within a given selection. What happened? Why did it happen? With your help, students prepare a brief statement (or series of pictures) to convey the key point of the passage. • Connector—Good readers look for connections between the books they read and the world they live in. Encourage your students to think about connections between the text and things in their own lives. Are there similar happenings at school or in the community? Does the story remind them of people or problems they’re familiar with? Does it remind them of another book? Have they had an experience similar to one in the story? • Investigator—In this role, children get to dig up background information on any topic related to the book. You may want to guide your students in doing library research, interviewing family members, reading the author and illustrator bios at the back of the book, or brainstorming as a class for information that supplements the text. Is it something about the geography or history of the book’s setting? Or is it information about the author’s life? Perhaps it’s something as simple as the meaning of the main character’s first name. • Illustrator—The illustrator’s job is to draw a picture related to the reading. It can be a cartoon, a flow chart or web, a series of sketches. Illustrations can represent actual events in the book or something your students were reminded of during the reading. When the time comes for your students to share their illustrations, encourage your class to speculate on the meaning behind each other’s illustrations. • Literary Luminary—The job of the Literary Luminary is to choose a few special selections to share aloud with the group. In the primary grades, you may wish to guide students in choosing just one particularly interesting sentence for sharing. Perhaps a student finds a passage to be funny or surprising, or maybe it’s something one of the characters said that sticks out in his or her mind. The Literary Luminary should read the selection aloud and be prepared to explain why he or she chose it for sharing.

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orca echoes

Orca Echoes Resource Guide

• Discussion Director—Developing questions is a sophisticated skill, so you’ll want to model this job many times for your students. The Discussion Director’s role is to develop questions about the book for the group to discuss. Encourage children to look for the “big ideas” in their questions (Why does Jeremy have to solve the riddles?), instead of focusing on small details (What does Mia name her frog?). In their questions, students should try to elicit the thoughts and feelings of others as they read the book (How did you feel as you read this part of the book?) and encourage their classmates to predict what might happen next. Responding to literature Theme baskets Young children love to explore different ways of telling a story—and different takes on a topic. Provide theme baskets (or bins) for each book you read in the Orca Echoes series, and encourage children to select items from the theme basket to develop an idea from the book. You can do this as a culminating activity or as a project children undertake as the book is being read. Working in small groups, in pairs or individually, have students create a unique representation of an idea the book gave them. Maybe it’s a song, a picturebook, a puppet show, a building or sculpture, a conversation between friends, or a radio interview with one of the book’s main characters. Possible items for inclusion in your theme basket to explore different representations of characters or ideas could be: • stuffed animals • props or puppets • picturebooks • non-fiction selections • costumes • clay or playdough modeling materials • visual art materials (markers, sidewalk chalk, crayons, paper, glue, pompoms etc.) • sound recordings • games • building materials • a telephone • items from the natural world (pinecones, sticks, branches, shells, etc.)

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Over time and with practice, your students will Retelling is a valuable precursor develop a degree of sophistication in retelling a story, to being able to write good including plotlines, character features and perhaps stories, as it hones the child’s some elements of setting as well. Students might want ability to synthesize a variety to start by relating a story to a friend or a reading of information and events. buddy, then progress to retelling for a small group. To help with retelling a story, especially if your students are new to the idea, they can use retelling cards, the book itself, puppets or small props, or story-guideline posters. Stories in the Orca Echoes series are fun to retell, as they revolve around simple plotlines and manageable characters. Writing about the story Your students are probably at various points along the writing continuum. Today primary students are writing more than ever before—and they’re writing for a variety of purposes and in many formats. In a process-oriented classroom, where students see writing as a recursive activity involving planning, thinking, drafting, revising and drafting some more, you’ll find that students are eager to write and eager to explore the best avenues for conveying their messages. The possibilities for responding to the story through writing are limitless. Strong writers may wish to draft a letter to one of the main characters in the story, while your developing writers may opt to pretend they’re a character and write a simple journal entry about an event in the story. Students may choose to write a simple play with a partner about one of the life of a peripheral character in the story. Maybe somebody wants to write out a recipe or a series of instructions from an event in the book. Students could create a group story, with each child contributing a sentence or two to continue the story past the book’s ending. Maybe one of your students wants to create captions for the pictures in an Orca Echoes book or make a list of things he or she found interesting in the story.

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Retelling In the primary grades, there is a heavy curricular emphasis on oral language. Students are encouraged to use speaking and listening to interact with others, and to explore and present ideas, information and feelings. They do this in part by recounting their own experiences and by retelling stories. Retelling helps your students come to understand a given story better, obliging them to figure out what is most important to include in the retelling. In the end, this re-sequencing builds comprehension.

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

orca echoes

For more ideas about how to get your students writing about the books you’re reading together, check out the teaching guides for each of the books in the Orca Echoes series. Within each teaching guide, the Suggested Activities section is where you’ll find ideas for high-interest writing activities that are tailored to each story. Assessment Opportunities for assessment abound when you’re working with groups of children who are reading, writing and talking about books. Keep in mind, the purpose of assessment should be to inform instruction. Collect information that captures what your students are doing well (so they can keep doing it) and what they’re not doing so well (so you can help them improve). Good assessment is an effective tool for informing instruction. The old thinking is that assessment is simply a way to assign a grade to a student’s work. Now educators recognize that assessment is comprised of several parts: 1. assessment of learning—the most familiar to everyone, assessment of learning is typically associated with grading a student’s work and is usually done at the end of a project or unit. 2. assessment for learning—data collected on an ongoing basis so that work/tasks can be modified by the teacher to better serve students’ needs. 3. assessment as learning—where students and teachers decide together how the work should/will be measured. An example of this is a student portfolio to collect writing samples and other manifestations of a student’s literary development. Another example is the student self-evaluation, where the student reflects on his or her learning.

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Formal assessment • Make use of one or more of the many developmental and diagnostic reading assessments available for educators. A structured assessment tool of this nature is effective for identifying specific areas where you can offer more support. • Create cloze passages from the text, omitting every sixth or seventh word. Have students fill in the blanks. Be prepared to accept answers that may not be verbatim to the book but that complete the passage in a contextually and grammatically correct way. • Use criteria that are designed to reflect what student writing looks like at this relatively early stage. Depending on the types of writing your students engage in, a good starting place is with the rubric-based Six Traits of Writing model, which is in use in schools across North America. • Students can keep a daily or weekly reading journal, where they answer teachergenerated questions or simply record their thoughts and observations about the book they’re reading. • Have students read their writing to you. Together, examine the scoring criteria and discuss how their work should be assessed. • Work with your class to develop age-appropriate self-assessment tools (i.e., simple rubrics or checklists) to reflect how they are developing as readers, how they work as members of a group and whether their projects are a reflection of their understanding and interpretation of the book. 10

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Informal assessment and anecdotal records • Keep anecdotal records on small sticky notes as you circulate among your students, listening as they read selections and engage in discussion. These notes can easily be transferred into your student files later. • Observe students as they read. Are there words that a number of students are unfamiliar with? If so, a mini vocabulary lesson might be appropriate. Are there ideas that generate a lot of spontaneous discussion among your students? Follow the threads of those conversations and see where they lead. • Ask questions after a student has finished reading a passage—both to test basic comprehension (George’s suit was red) and to test the student’s understanding of “big picture” ideas (The wolf is the same one Matt’s father helped many years ago). • Observe how students cooperate with group members. Are the exchanges between group members respectful and informative? Is every member of the group staying on task? If not, what can you—or other group members—do to make the activity more engaging for all?

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Guided Reading Levels

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Title

Bee in Your Ear, A Big Tree Gang, The Birthday Girl, The Bruno for Real Captain Jake Cheetah Dimples Delight Down The Chimney with Googol. . . Frog in My Throat, A George Most Wanted George, the Best of All! Ghost Wolf I, Bruno Jeremy and the Enchanted Theater Jeremy and the Fantastic Flying Machine Jeremy and the Golden Fleece Jeremy in the Underworld Kelly’s Cabin Marsh Island Maybe Later Monster Lunch Noodle Up Your Nose, A Out and About with the Big Tree Gang Over the Rainbow with Googol... Paper Wagon, The Puppy is for Loving, A Raspberry Room, The Rhyme Stones Sam and Nate Sea Dog

Author

Wishinsky, Frieda Bogart, Jo Ellen Little, Jean Adderson, Caroline Stewart, Shannon Lewis, Wendy A. Wishinsky, Frieda Kazenbroot, Nelly Wishinsky, Frieda Lee, Ingrid Lee, Ingrid Bradford, Karleen Adderson, Caroline Citra, Becky Citra, Becky Citra, Becky Citra, Becky Smith, Linda Bates, Sonya Spreen Lee, Ingrid Skene, Pat Wishinsky, Frieda Bogart, Jo Ellen Kazenbroot, Nelly attema, martha Labatt, Mary Lohans, Alison Skene, Pat Collins, PJ Sarah Gaetz, Dayle Campbell

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Level

L M M N M M M L M M M N M M M M M M N M N L L L M M M N L N

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Helmer, Marilyn Jones, Carolyn Brouwer, Sigmund Brouwer, Sigmund Brouwer, Sigmund Brouwer, Sigmund Brouwer, Sigmund Brouwer, Sigmund Lee, Ingrid Kazenbroot, Nelly Skene, Pat

L M N N N N N N M L N

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Sharing Snowy Theodora Bear Timberwolf Challenge Timberwolf Chase Timberwolf Hunt Timberwolf Revenge Timberwolf Tracks Timberwolf Trap True Story of George, The Under the Sea with Googol and. . . What A Hippopota-Mess!

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orca echoes

Books Grouped by Subject Common themes throughout the series: Making Choices, Problem Solving, Confidence, Responsibility, Self-discovery Friendship A Bee in Your Ear Dimples Delight Down the Chimney with Googol and Googolplex A Frog in My Throat Kelly’s Cabin A Noodle Up Your Nose Out and About with the Big Tree Gang Raspberry Room Sam and Nate Family, Relationships and Community The Birthday Girl Marsh Island A Puppy is for Loving Poetry, Rhyme and Alliteration Monster Lunch Rhyme Stones What a Hippopota-Mess! Humor Bruno for Real Captain Jake George Most Wanted George, the Best of All! I, Bruno The True Story of George Forgiveness Kelly’s Cabin Sharing and Inclusion Sharing Snowy

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Responsibility and Leadership A Bee in Your Ear Down the Chimney with Googol and Googolplex A Frog in My Throat A Noodle Up Your Nose

Equality, Fairness and Justice Cheetah Sharing Snowy Caring, Compassion and Selflessness The Birthday Girl Cheetah A Puppy is for Loving Sea Dog Sharing Snowy Ancient Worlds, Imagination and Fantasy Bruno for Real Captain Jake Cheetah Down the Chimney with Googol and Googolplex I, Bruno Jeremy and the Enchanted Theater Jeremy and the Fantastic Flying Machine Jeremy and the Golden Fleece Jeremy in the Underworld Kelly’s Cabin Over the Rainbow with Googol and Googolplex The True Story of George Under the Sea with Googol and Googolplex

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Determination and Perseverance Jeremy and the Enchanted Theater Jeremy and the Fantastic Flying Machine Jeremy and the Golden Fleece Jeremy in the Underworld

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

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Self-esteem Dimples Delight Sam and Nate Bullying, Discrimination and Peer Pressure Captain Jake Dimples Delight Down the Chimney with Googol and Googolplex Ghost Wolf Rhyme Stones Cooperation and Teamwork A Bee in Your Ear The Big Tree Gang Dimples Delight A Frog in My Throat A Noodle Up Your Nose Out and About with the Big Tree Gang Theodora Bear Honesty and Truth Kelly’s Cabin Sharing Snowy Sports Timberwolf Challenge Timberwolf Chase Timberwolf Hunt Timberwolf Revenge Timberwolf Tracks Timberwolf Trap Diversity, Prejudice and Tolerance Captain Jake Dimples Delight A Frog in My Throat Kelly’s Cabin

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Patience Maybe Later Pets The Birthday Girl Cheetah A Puppy is for Loving Sharing Snowy

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Courage and Adventure George Most Wanted George, the Best of All! Ghost Wolf Jeremy and the Enchanted Theater Jeremy and the Fantastic Flying Machine Jeremy and the Golden Fleece Jeremy in the Underworld Kelly’s Cabin Marsh Island The Paper Wagon The True Story of George

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

orca echoes

Book Titles with Themes A Bee in Your Ear

Friendship; Responsibility and Leadership; Cooperation and Teamwork

The Big Tree Gang

Cooperation and Teamwork

The Birthday Girl

Family, Relationships and Community; Caring, Compassion and Selflessness; Pets

Bruno for Real

Humor; Ancient Worlds, Imagination and Fantasy

Captain Jake

Humor; Ancient Worlds, Imagination and Fantasy; Bullying, Discrimination and Peer Pressure; Diversity, Prejudice and Tolerance

Cheetah

Equality, Fairness and Justice; Caring, Compassion and Selflessness; Ancient Worlds, Imagination and Fantasy; Pets

Dimples Delight

Friendship; Cooperation and Teamwork; Self-esteem; Bullying, Discrimination and Peer Pressure; Diversity, Prejudice and Tolerance

Down the Chimney with Googol and Googolplex

Friendship; Responsibility and Leadership; Ancient Worlds, Imagination and Fantasy; Bullying, Discrimination and Peer Pressure

A Frog in My Throat

Friendship; Responsibility and Leadership; Cooperation and Teamwork; Diversity, Prejudice and Tolerance

George, the Best of All!

Humor; Courage and Adventure

George Most Wanted

Humor; Courage and Adventure

Ghost Wolf

Bullying, Discrimination and Peer Pressure; Courage and Adventure

I, Bruno

Ancient Worlds, Imagination and Fantasy; Humor

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Determination and Perseverance; Ancient Worlds, Imagination and Fantasy; Courage and Adventure

Jeremy and the Fantastic Flying Machine

Determination and Perseverance; Ancient Worlds, Imagination and Fantasy; Courage and Adventure

Jeremy and the Golden Fleece

Determination and Perseverance; Ancient Worlds, Imagination and Fantasy; Courage and Adventure

Jeremy in the Underworld

Determination and Perseverance; Ancient Worlds, Imagination and Fantasy; Courage and Adventure

Kelly’s Cabin

Friendship; Forgiveness; Honesty and Truth; Courage and Adventure; Diversity, Prejudice and Tolerance; Ancient Worlds, Imagination and Fantasy

Marsh Island

Courage and Adventure; Family, Relationships and Community

Maybe Later

Patience

Monster Lunch

Poetry, Rhyme and Alliteration

A Noodle Up Your Nose

Friendship; Cooperation and Teamwork; Responsibility and Leadership

Out and About with the Big Tree Gang

Friendship; Cooperation and Teamwork

Over the Rainbow with Googol and Googolplex

Ancient Worlds, Imagination and Fantasy

The Paper Wagon

Courage and Adventure

A Puppy is for Loving

Family, Relationships and Community; Pets; Caring, Compassion and Selflessness

The Raspberry Room

Friendship

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Jeremy and the Enchanted Theater

orca echoes

Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Rhyme Stones

Bullying, Discrimination and Peer Pressure; Poetry, Rhyme and Alliteration

Sam and Nate

Friendship; Self-esteem

Sea Dog

Caring, Compassion and Selflessness; Pets

Sharing Snowy

Honesty and Truth; Equality, Fairness and Justice; Caring, Sharing and Inclusion; Compassion and Selflessness; Pets

Theodora Bear

Cooperation and Teamwork

Timberwolf Challenge

Sports

Timberwolf Chase

Sports

Timberwolf Hunt

Sports

Timberwolf Revenge

Sports

Timberwolf Tracks

Sports

Timberwolf Trap

Sports

The True Story of George

Humor; Courage and Adventure; Ancient Worlds, Imagination and Fantasy

Under the Sea with Googol and Googolplex

Ancient Worlds, Imagination and Fantasy

What a Hippopota-Mess!

Poetry, Rhyme and Alliteration

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Orca Echoes Book Summaries A Bee in Your Ear by Frieda Wishinsky—Kate’s never won anything ever, but she’s determined to win the school spelling bee. The only problem is her best friend Jake wants to win too, and so does bossy Violet. Can Kate prevail over Violet, stay friends with Jake and still win the contest?

The Birthday Girl by Jean Little—Nell makes two wishes on her birthday, but the next day they show little sign of coming true. Everyone in her household is busy and wants her out from underfoot, and no one is willing to help her find her lost cat. In the end she finds more than a cat, and she makes her own wishes come true with the help of a row of tall, bright, smiling sunflowers. Bruno for Real by Caroline Adderson—The second collection of stories about the irrepressible seven-year-old Bruno, a boy who never lacks for imagination but who is, at the same time, completely real. Bruno manages to vanquish his nighttime hiccups, but not before waking everyone in the house. He aspires to be as bad as possible without getting in too much trouble. After he passes to level 3 in swimming, he promotes himself to level 5 in life. He trades his mother for a hat. For Bruno, every day is his birthday. If he could only remember how old he is: seven and thirty-three days or seven and thirty-four! Captain Jake by Shannon Stewart—Jake loves to hunt for treasure, so when the famous pirate Captain Kidd asks him to be his cabin boy, he can’t refuse. But Jake soon learns that bringing home an invisible pirate can be a real pain, especially when the pirate is terrified of Jake’s teenage sister! Aboard the Adventure Galley, Jake learns the rules of the sea and faces his greatest fear. Suddenly, Boris Baxter, the meanest boy in the whole school, and his pet rat, The Plague, don’t seem so scary when Jake returns from his adventures.

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The Big Tree Gang by Jo Ellen Bogart—This is a book about friendship between siblings, between parent and child, and between friends. How does friendship work and how do people get along? Keely and Reg are brother and sister twin skunks, and they act like brothers and sisters everywhere—squabbling, teasing, competing and being good friends anyway.

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Cheetah by Wendy A. Lewis—Cheetah is the story of a young girl, Mia, who loves animals so much she is usually pretending to be one. Mia longs for a pet, and one day she brings home a leopard frog she has called Cheetah. Mia’s parents say the frog can stay for one week, but then has to go back to the pond. Mia makes a habitat for Cheetah to live in, cuddles and plays with her, catches bugs for her to eat and loves her with all her heart. Unfortunately Cheetah doesn’t thrive, and when Mia’s mother learns that leopard frogs are “at risk,” she is more emphatic than ever about Mia returning the frog to the wild. Sadly, Mia takes her back, but when she sees Cheetah reunite with another frog, and discovers a bunch of frog eggs, she feels better—and gets a wonderful idea for a story. Both funny and sad, Cheetah is a heartfelt exploration into a child’s longing for a pet and the desire to turn a wild animal into a beloved friend. In a gentle way, Mia’s story encourages young readers to think about the issues of wild animals in captivity and species conservation. Dimples Delight by Frieda Wishinsky—Lawrence hates being teased about his dimples. He wishes they’d just disappear but he knows he’s stuck with them. What can he do about his dimples and how can he make Joe Morse stop teasing him? Down the Chimney with Googol and Googolplex by Nelly Kazenbroot—Googol and Googolplex are a couple of enterprising robots sent to Earth on a scavenger hunt. They slide down the Sinclair’s chimney and carry Troy and Pippa Sinclair along with them on a hunt for everything from summertime snowballs to the song of a blackbird. Their adventures teach them to appreciate each other’s different abilities, and their friendship protects them against threats from a neighborhood bully. The ongoing scavenger hunt allows the four companions to widen their knowledge about the world around them. A Frog in My Throat by Frieda Wishinsky—Kate and Jake are best friends till Jake’s cousin Lionel shows up. Kate is devastated. Jake prefers playing with Lionel to playing with her. Who will Kate hang out with at recess now? George, the Best of All! by Ingrid Lee—Katie and Mackenzie find a little red plastic toy on the beach. While they make up adventures with the toy, George, the little red guy, experiences the events in a whole different way. This is the third book in the series.

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

George Most Wanted by Ingrid Lee—George, the little plastic figure, explodes into parts when he rides a firecracker into space in his opening adventure, The True Story of George. Now he must get himself back together. His owners, Katie and Mackenzie, help George in his journey to find himself. So do many other unlikely characters, including a hobo, a plastic babe and a paper dog.

I, Bruno by Caroline Adderson—A collection of six stories about the irrepressible Bruno, a seven-year-old, highly imaginative yet utterly real boy. Bruno will not eat anything green. He keeps his neighborhood safe from water-spouting dragons. One day he simply decides to become the Queen. And he changes his name to Ed because it’s easier to write! When he needs some money for a new toy, he becomes an entrepreneur who sells chats to firemen. Oh, and he can also speak several dialects of Car! Jeremy and the Enchanted Theater by Becky Citra—Long ago, the Enchanted Theater was a wonderful place. People came from everywhere to see the ancient Greek plays. Then Mr. Magnus bought the theater and the trouble started. Mr. Magnus made up new endings for the plays. He mixed up all the characters. Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, was furious. He hurled lightening bolts at the theater. The power went out. People stopped coming to see the plays. The actors quit. In Jeremy and the Enchanted Theater, Jeremy and the talking cat Aristotle travel back in time to ancient Greece. On their way to find Zeus in his palace on Mount Olympus, they have encounters with the nine muses, a deer with silver antlers, an angry god of war and a fiery giant. Jeremy must use his wits to escape the danger. When they finally meet with the angry Zeus, the king of the gods gives them three scrolls with riddles. Mr. Magnus, with Jeremy’s help, must solve the riddles before Zeus will lift the curse off the Enchanted Theater. 22

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Ghost Wolf by Karleen Bradford—Matt’s father may have loved this camp but Matt certainly doesn’t. He’s never been good at outdoor stuff and is an easy target for the camp bully. Eventually, he begins to enjoy himself, but then makes a bad mistake. He leaves his lifejacket back at the last portage and doesn’t remember it until the middle of the night. His next mistake is to try to retrieve it and return to camp before morning. When his flashlight dies and he finds himself lost in the woods in the dark, he thinks nothing worse can happen—until he hears a wolf howl. The wolf seems to want him to follow it, and it takes all of Matt’s courage to do so. Then he finds the wolf’s cub, a half-wolf, half-dog pup whose mother is lying dead beside it. He rescues the pup, and in return the wolf guides him back to camp. Could this be the same wolf that his father released from a trap years before? A wolf returning a favor?

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Jeremy and the Fantastic Flying Machine by Becky Citra—Jeremy and Aristotle travel back in time to the island of Crete in ancient Greece to solve the third riddle. They arrive at the palace at Knossos, where they meet the inventor Daedalus, who is known as the “crazy man” because of his attempts to fly. Jeremy and Aristotle become lost in a maze, where they narrowly escape from a monster. Jeremy saves the life of the inventor’s son and has a thrilling flight as he solves the riddle and saves the Enchanted Theater. Jeremy and the Golden Fleece by Becky Citra—Jeremy and Aristotle return to ancient Greece to solve the second riddle. Jeremy faces the challenge of becoming the captain of the ship the Argo, with its crew, the Argonauts. He sails into all kinds of danger including the Clashing Rocks, the frightening birds called Harpies, an angry king, a fire-breathing bull and a serpent that never closes its eyes. Jeremy uses his wits and his backpack full of magic things to solve the riddle and capture the Golden Fleece. Jeremy in the Underworld by Becky Citra—Jeremy and Aristotle return to ancient Greece, this time to the banks of the Styx River at the edge of the Underworld. A sinister ferryman takes Jeremy and Aristotle into the Underworld, where they outwit a three-headed dog and hide from Hades who is looking for slaves to take to his palace. As Jeremy tries to solve the first riddle, he offers assistance to different characters that they meet and eventually receives help from Hercules and Queen Persephone. Kelly’s Cabin by Linda Smith—Even a cardboard box can be a private (and magical) place. Kelly loves the cabin she has made from a refrigerator box. It has a window with curtains, pictures on the walls, a cabin-sized table and a wonderful view. It sits in the vacant lot next door, transformed into the rugged farm of a pioneer family. Now if only Kelly can find the right person to share it with. Marsh Island by Sonya Spreen Bates—Marsh Island is a fast-paced adventure story. Jake and his younger brother Tommy are on their first camping trip and are eager to explore the forest around their campsite. Following animal trails and their own instincts, they soon come across something they never expected to find: buried treasure. Before the boys can open the treasure, a noise in the bushes startles them. They dash blindly into the woods, where they become hopelessly lost. Exhausted, footsore and hungry, the boys search for their campsite, only to stumble across the hut of the legendary Alfred Marsh, for whom the island was named. They start to feel like they’re not alone in the woods and begin to wonder if the story their dad told them about old Alfred Marsh and his lost fortune is true. Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

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Monster Lunch by Pat Skene—In Monster Lunch, we dine with Frankenstein, attend a burgoo and a birthday party, meet a grumpy garden-dude and slurp hot soup. Each yummy, yucky, messy and hot rhyming poem is followed by an interview with the main character or an assortment of fascinating facts about food. A Noodle Up Your Nose by Frieda Wishinsky—Kate can’t wait for her birthday party, but her parents want her to invite everyone, even bossy Violet. Will Violet ruin her plans? Will Kate’s best friend Jake stick by her? Out and About with the Big Tree Gang by Jo Ellen Bogart and Jill Bogart—Out and About with the Big Tree Gang looks at friendship between siblings, between parent and child, and between friends. How does friendship work and how do people get along? Keely and Reg are brother and sister twin skunks, and they act like brothers and sisters everywhere—squabbling, teasing, competing and being good friends anyway. Their friends, Shawna and Burt, are great companions for the adventures that the four have in these stories. Over the Rainbow with Googol and Googolplex by Nelly Kazenbroot—Outerspace robots Googol and Googolplex come back to earth to continue their scavenger hunt with Pippa and Troy. This time they are out to collect all the colors of a rainbow, a ball of wool and some milk from a cow. Pippa and Troy think that their artistic aunt and the dairy farm next door should make the hunt easy, but they aren’t counting on a bad-mannered bull and a windstorm getting in the way. Luckily, Googol and Googolplex turn out to be the Pied Pipers of cows, and Troy discovers that there’s more than one way to catch a rainbow.

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Maybe Later by Ingrid Lee—In his grandfather’s bedroom, a young boy (Johnny) discovers an old bottle, the cork cemented shut with sand. He can see a shadow inside, and he wants to break the bottle open. His grandfather tells Johnny the story of how he found the bottle and why it is still intact. He hands the responsibility of the bottle to his grandson. During the story, Johnny speculates on the bottle’s mysterious contents. These musings become a source of inspiration for various activities. As well, the bottle provides a connection between grandson and grandfather. There is always the idea that it might be a bottle-breaking day. At the end of the story, Johnny discovers that he is not sure if he wants to discover the secret inside the green glass.

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orca echoes

The Paper Wagon by martha attema—The rooster has been stolen by the fox. What is the little hen to do? Go to the shed and build a paper wagon, that’s what. Two little white mice pull her paper wagon, and the little hen heads for the fox’s house deep in the forest. On the way she meets a shiny needle, a hairy black spider, a fat cat and a big red brick. They all hitch a ride and want to help her save the fox from the rooster. Will they be on time to rescue the rooster? A Puppy is for Loving by Mary Labatt—Every summer Elizabeth stays with her grandmother on the old family farm. Elizabeth wanders the farm with Grandma’s collie, Elsie, but this summer is different. Elsie is having puppies and Elizabeth has to help Grandma find the right home for each puppy. Then she has an idea. The Raspberry Room by Alison Lohans—Abby loves to play outside and has found a special hidden room in the raspberry patch in her backyard. In her raspberry room, she can play brave explorer or anything else she’d like to be. But Abby’s best friend Laura doesn’t like to get dirty. Instead of coming to see Abby’s secret place, Laura goes home just when Abby sees somebody looking at her through the hole in the fence. Mom always seems to be busy with Brayden, Abby’s baby brother, and Abby has no one to help soothe her hurt feelings. So she takes Brayden’s blue monkey out to her raspberry room, where she finds a little toy tractor hidden under the leaves. Where did it come from? Who was looking through the fence? Later, what wrecked Brayden’s monkey? Running away seems to be the only solution...In the course of facing the consequences of her actions, Abby finds a new friend who shares her love of imaginative play outdoors...and also finds new ways to understand and appreciate her friend Laura. Rhyme Stones by Pat Skene—In Rhyme Stones, we go spelunking; we meet a witch who can’t stay on her broomstick and a schoolyard bully; and we see how a simple piece of cloth can become anything we want it to be. Each long poem is followed by an exclusive interview with the main character, and each short poem has a “trailer” of cool facts about the theme. Sam and Nate by PJ Sarah Collins—Sam and Nate is the humorous story of two young boys at school and their friendship as it grows through a year of change. With letters, notebook scraps and several miscommunications along the way, the boys learn more about themselves, the ups and downs of being twins, working with others and helping the new teacher. The book contains six stories, each packed with the grade 2/3 Science, Language Arts and Personal Planning curriculum. Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

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Sea Dog by Dayle Campbell Gaetz—When Kyle searches for treasure on the beach after a big storm, he’s in for a huge surprise. The treasure he uncovers is a half-drowned dog, tangled in kelp. Kyle and his mom take the dog home and nurse her back to health. Kyle names her Treasure and plays with her every day. But one day Treasure runs up to a strange man on the beach. The man says the dog’s real name is Otter and she belongs to him.

Theodora Bear by Carolyn Jones—Harriet is a girl who has a large collection of stuffed animals. A visiting teddy, Theodora Bear, leads the other animals in a variety of attempts to boss Harriet around. It is all Harriet can do to get her own way once in a while. Timberwolf Challenge by Sigmund Brouwer—Johnny Maverick has come up with an idea to win a fundraising contest for the Howling Timberwolves hockey team. It seems fun, until a girl visits Howling—and starts to win challenges against Johnny. The entire town finds it funny; even worse, his friends Tom and Stu like what’s happening. Timberwolf Chase by Sigmund Brouwer—Johnny Maverick and his friends play for the Timberwolves peewee hockey team in the small town of Howling. Tom Morgan has just moved from Toronto and is a talented player. Tom is also very competitive and seems determined to pick on Stu Duncan, who is slightly overweight. Johnny suggests a race between Tom and Stu. Tom eagerly accepts; Stu is reluctant but Johnny convinces him to trust his best friend’s advice. On race day Tom is surprised by both the race and its outcome and learns that teamwork pays off.

orca echoes

Sharing Snowy by Marilyn Helmer—More than anything in the world, Ali wants a pet cat. Unfortunately her brother Jay is allergic to cats so the family cannot have a cat in the house. But Ali has a clubhouse hidden among the trees in her backyard. The clubhouse is Ali’s favorite place to play, and the only person she shares it with is her best friend Sam. One day Ali discovers that someone else is sharing the clubhouse. To her delight, the new resident is a beautiful white cat who she names Snowy. Ali decides that the clubhouse is the perfect home for Snowy. But in the end, Ali is faced with a much more important decision. Is Snowy really hers to keep?

Timberwolf Hunt by Sigmund Brouwer—When the Timberwolves get a new coach, they also get the coach’s son. The only problem is that Eldridge Elwell is a terrible hockey player. The team is on the hunt to make the playoffs, and every time Eldridge plays a shift, it hurts the team more. Johnny Maverick is just as angry about it as anyone on the team, until he learns something important about the coach’s son. 26

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Timberwolf Revenge by Sigmund Brouwer—At a big tournament in Calgary, teammate Tom Morgan plays a practical joke on Johnny Maverick, so Johnny feels he has to pay him back. The rivalry escalates. After Johnny scores a hat trick, he’s given a hockey stick signed by all the members of the Calgary Flames. He worries that Tom will do something to this prized trophy and decides he will not let it out of his sight. When Tom outsmarts him one more time, Johnny learns that revenge is never a good idea. Timberwolf Tracks by Sigmund Brouwer—It’s the most talked about trophy in Howling—The Wassabbee! And it goes to the winner of the annual fathers versus sons’ hockey game. This year it looks like the fathers are in trouble. The game is going to be held outside, at a weekend camp out. In the middle of the winter! Johnny Maverick and his friends Tom Morgan and Stu Duncan definitely don’t want to go. They know the fathers are going to play a few tricks on them. So they decide to use all their genius to be the ones to play the tricks first. It’s fathers vs. sons. Who will out-trick who? Timberwolf Trap by Sigmund Brouwer—Johnny Maverick and Tom Morgan are in a race for the league’s goal-scoring trophy, but one or two other things are getting in the way. Like a joke on the coach. And, worse, the smelly socks of death… The True Story of George by Ingrid Lee—Katie and Mackenzie find a little red plastic toy on the beach. They make up adventures to have with the toy. Meanwhile, George, the little red guy, experiences the events in a whole different way. Under the Sea with Googol and Googolplex by Nelly Kazenbroot—Outer-space robots Googol and Googolplex come back to earth to continue their scavenger hunt with Pippa and Troy. This time they are out to find a tutu, sand dollars and peacock feathers, and they are only too happy when an old, retired ballet teacher steps in to help them. The neighborhood bully gets in the way once again, but that just gives Pippa and Troy an opportunity to show the robots how to swim. Googol and Googolplex pay them back by showing them the fun way to give others a helping hand. What a Hippopota-Mess! by Pat Skene—The poems in this book tell stories of animals and nature, from two sweaty hippos, a smiling lizard and some creepy crawlers to a few tricky dandelions. At the end of each poem, readers find out more information in an interview with a key character or a list of fascinating facts.

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A Bee in Your Ear

Frieda Whishinsky illustrated by Louise-Andrée Laliberté

About the Book Kate’s never won anything ever, but she’s determined to win the school spelling bee. The only problem is her best friend Jake wants to win too, and so does bossy Violet. Can Kate prevail over Violet, stay friends with Jake and still win the contest? About the Author Frieda Wishinsky is the author of over forty trade and educational books. Her books have earned critical acclaim in magazines and newspapers around the world and have been translated into many languages, including French, Dutch, Danish, Spanish, Korean and Catalan. Each One Special was nominated for a 1999 Governor General’s Award for text, and Jennifer Jones Won’t Leave Me Alone won the 2004/5 UK Stockport, Portsmouth and Sheffield Children’s Picture Book Awards. Please, Louise! (Groundwood Books) is nominated for the 2008 TD Literature Award and is the winner of the 2008 Marilyn Baille Picture Book Award.

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978-1-55143-324-0 pb

Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

Orca Echoes Resource Guide

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About the Writing Frieda never won anything in school till the vocabulary contest in grade eight. She was inspired to write A Bee in Your Ear when she remembered how determined she was to win that contest and then did! The idea for the title came to her when she remembered that her son had once actually gotten a “bee in his ear.” She says, “Boy, did that hurt!”

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Ideas Is it more important to win a contest or play fair? Why? What if you won a contest and your friend lost. How would you feel? What would you say and do? What if your friend won and you lost? How would you handle these situations? Many people find spelling hard. Do you have any ways that you remember spelling words? Share them with your class. Classroom Discussion Questions How do you feel if a friend lets you down? What can you do about it? What could you do if you got angry with a friend and later felt sorry about it? How can you work it out? What does the expression “winning isn’t everything” mean? Do you think it’s true? Why or why not? Is there anything more important than winning? Suggested Activities Write down five homonyms that you think are difficult to remember. Think of an interesting way to remember what each one means and how it’s spelled. Have a friend test you to see if your way to remember works. Kate and Jake “acted out” some spelling words to help them remember. With a partner, act out some hard spelling words and share your “skit” with the class. Kate suggests that Jake and she write an “Excuse” book with lots of crazy excuses. Make up an excuse book and share your book with the class.

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Other Titles and Websites of Interest A Noodle Up Your Nose (Orca Echoes) A Frog in My Throat (Orca Echoes) Dimples Delight (Orca Echoes) Give Maggie a Chance (Fitzhenry and Whiteside) by Frieda Wishinsky, a picturebook about school, stage fright and reading See a list of all the spelling ideas on the Teaching Ideas website: www.teachingideas.co.uk/english/contents08writingspelling.htm Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Dimples Delight Each One Special A Frog in My Throat Just Call Me Joe A Noodle Up Your Nose Awards and Reviews Please, Louise!—Quill & Quire Best Picture Book, Blue Spruce short list, TD Literature Award nominee 2008 A Noodle Up Your Nose—Canadian Toy Council Great Book, Willow Award nominee

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Kate and Jake use mnemonics to remember spelling words. Mnemonic devices are a technique often used by students to aid in recall. A mnemonic is simply a way to remember information. For example, you might associate a term you need to remember with a common item that you are very familiar with. The best mnemonics are those that utilize positive imagery, humor or novelty. You might come up with a rhyme, song or joke to help remember a specific segment of information. Use a mnemonic technique to remember three difficult spelling words.

Just Call Me Joe—CLA Book of the Year nominee, Red Cedar nominee Each One Special—Governor General’s Award nominee, OLA Best Bets, CCBC Our Choice starred selection, SYRCA Shining Willow Award nominee

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“Wishinsky and Laliberté’s work provides young children with the opportunity to experience their school and family lives from the distance of literature. Children, parents, and other influential adults may use this book as a springboard to reflect on their relationships and behaviors. Stress management is necessary at all ages. The younger one learns it, the easier life will be. Highly Recommended.” —CM Magazine “In this beginning chapter book, Kate’s anxiety over a school spelling bee leads her to snap at her pal Jake. Worried that she has lost his friendship and stung by her bullying classmate Violet’s mean remarks, Kate endures an unhappy time before she realizes that she can count on Jake in more ways than she had suspected. Most children will feel right at home in the elementary-school setting realistically depicted here, from classroom routine to playground dynamics. The bully’s motivation is suggested in such a way that, in the end, readers may even sympathize a little with Violet. Fourteen expressive pencil drawings illustrate the 13 short chapters. A down-to-earth school story for young readers.” —Booklist

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The Big Tree Gang Jo Ellen Bogart illustrated by Dean Griffiths

About the Book The Big Tree Gang and Out and About with the Big Tree Gang look at friendship between siblings, between parent and child, and between friends. How does friendship work and how do people get along? Keely and Reg are brother and sister twin skunks, and they act like brothers and sisters everywhere—squabbling, teasing, competing and being good friends anyway. Their friends, Shawna and Burt, are great companions for the adventures that the four have in these stories. About the Author Jo Ellen Bogart grew up in Texas with warm weather and chiggers, but moved to the cold North and became a dual citizen of the US and Canada. She has enjoyed traveling across her adopted country, meeting her readers and gaining new ones. These trips have been very educational and have inspired a number of new works. Jo Ellen hopes to keep writing for a long time and has lots of projects in mind. Jo Ellen’s homebody self enjoys cooking and eating, reading and writing, gardening and pets, some well-chosen movies and Internet exploration. Her grown daughter, Jill, co-authored Out and About with the Big Tree Gang.

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978-1-55143-345-5 pb

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About the Writing Jo Ellen likes to write about the everyday life of characters, dealing with daily concerns that we all have. Growing up with three younger siblings gave her lots of chances to deal with relationships, and she incorporates these experiences into the Big Tree Gang stories.

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Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Idea Have students think about what being a friend means to them and how they would like to be treated by a friend. Classroom Discussion Questions How are the four friends different from each other? How are they the same? What are some activities you would enjoy doing on a very hot day? What are some places you would enjoy taking a hike? For example, the rain forest, the Arctic or the desert? What sorts of things would you need to take along with you? If you did something bad to a friend, how would you try to make it up to that person? Would you be tempted to tell a lie to save yourself from punishment or embarrassment? Would you lie to keep a friend from being hurt by your opinions? Suggested Activities A winter activity could be the building of a snow sculpture such as Keely and Reg built. This can be a group or individual activity. If there is no snow to work with, try Plasticine for modeling or even soap for carving. Maybe mashed potatoes? Kidding! How about a treasure hunt like the one the Big Tree Gang went on? Make up a new list or use the one in the story, “The Hunt,” in Out and About with the Big Tree Gang. Use you imagination to find good items to fit the categories. If the season is right, go on a bug walk, as the Gang did in “Bug Walk” in The Big Tree Gang. Make a list of the bugs you see and then look them up when you get home to find out more about them. Or do some research before the walk to have a better idea of what to watch for. Take along a magnifying glass to get a close-up look at the insects and other creepy-crawlies like spiders and millipedes. Make up some really silly songs like Keely’s or puns like Burt’s. Hint for puns: use words that sound alike but mean different things, such as Burt used with his ant and aunt pun. Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

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Other Titles and Websites of Interest Simon & Schuster Children’s Guide to Insects and Spiders by Jinny Johnson. This is a kids’ book on insects and would be great to examine in conjunction with the story “Bug Walk.”

Reg loves his new compass in “The Compass” in Out and About with the Big Tree Gang. Learn about compasses. The Wikipedia site is helpful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Compass. Draw a map of the school and its playground and mark the directions of the compass on the map. Reg loves and collects rocks. Check out these books on rocks: National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals Let’s Go Rock Collecting by Roma Gans and Holly Keller This website has a commercial aspect, but it all grew out of a home-schooled kid’s enthusiasm for rock collecting. I think that kids would find it fun and interesting. http://www.rockhoundkids.com/rh-articles.html. Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Out and About with the Big Tree Gang Reviews “This book is ideal for young readers venturing into chapter reading. It features short sentences with chapters six or seven pages long including plenty of illustrations to break up the text. Since each chapter is non-sequential, young readers could read chapters randomly without losing the meaning of the stories. Highly Recommended.” —CM Magazine

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Keely and Reg built a kite for their neighbor Mr. Brown in the story “The Golden Tulip” in The Big Tree Gang. Try a kite building website such as this one: http://www. molokai.com/kites/20kidskites.html

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The Birthday Girl

orca echoes

Jean Little illustrated by June Lawrason 978-1-55143-292-2 pb

About the Book Nell makes two wishes on her birthday, but the next day they show little sign of coming true. Everyone in her household is busy and wants her out from underfoot, and no one is willing to help her find her lost cat. In the end she finds more than a cat, and she makes her own wishes come true with the help of a row of tall, bright, smiling sunflowers. About the Author Jean Little was born in Taiwan in 1932. Her parents were both doctors. Jean grew up in Ontario and graduated from the University of Toronto. She was born with a severe eye problem and is visually impaired. A special “talking” computer assists her with her writing. She has a retired seeing-eye dog named Ritz and a new one named Pippa, with whom she travels.

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About the Writing Jean Little, one of Canada’s most beloved authors, got the idea for The Birthday Girl from her grandma’s first cousin. The Birthday Girl is her third book with Orca, following Birdie for Now and I Gave My Mom a Castle.

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections

Classroom Discussion Questions When Nell finds her cat and discovers she has had kittens, she worries that her mother won’t let her keep them. How does Nell persuade her mother to agree to keep the kittens? Why do people drown kittens and what can be done to help prevent these incidents? What role does the SPCA play in your community with regards to unwanted pets? How is Nell’s family life on a Prairie farm different and or similar to your students’ daily lives? Suggested Activities Discuss the importance of spaying and neutering and the role of the SPCA in your community. In small groups have students take turns reading aloud and dramatizing the birthday party scene. If the passage were read aloud differently (without the proper voice inflections), how would it change the meaning? Have students choose an animal they would like to have as a pet and discuss the responsibilities involved in caring for the pet. Other Titles and Websites of Interest http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/why_you_should_spay_or_neuter_your_pet.html

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Prereading Idea While students read the book, have them think about what creates suspense in this story? Ask students to think about the words gratitude and generosity and consider how the characters display these qualities.

Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Birdie for Now Forward, Shakespeare! I Gave My Mom a Castle Rescue Pup 36

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Reviews “Jean Little’s chapter book has wide contemporary appeal…This is an excellent choice for young fans of historical fiction, and for teachers or librarians looking for a good fit with an early Canadian prairie theme…Highly recommended.” —Canadian Book Review “The story stresses the love and generosity involved in the giving and receiving of gifts. Young readers in our consumer-driven society will find refreshing relief in the dressed-up sunflowers and new kittens.” —Canadian Literature “Master writer Jean Little has created another lively, likeable heroine in Nell…Non-stop action, plenty of character revealing dialogue, and a protagonist who persists until she solves her own problems will hold the reader’s attention…Highly recommended.” —CM Magazine “The combination of good writing and innocent charm makes this a fine choice for early readers.” —Booklist “The gentle, heart-warming tone of this slim tale assures even quite young readers that all will be well eventually.” —Resource Links

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Bruno for Real

Caroline Adderson illustrated by Helen Flook

About the Book Bruno for Real is the second collection of stories about the irrepressible seven-year-old Bruno, a boy who never lacks for imagination but who is, at the same time, completely real. Bruno manages to vanquish his nighttime hiccups, but not before waking everyone in the house. He aspires to be as bad as possible without getting in too much trouble. After he passes to level 3 in swimming, he promotes himself to level 5 in life. He trades his mother for a hat. For Bruno, every day is his birthday. If he could only remember how old he is: seven and thirty-three days or seven and thirty-four! About the Author Caroline Adderson is the author of three books for children. Very Serious Children (Scholastic 2007), a novel for middle readers about two brothers, the sons of clowns, who run away from the circus is nominated for a 2008 Diamond Willow Award and a 2009 Rocky Mountain Book Award. I, Bruno (Orca 2007) is a collection of stories for emergent readers featuring seven-year-old Bruno and his true-life adventures; Bruno For Real is its sequel. Caroline also writes books for adults—Bad Imaginings, A History of Forgetting, Sitting Practice, Pleased to Meet You—and has won two Ethel Wilson Fiction Prizes, three CBC Literary Awards, as well as the 2006 Marion Engel Award, given annually to an outstanding female writer in mid-career. Her numerous nominations include the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist, the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Rogers’ Trust Fiction Prize and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Caroline’s nine-year-old son and his many friends inspire her children’s writing. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. 38

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ISBN: 978-1-55469-023-7

Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

Orca Echoes Resource Guide

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About the Writing I had so much fun writing the stories in I, Bruno that I found Bruno wouldn’t go away. The stories that make up Bruno For Real kept coming and coming. Like the first book, they are partly autobiographical, but mostly as a starting point. Little things happened in our day and I’d ask myself: Hmm, what would Bruno do in this situation?

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Idea Real life can be a wonderful adventure. Have students think about something ordinary that happened to them that turned out to be extraordinary. Classroom Discussion Questions In “Good Night, Hic, Hic” Bruno gets a terrible case of the hiccups. Has this ever happened to you? What did you do about it? In “Bruno the Bad” Bruno wakes up bad and decides to act on his feelings. Do you ever feel like doing something bad? What stops you? What do you do when you see other kids doing bad things? In “The Long Birthday” Bruno stretches out his birthday for several weeks. What is the best birthday you have ever had? What do you think is the best age to be? In “Bruno Makes A Deal” Bruno swaps his sandwich for a better one. Have you ever traded something? Is this a good way to get something you would like to have? In “Bruno, Level 5” Bruno is a better swimmer than his mother. Are there things that all kids are better at than adults? Is there something you can do better than your mom or dad? Suggested Activities Set up a swap table for students to exchange old toys and games. This is a great way to promote reusing and recycling! (“Bruno Makes a Deal”) Have a talent day for each student to demonstrate or talk about the special thing they are good at. (“Bruno, Level 5”) Chart the students’ birthdays on the calendar and do some math with the information. For example, How much older is X than Y? How many days until Z’s birthday? How many kids are born in April? (“The Long Birthday”)

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Study and compare several species of baby animals. What can they already do as soon as they are born? What do they need to learn before their leave their parents? (“School of Boys”) Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers I, Bruno

“These discrete stories bring to rich life an appealing little individual who may think it’s too much work to write his own name, but who has a clear sense of who he is and who writes ‘I’ at the top of his class assignments before handing them in. Adderson writes with poetry, color, and a real flair for zany description that lends itself to being read aloud.” —Canadian Children’s Book News “This is a very enjoyable and humorous story…I recommend this book to any primary teacher. It would be a great read aloud as well as a self-selected title for a book report activity.” —Resource Links

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Reviews “I, Bruno, by Caroline Adderson, is a series of delightful short vignettes from the life of an imaginative little boy, named Bruno, who is very happy to be himself… Adderson, a newcomer to children’s writing, successfully creates a lovably unique character reminiscent of the favorite characters from the “Little Bear” and “Frog and Toad” series for young readers…Bruno is fresh and stereotype-free, refreshing in early reading materials.” —CM Magazine

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Captain Jake

orca echoes

Shannon Stewart illustrated by Ben Hodson ISBN: 978-1-55143-896-2

About the Book Jake loves to hunt for treasure, so when the famous pirate Captain Kidd asks him to be his cabin boy, he can’t refuse. But Jake soon learns that bringing home an invisible pirate can be a real pain, especially when the pirate is terrified of Jake’s teenage sister! Aboard the Adventure Galley, Jake learns the rules of the sea and faces his greatest fear. Suddenly, Boris Baxter, the meanest boy in the whole school, and his pet rat, The Plague, don’t seem so scary when Jake returns from his adventures. About the Author Shannon Stewart’s first collection of poetry, The Canadian Girl, was short-listed for the Gerald Lampert Award and the Milton Acorn People’s Poetry Award. Her second collection of poetry, Penny Dreadful, is forthcoming with Signal Editions in the fall of 2008. She is the author of two children’s picture books, Sea Crow (Orca Books, 2004), and Alphabad: An Alphabet Book for Wicked Children! (Keyporter Books, 2005). She holds an mfa in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia, where she has also taught poetry in the Creative Writing Department. She lives in Vancouver with her husband and two children in a small cottage by the sea where she sometimes spots young pirates digging for treasure.

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Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Idea Being picked on by a bully can be a very serious problem, and confronting a bully can take a lot of courage. What are some of the best ways children can try to manage a situation where a bully is involved? Classroom Discussion Questions Is courage an attribute you are born with or is it something a person can learn to build on? If you could host an invisible guest from the past, who would you choose to meet? Jake has a few fears. He doesn’t like bullies or rats (or scorpions and spiders!) But Captain Kidd thinks he’s very brave when it comes to his teenage sister, Gladys. How else does Jake show courage in this story? Is it possible for a person to be both courageous and fearful at the same time? Jake loves to collect things. What sort of collections do you and your classmates have at home? What do you think is the most interesting collection in your class? Why do people have collections? Suggested Activities Humor is an important device in this story. Divide into groups of six (five characters and one narrator) and read or act chapter 3 (“Invisible”) out loud. Try to decide what elements of dialogue, situation and character make this scene funny.

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About the Writing Shannon Stewart says she is surrounded by treasure hunters. Her father is a keen garage saler…he is always finding the most amazing stuff to bring home and restore to its original beauty. Her son, Jacob, is following in his grandfather’s footsteps. Jacob has the knack of finding things on sidewalks, parks and beaches that no one else has noticed. Like her character Jake, Jacob’s pockets are often bulging with interesting collections.

Who wants to act like a pirate? Using Captain Kidd’s advice in chapter 4 (“Act Like A Pirate”), groups can role-play Captain Kidd teaching Jake to become an assertive pirate or the scene where Captain Jake stands up to Boris in chapter 7. Watch the skits afterward and see who makes the boldest pirate of all!

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Jake isn’t afraid to admit that he is scared of something. Talking about our fears is one of the best ways to begin dealing with them. Write a personal account of a situation in your life that you found scary. How did you deal with it?

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Imagine that you are Richard Barleycorn and you have found the treasure from Captain Kidd’s map! Write a letter of thanks from the past to Jake, telling him what your life is like now that you are rich and no longer a cabin boy. Other Titles and Websites of Interest Eyewitness: Pirate by Richard Platt Imagine You’re a Pirate! by Meg Clibbon www.rochedalss.eq.edu.au/pirates/ Pirates Homepage—histories of famous pirates and some fun activities http://www.eyesonbullying.org/pdfs/toolkit.pdf http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/bullies.html Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Sea Crow (Out of Print)

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Cheetah

Wendy A. Lewis illustrated by Graham Ross

About the Book Cheetah is the story of a young girl, Mia, who loves animals so much she is usually pretending to be one. Mia longs for a pet and one day she brings home a leopard frog she has called “Cheetah.” Mia’s parents say the frog can stay for one week but then has to go back to the pond. Mia hopes Cheetah will want to stay with her instead. She makes a habitat for Cheetah to live in, cuddles and plays with her, catches bugs for her to eat and loves her with all her heart. Unfortunately Cheetah doesn’t thrive, and when Mia’s mother learns that leopard frogs are “at risk,” she is emphatic about Mia returning the frog to the wild. When Mia she sees Cheetah reunite with another frog and discovers a bunch of frog eggs, she feels better—and gets a wonderful idea for a story. Both funny and sad, Cheetah is a heartfelt exploration into a child’s longing for a pet and the desire to turn a wild animal into a beloved friend. In a gentle way, Mia’s story encourages young readers to think about the issues of wild animals in captivity and species conservation.

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ISBN: 978-1-55143-465-0

About the Author Wendy A. Lewis is an author from Uxbridge, Ontario, who writes books and stories for young people. Wendy studied English literature at the University of Toronto and worked in various sales, marketing and public relations positions before becoming a full-time mom and author. Her two daughters and their many pets inspire countless story ideas, like Cheetah. Wendy’s other books include Freefall, Diver: the Leatherback Sea Turtle and Lacrosse Warrior: The Life of Mohawk Lacrosse Champion Gaylord Powless. 44

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About the Writing Cheetah is a work of fiction, but it is based on a true story that happened when the author’s oldest daughter was in grade one. Wendy’s husband took their two daughters to the drop zone where he skydives, and Amelia came home clutching a macaroni salad container with a frog inside. “Cheetah,” as Amelia called her, lived with the family for a week and was the star of News Day in Mrs. Spillman’s class at school. Wendy saw her daughter’s sadness every time an adult said: “You’re doing a good job taking care of Cheetah, but you’re going to let her go, right?” As Wendy thought about the situation from Amelia’s perspective and from Cheetah’s, the story began to grow in her mind. She remembered a saying she learned as a little girl: “If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it’s yours. If it doesn’t, it never was.” Cheetah belonged to the wild and didn’t come back when she was set free, but at least the memories of that special week belonged to Mia. By turning those memories into a story, Cheetah can be remembered and enjoyed again and again.

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Cheetah can be used in language units on writing and storytelling because the main character, Mia, writes stories and does an oral presentation. (Just as the author used a real-life situation as the basis for Cheetah, so Mia uses Cheetah’s adventures as the basis for her story-within-a-story, “Cheetah and Ribbert.”) Students can also learn how Mia and her mother research frogs using books and the Internet at home, at school and at the library. Cheetah is a great tie-in to science studies about frogs, life cycles, endangered species, wild animals in captivity and human impact on the environment. Other curriculum tie-ins include math (Mia creates a graph to show the class’s favorite animals, and fun frog math facts can be gathered, such as: leopard frogs can leap up to fifteen times their body length; that’s like a four-foot-tall student leaping sixty feet!) and art (by studying Graham Ross’s illustrations and cover art, and encouraging students to create their own illustrations using line drawings and textured paintings).

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Prereading Ideas Is it right to keep a wild animal as a pet? If an animal is “at risk” or endangered, is it better to protect it and care for it in captivity, as Mia wants to, or is it better to let the animal take its chances surviving in the wild?

Discuss ways that humans impact frogs and their environment. Do frogs have rights? Do ants? Do sharks? Even if an animals isn’t cute like a panda bear, does it still have the right to live and, if necessary, be protected? How can animals “at risk” (like Northern Leopard Frogs) be protected so they don’t become endangered—or worse—extinct? Have you ever loved an animal you couldn’t keep? Have you ever really wanted something and, like Mia, felt the adults in your life didn’t understand why it was so important to you? Suggested Activities As a class, research different kinds of frogs. Ask students to pick one kind of frog and then design and draw a picture of a suitable habitat for it. Write and illustrate a story about an animal that stays with you for a week. Act out the last scene—the story that Mia imagines about Cheetah and Ribbert becoming the first frogs in the world to skydive. Have a reporter ask them questions about the experience. Do a project on “My Favorite Pet.” It can be a real pet or an imaginary one. Include information on “How to Take Care of my Pet.”

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Classroom Discussion Questions Do you think it is right to keep wild animals in captivity? Do you think it is right to keep wild animals in zoos?

Draw a map showing the different settings where Cheetah goes. Other Titles and Websites of Interest Gummytoes by Sean Cassidy (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)—A tree frog showing off his antics to some children becomes their prisoner and has to use his wits to escape. Leon’s Song by Stephanie Simpson McLellan, illustrated by Diana Bondar (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)—A homely, old frog finds his special talent when his pond in threatened.

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Jeremiah by Stephanie Simpson McLellan (www.stephaniemclellan.com)—A captured tadpole grows arms and legs and finally leaps free to join its bullfrog family.

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Diver, the Leatherback Sea Turtle by Wendy A. Lewis (Scholastic Education)—By the author of Cheetah, this action-packed story about another endangered animal is told from the point of view of a giant sea turtle. Non-fiction material included. This website includes information about Northern Leopard Frogs. www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/frogwatch/whoswho/factshts.northlep.htm This website describes the Northern Leopard Frog and the dangers it faces. www.naturecanada.ca/parks_nwa_current_suffield_speciesatrisk_amphibians.asp The Species at Risk Public Registry is a list of all “at risk,” “of special concern,” threatened and endangered animals in Canada. www.sararegistry.gc.ca Awards and Reviews CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens starred selection Resource Links “Best of the Year” list “Award-winning Ontario author Wendy A. Lewis penned this humorous and engaging addition to the Orca Echoes series, with Graham Ross’s cheeky line-drawings…A quirky and entertaining choice for children with an interest in animals, and excellent for all collections.” —Resource Links “Wendy Lewis introduces children to the familiar moral dilemma of taking a wild animal out of nature to keep it as a pet…Graham Ross’ illustrations…clearly illustrate the main event of the chapter and add to the reader’s understanding of the text. Recommended.” —CM Magazine “In Cheetah by Wendy A. Lewis, Mia loves animals so much she’d like to be one. Face painted with spots and stripes, she prowls around the house. When she finds a leopard frog in a pond, Dad says she can keep the frog for one week. In that short time, Mia learns a lot about keeping wild animals in captivity.” —City Parent Magazine “It was so fun when you came to our class! I liked the speckled frog song and getting dressed up. Cheetah is my favorite book in the world. Please write more books and come back soon!” —Emily A., a grade-two student from Uxbridge, Ontario

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Dimples Delight

Frieda Wishinsky illustrated by Louise-Andrée Laliberté

About the Book Lawrence hates being teased about his dimples. He wishes they’d just disappear, but he knows he’s stuck with them. What can he do about his dimples and how can he make Joe Morse stop teasing him? About the Author Frieda Wishinsky is the author of over forty trade and educational books. Her books have earned critical acclaim in magazines and newspapers around the world and have been translated into many languages, including French, Dutch, Danish, Spanish, Korean and Catalan. Each One Special was nominated for a 1999 Governor General’s Award for text, and Jennifer Jones Won’t Leave Me Alone won the 2004/5 UK Stockport, Portsmouth and Sheffield Children’s Picture Book Awards. Please, Louise! (Groundwood Books) is nominated for the 2008 TD Literature Award and is the winner of the 2008 Marilyn Baille Picture Book Award.

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ISBN: 978-1-55143-362-2

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About the Writing Frieda’s husband has dimples. As a kid, he winced when people pinched his cheeks called him “cute.” That started her thinking. Being cute is not always easy.

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections

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Prereading Ideas How much does appearance matter in how we think of another person? If you look different in some way, what can you do about it? How could you handle it? What’s special about having a best friend? Classroom Discussion Questions If you are being teased what can you do? Why does making a joke about something that makes you uncomfortable sometimes help? Why do you think people make fun of other people? Suggested Activities With three classmates, act out the scene where Lawrence and Stewart refuse to let Joe and his friend Andrew bother them. Show how Lawrence uses humor to make it easier to deal with Joe’s teasing. Stewart knows lots of dinosaur jokes. Write down three of your favorite jokes or riddles about animals. If you don’t know any, look them up in a joke or riddle book. Lawrence mentions a movie he once saw about an innocent guy accused of a crime. What’s your favorite movie? Write down three reasons why you like it. Share your favorite movie with your class. Is there anyone else who likes the same movie? If so, do they like it for the same reason or for a different reason? Other Titles and Websites of Interest A Bee in Your Ear (Orca Echoes) A Frog in My Throat (Orca Echoes) Just Call Me Joe (Orca Young Readers) A Noodle Up Your Nose (Orca Echoes) Find out why bullies act the way they do and how to stop them from picking on you at the Dealing With Bullies website. www.kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/bullies.html Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

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Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers A Bee in Your Ear Each One Special A Frog in My Throat Just Call Me Joe A Noodle Up Your Nose

“A fast-paced, easy-to-read novel...Wishinsky offers a number of non-violent ways of dealing with classroom bullies and Lawrence eventually finds his own solution.” —The Bookmark

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Awards and Reviews Resource Links Best of 2006

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Down the Chimney with Googol and Googolplex Nelly Kazenbroot Illustrator: Nelly Kazenbroot ISBN: 978-1-55143-290-8

About the Book Googol and Googolplex are a couple of enterprising robots sent to Earth on a scavenger hunt. They slide down the Sinclair’s chimney and carry Troy and Pippa Sinclair along with them on a hunt for everything from summertime snowballs to the song of a blackbird. Their adventures teach them to appreciate each other’s different abilities, and their friendship protects them against threats from a neighborhood bully. The ongoing scavenger hunt allows the four companions to widen their knowledge about the world around them. About the Author Nelly Kazenbroot lives on Vancouver Island in Nanaimo, British Columbia, with her husband and two children. She is a prize-winning painter and writer. When she isn’t painting and writing she likes to work in her garden or play with the family cats and a space alien named Buzzby (who’s really their pet chinchilla). Orca Book Publishers has published three of her books about Googol and Googolplex’s adventures. She has also published adult poetry and participated in art shows.

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About the Writing Nelly based this book on stories she made up for her children about two little robots that she had built out of Lego. This was the first time Nelly has illustrated an entire book. She says it was fun and challenging to make fourteen pictures based on the same characters.

Prereading Idea Googol and Googolplex come to Earth on a scavenger hunt. What is a scavenger hunt? Have you ever been on one? How would you help them find snowballs in the summertime, a chocolate bar and the song of a blackbird? Classroom Discussion Questions Pippa and Troy help with the chores in their home. What chores do they help with? Should kids help at home? What chores do you help with? Is there anywhere in Canada where you could send the robots to find snow in the summertime? (For example, to mountains in BC, the Yukon or the NWT.) What is solar-powered energy? Do we use solar-powered energy on Earth? What things can the robots do that we can’t? What things can we do that they can’t? Have you ever seen a shooting star? Suggested Activities Make square snowmen out of boxes or Styrofoam. Googol and Googolplex’s names stand for the biggest numbers in our number system. Make a list of other big numbers. Print out a sheet with all the zeros of a Googol on it (100) and explain why printing up a Googolplex would be impossible. Find out who invented the numbers Googol and Googolplex.

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Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections

Discuss why the robots shouldn’t take a blackbird back to their spaceship with them. Find a recording of a song of a blackbird so everyone can enjoy it. Let the kids make up their own scavenger list of things for the robots to collect. Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Over the Rainbow with Googol and Googolplex Under the Sea with Googol and Googolplex

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Awards and Reviews CCBC Our Choice nomination

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“A light-hearted science fiction story that also provides some valuable lessons about intercultural friendship.” —Canadian Literature “This is amusing, lighthearted science fiction, hard to find for young readers...The fast-paced plot is child-centered with ample dialogue for reader involvement with the characters.” —CM Magazine

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A Frog in My Throat

Frieda Wishinsky illustrated by Louise-Andrée Laliberté

About the Book Kate and Jake are best friends till Jake’s cousin Lionel shows up. Kate is devastated. Jake prefers playing with Lionel to playing with her. Who will Kate hang out with at recess now? About the Author Frieda Wishinsky is the author of over forty trade and educational books. Her books have earned critical acclaim in magazines and newspapers around the world and have been translated into many languages, including French, Dutch, Danish, Spanish, Korean and Catalan. Each One Special was nominated for a 1999 Governor General’s Award for text, and Jennifer Jones Won’t Leave Me Alone won the 2004/5 UK Stockport, Portsmouth and Sheffield Children’s Picture Book Awards. Please, Louise! (Groundwood Books) is nominated for the 2008 TD Literature Award and is the winner of the 2008 Marilyn Baille Picture Book Award.

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ISBN: 978-1-55143-632-6

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About the Writing A Frog in My Throat was written because the author recognized, from her own and her children’s childhoods, how much pain there is in losing a special friend.

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Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Ideas What makes a friend special? List three special qualities you think a friend should have. If your friend lets you down, what would you do? Would talking about it to your friend help? Classroom Discussion Questions What do you like to do with your friends? What are your favorite places to visit on a school trip? Why? Kate and Jake love the movie “Revenge of the Ghost” (not a real movie). What are your favorite movies? Why? Do you think boys and girls can be good friends like Kate and Jake? Do you think they can have interests in common? Suggested Activities Act out a scene with a friend from a movie you like. Write down three things you like to do with friends and three things you like to do alone. Turn the first chapter, “Dumb Movie,” into a little play. You’ll need three people to make the scene come alive. Other Titles and Websites of Interest A Bee in Your Ear (Orca Echoes) Dimples Delight (Orca Echoes) A Noodle Up Your Nose (Orca Echoes) So Long Stinky Queen by Frieda Wishinsky (Fitzhenry and Whiteside) Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers A Bee in Your Ear Dimples Delight Each One Special Just Call Me Joe A Noodle Up Your Nose Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

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Awards Please, Louise!—Quill & Quire Best Picture Book, Blue Spruce short list, TD Literature Award nominee A Noodle Up Your Nose—Canadian Toy Council Great Book, Shining Willow nominee Just Call Me Joe—CLA Book of the Year nominee, Red Cedar nominee

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Each One Special—Governor General’s Award nominee, OLA Best Bets, CCBC Our Choice starred selection, SYRCA Shining Willow Award nominee

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George Most Wanted

orca echoes

Ingrid Lee illustrated by Stéphane Denis ISBN: 978-1-55143-472-8

About the Book George, the little plastic figure, explodes into parts when he rides a firecracker into space in his opening adventure, The True Story of George. Now he must get himself back together. His owners, Katie and Mackenzie, help George in his journey to find himself. So do many other unlikely characters, including a hobo, a plastic babe and a paper dog. About the Author Ingrid Lee was born in1948 in East York, a suburb of Toronto, Canada, the daughter of a Canadian soldier and a Dutch war bride. She graduated from the University of Toronto and became a teacher of lots of things, but mostly of art and English. She has taught steadily since then, most of the time to intermediate students that are twelve and thirteen. She has probably taught close to ten thousand of Toronto’s great kids.

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About the Writing When Ingrid’s two children were small, they did find a little plastic guy. They spent many a day thinking up terrible adventures for the toy. When she decided to write a book about these exploits, Kate, her daughter, suggested Ingrid write the book from different points of view. She felt that readers would enjoy seeing how George and other characters experienced the adventures too. This is the second book in the series.

Prereading Idea George Most Wanted is a tale of a little plastic figure and his owners. What is your favorite plastic figure? What does it look like? What are some of the games you play with your figures? Have you ever lost anything that you found later in a strange place? This is a coincidence. What does that mean? What are other examples of coincidence? Classroom Discussion Questions What does optimistic mean? Is George optimistic? How do you prove your answer from the story? Who else do you know that is optimistic? How do they show that? What is the opposite of this trait? Look at the picture on page 35. Where do you think George is in our big wide world? Why do you think that? Are you able to point to the area on a map? George has a lot of lucky coincidences in his journey back to himself. What does that mean? What are some examples of good coincidence that he experiences in George Most Wanted? A writer always thinks hard before naming their characters. Ingrid Lee named the fisherman who caught George’s leg Jonah Trout. Why? George admires a beautiful girl. At the end of the story, she still does not have a name. What name would you give this girl? (Read George, the Best of All! to find out what name the writer chooses.)

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Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections

Read the last page of the book. Practice predicting. Will George make his dreams come true? Why or why not? Will Katie and Mackenzie see him again? Why or why not? (Read George, the Best of All! to find out what the writer decides.)

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Suggested Activities Plasticine Makeover (Art) Make a little George. First make each of George’s parts out of Plasticine. Use the cover page and the illustrations to help you shape each part. (The picture on page 53 is easy to copy.) Then put all the parts together.

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OR Do you have a poster on your wall? Why do people make posters? Make your own “Wanted” poster for George. Read page 12 and decide how you want to draw your version of George. Be sure to put all the important information on your poster. Presentation (Drama) Memorize the verse, which mimics the noise of a train on a track (pages 33 and 34). Perform it for the class. Try to alter the speed of your voice to suggest when the train speeds and when it slows. The sounds run together more when the train travels quickly. Now pick a sound and make your own sound verse. Character List (Reading Comprehension) There are a lot of characters in this book. Some of them will reappear in the sequel, George, the Best of All! Make them easy to remember. List all the real and play personalities that meet some, or all, of George. Put a little heart or flag beside the characters in your list that try to help George put himself back together. Give your list a proper title. Blackberry Muddle (Mathematics) What is the picking rule in the chapter titled “George Gets in a Jam”? Use the picking rule to answer these problems. (Remember two things: The little boy loves blackberries. And he always follows the picking rule.) If the little boy picks 77 blackberries, how many does he get to eat? How many are in the pot? If the little boy has eaten 5 blackberries, what are all the possible numbers of blackberries that he has in his pot? A cup holds about twenty big blackberries. A blackberry pie needs four and a half cups of berries. How many berries will you need to make a pie? (Don’t count George!) Blackberries grow on vines. Every vine produces about a hundred berries. It takes ten minutes to pick all the berries on one vine. If you have six vines, how long will it take you to pick all the berries? (This is a trick! You don’t need all the information to answer the question.) Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

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Follow the picking rule. If you have a blackberry for every letter in the word “blackberries,” how many berries will you have in your hand? How many will you have in your mouth?

Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Dragon Tide George, the Best of All! Maybe Later Reviews “A fun little chapter book that will delight young readers. Recommended.” —CM Magazine

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Other Titles and Websites of Interest The True Story of George (Orca Echoes) George, the Best of All! (Orca Echoes) Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen

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George, the Best of All!

orca echoes

Ingrid Lee illustrated by Stéphane Denis ISBN: 978-1-55143-623-4

About the Book Katie and Mackenzie find a little red plastic toy on the beach. While they make up adventures with the toy, George, the little red guy, experiences the events in a whole different way. This is the third book in the series. About the Author Ingrid was born in1948 in East York, a suburb of Toronto, Canada, the daughter of a Canadian soldier and a Dutch war bride. She graduated from the University of Toronto and became a teacher of lots of things, but mostly of art and English. She has taught steadily since then, most of the time to intermediate students that are twelve and thirteen. She has probably taught close to ten thousand of Toronto’s great kids.

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About the Writing When Ingrid’s two children were small, they did find a little plastic guy. They spent many a day thinking up terrible adventures for the toy. When she decided to write a book about these exploits, Kate, her daughter, suggested Ingrid write the book from different points of view. She felt that readers would enjoy seeing how George and other characters experienced the adventures too. This is the third book in the series.

Prereading Idea George, the Best of All! is a tale of a little plastic figure. What is your favorite plastic figure? Tell me what it looks like? What are some of the games you play with your figures? Discussion Questions In a household, everyone takes a role to play. What are some roles that people adopt in your home? What is your role? In the chapter “Katie and Mackenzie Play House,” all the little figures have a role. What does each figure do that demonstrates their role? What does destiny mean? Why do you think the beautiful girl is called Destiny? What is a mall? Why do people go to a mall? What is your favorite mall? What stores do you like? What restaurants? Is there something else you like to do at a mall? People write letters to George. George has met each of these people somewhere in his first two books, The True Story of George and George Most Wanted. Where did George meet each of the letter writers? How does each letter writer feel about George? Perhaps the writer of the George books will write one more book about George. Predict what might happen. Will George go away again? Give reasons to support your prediction. Suggested Activities Design a Carnival (Art) Design a bird’s-eye view of a little carnival on a piece of paper. Consider the following:

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Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections

What do you want to call your carnival? What rides do you want to see? Make sure to include your favorite ride. What game stalls do you want to have? What are the prizes?

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What food stalls do you want? Make sure to include your favorite food. Extras: Make up a poster to attract the crowds to your carnival. Draw a pathway through your carnival to show the way you would plan your visit.

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Constellations (Science) The lightbulbs in the carnival turned the merry-go-round horse into a constellation. What is a constellation? Name a famous constellation. (See suggested book.) Why does the appearance of the night sky change during the year? Design your own constellation. Draw or trace a simple animal or figure. Now put dots in important places that will help you to draw the shape when the lines are removed. Put a piece of paper on top and simply draw the dots. (Use dots of glue with glitter.) Leave out the lines. Give your constellation an appropriate title. Ask others if they can connect the dots in their head and see your figure in the constellation. Extrapolate Information from an Illustration (Logic, art) (Look at the picture on page 22. What are at least six bits of information, or action, that you can discover from looking at this picture? What material has the illustrator used to make the picture? The drawing technique is called cross-hatching. Try to crosshatch with your pencil by copying some object in one of the illustrations and adding the shading. (The balloon on page 53 is easy to copy.) Remember that the more you crosshatch, the darker an area gets. (See website suggestion below.) Action Figures! (Research) Why does a certain action figure produced by one toy manufacturer look exactly the same in every store? Who decides what the plastic figure will look like? How is the plastic figure produced? What are some famous plastic figures? Understanding in Context (Language) Sometimes an author writes a sentence that really means something else. Write each of the sentences below. Read the page where the sentence appears in the story. In your own words, explain what you think the sentence really means. “George has a mind of his own.” (page 26) “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” (page 27) “You dance like you have two left feet…” (page 31) Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

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“He’s a real Prince Charming, all right.” (page 31) “George will get a swelled head.” (page 35) “George is a real scoop!” (page 36) “George likes to monkey around…” (page 54)

“His bronco ran so fast that the horse in front couldn’t catch up. His bronco ran so fast that the horse behind couldn’t catch up.” (page 17) “Sho sold one wax figure for thirty hamburgers and got thirty plastic figures for free.” (page 37) “That day the mall was as busy as the a in the word aardvark, busier than the y in a question.” (page 54) Other Titles and Websites of Interest The Glow-in-the-Dark Night Sky Book by Clint Hatchett and Stephen Marchesi http://www.artyfactory.com/pen_and_ink_drawing/ink_drawing/pen_and_ink_ drawing_6.htm Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Dragon Tide George Most Wanted Maybe Later The True Story of George Reviews “Would work well with an imaginative child...illustrations nicely break up the text for young readers.” —CM Magazine

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Sometimes an author writes something that has a hidden puzzle. Write each of the sentences below. Read the page where the sentence appears in the story. Explain the puzzle in your own words.

“This beginning chapter book, with its clear vocabulary and sentence structure, is very accessible for early readers. Recommended.” —Canadian Book Review Annual

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Ghost Wolf

Karleen Bradford illustrated by Allan Cormack and Deborah Drew-Brook ISBN: 978-1-55143-341-7

About the Book Matt’s father may have loved this camp when he was a boy, but Matt certainly doesn’t. He’s never been good at outdoor stuff and is an easy target for the camp bully. Eventually, however, he begins to enjoy himself, but then he makes a bad mistake. He leaves his lifejacket back at the last portage and doesn’t remember it until the middle of the night. His next mistake is to think he can go and retrieve it and return to camp before morning. When his flashlight dies and he finds himself lost in the woods in the dark, he thinks nothing worse can happen—until he hears a wolf howl. The wolf seems to want him to follow it, however, and it takes all of Matt’s courage to do so. Then he finds the wolf’s cub, a half-wolf, half-dog pup whose mother is lying dead beside it. He rescues the pup and in return the wolf guides him back to camp. Could this be the same wolf that his father released from a trap years before? A wolf returning a favor? About the Author Karleen Bradford is the award-winning author of twenty-two books for children and young adults. She loves camping and loves wolves, although she has never been fortunate enough to see one in the wild.

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Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Ideas It is scary to face new situations, but is it worth it to learn new skills and find new ways to have fun? Should a person think carefully about what might happen when tempted to do something they know they really shouldn’t? Why are rules important? What would have happened if Matt had refused to take part in the camp life and not made an effort to make friends? Classroom Discussion Questions Are wolves really bad animals? How do humans affect the lives of wild animals when people go into the animals’ territory? Is it a good thing to put wild animals in zoos? Why do some people tease others? Is this really a kind of bullying? What can you do about it? Why should you think carefully before you break a rule? Are there good reasons for rules? How important is it to be friends with someone who needs your help, even if you get teased or bullied too?

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About the Writing Karleen wanted to write about a young boy who is thrust into an environment that is totally strange to him, about his initial fears and dismay, and about his finding the courage to explore these new activities, find enjoyment in them and make friends. She is also dismayed by the bad image of wolves often portrayed in books and in the media, and she wanted to write a story with a wolf as a heroic character, rather than a villain. Research was easy. She used her own experiences as camper and counselor, and read up all that she could about wolves.

How important is it to keep learning new things? Suggested Activities Have students do a project on wolves and find out as much as they can about the animals. They could also make a list of other animals and birds that are nocturnal, such as the owl that frightened Matt. Students could dramatize and act out chapter three, and if they wanted to go further, another student or students could tell Matt’s dad’s story in chapter four. 66

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Students could make a chart of the night sky and identify some of the major stars. Students could make a map of the portage from one lake to another, the campsite and the path through the woods where Matt got lost.

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Students could find out about portages and how they were used by the original First Nations people, as well as the explorers and voyageurs who followed them. Other Titles and Websites of Interest http://www.wolfpark.org/wolfsounds.html Shake My Sillies Out by Raffi (Crown Books for Young Readers) Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (Scholastic or Philomel Books) Animals in the Forest by Elizabeth de Lambilly-Bresson (Gareth Stevens Publishing) How to Draw Forest Animals by Barbara Soloff Levy (Dover Publications) Camp Out!: The Ultimate Kids’ Guide by Lynn Brunelle (Workman Publishing Company) Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers You Can’t Rush a Cat Awards and Reviews Resource Links Best of 2006 Canadian Toy Testing Council’s Great Books selection CCBC Our Choice starred review “This is an exciting story that boys will love. Matt’s apprehensions about summer camp are fears with which all children can identify. His need to belong to his group and his growing confidence as he feels accepted on his own terms make Matt an underdog character that the reader wants to see succeed. Recommended.” —CM Magazine “This brief story is filled with a sense of supernatural. The soft, eerie charcoal sketches of illustrators Allan Cormack and Deborah Drew-Brook intensify this mystical mood. Ghost Wolf would make an excellent junior grades novel study and is also a wonderful story for reading aloud to late primary/early junior grades.” —Resource Links

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I, Bruno

Caroline Adderson illustrated by Helen Flook

About the Book I, Bruno is a collection of six stories about the irrepressible Bruno, a seven-year-old, highly imaginative yet utterly real boy. Bruno will not eat anything green. He keeps his neighborhood safe from water-spouting dragons. One day he simply decides to become the Queen. And he changes his name to Ed because it’s easier to write! When he needs some money for a new toy, he becomes an entrepreneur who sells chats to firemen. Oh, and he can also speak several dialects of Car! About the Author Caroline Adderson is the author of three books for children. Very Serious Children (Scholastic 2007), a novel for middle readers about two brothers, the sons of clowns, who run away from the circus is nominated for a 2008 Diamond Willow Award and a 2009 Rocky Mountain Book Award. I, Bruno (Orca 2007) is a collection of stories for emergent readers featuring seven-year-old Bruno and his true-life adventures; Bruno For Real is its sequel. Caroline also writes books for adults—Bad Imaginings, A History of Forgetting, Sitting Practice, Pleased to Meet You—and has won two Ethel Wilson Fiction Prizes, three CBC Literary Awards, as well as the 2006 Marion Engel Award, given annually to an outstanding female writer in mid-career. Her numerous nominations include the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist, the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Rogers’ Trust Fiction Prize and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Caroline’s nine-year-old son and his many friends inspire her children’s writing. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. 68

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ISBN: 978-1-55143-501-5

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About the Writing Caroline wrote an early draft of I, Bruno the summer her son was five. It seemed that every day was its own adventure, and she really wanted to immortalize this period of their lives. Later, when she realized kids would be reading the book on their own, she aged Bruno a little, but by then her own son was older too. She also wanted to write a book that was strictly realistic since not every child yearns to be a wizard. Hers was quite happy being a boy.

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Ideas Bruno faces a number of simple challenges in this book—how to get through dinner without eating something he dislikes, how to earn money to buy something he especially wants, how to get away with as much as he can without actually breaking the rules. What challenges do your young readers face in their daily lives, and how many imaginative solutions can they come up with? Prereading Idea What is an imagination? How can it help you? Classroom Discussion Questions In “Bruno the Queen,” Bruno’s mom is worried that someone will criticize Bruno for wearing a dress, but Bruno isn’t concerned at all. Is it hard or easy to be yourself? How much should we care about what other people think? In “Bruno Speaks Car,” Bruno can understand what cars are saying and even speak their language himself. He also understands what his Nana’s neighbor is saying although Bruno doesn’t speak Chinese. How does Bruno do this? In “Bruno Eats the Rainbow,” Bruno refuses to eat anything green, but he’ll eat other colored foods. How many foods can you think of for each color of the rainbow? Which ones do you like and dislike? In “Bruno, Hard at Work,” Bruno comes up with a number of schemes to earn money. How many can you think of? If you were going to buy a chat, what would you want it to be about? How much would you pay? In “I, Bruno,” Bruno doesn’t like his name any more because it has too many letters. If you could change your name, what would you change it to? Why?

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Suggested Activities Set up a chat table as a Language Arts station. Students can write subjects on scraps of paper and put them in a jar. Chart the students’favorite foods according to color. Do some experiments mixing food coloring.

Find out how many countries the Queen of England is head of. Find out one interesting fact about each of these countries. Learn how to say “hello” in as many languages as possible. Write a play based on “Bruno, Dragonslayer.” Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Bruno for Real Reviews “These discrete stories bring to rich life an appealing little individual who may think it’s too much work to write his own name, but who has a clear sense of who he is and who writes ‘I’ at the top of his class assignments before handing them in. Adderson writes with poetry, color and a real flair for zany description that lends itself to being read aloud.” —Canadian Children’s Book News “Adderson…successfully creates a lovably unique character reminiscent of the favorite characters from the ‘Little Bear’ and ‘Frog and Toad’ series for young readers… [I, Bruno] is an excellent read-aloud, particularly with kindergarten and grade one children. Bruno is fresh and stereotype-free, refreshing in early reading materials.” —CM Magazine “In six short tales I, Bruno relates the adventures of [a] “boy inspiration.” Energetic illustrations by Helen Flook reveal a stalwart defender of dragons-disguised-asfire-hydrants, the Queen in all his white-glove and red-cape glory and a reluctant primary printer who cleverly comes up with a one-letter moniker for himself.” —BC Bookworld

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Take a poll to find out who has the longest name in the class.

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orca echoes

Jeremy and the Enchanted Theater Becky Citra illustrated by Jessica Milne ISBN: 978-1-55143-322-6

About the Book Long ago, the Enchanted Theater was a wonderful place. People came from everywhere to see the ancient Greek plays. Mr. Magnus bought the theater and the trouble started. Mr. Magnus made up new endings for the plays. He mixed up all the characters. Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, was furious. He hurled lightening bolts at the theater. The power went out. People stopped coming to see the plays. The actors quit. In Jeremy and the Enchanted Theater, Jeremy and the talking cat Aristotle travel back in time to ancient Greece. On their way to find Zeus in his palace on Mount Olympus, they have encounters with the nine muses, a deer with silver antlers, an angry god of war and a fiery giant. Jeremy must use his wits to escape the danger. When they finally meet with the angry Zeus, the king of the gods gives them three scrolls with riddles. Mr. Magnus, with Jeremy’s help, must solve the riddles before Zeus will lift the curse off the Enchanted Theater. About the Author Becky Citra was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. She was immersed in books as a young child and visited the public library at least twice a week. From an early age, Becky loved to write, and she spent many hours writing her own series, modeled after her favorite books, like the Hardy Boys and Trixie Beldon. When she is not writing, Becky leads an active life skiing, hiking, gardening and horseback riding.

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Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Idea Do you think it is possible to travel in time, either into the past or the future? What kinds of things would it be helpful to know about the place you were going to if you were going to time travel? Classroom Discussion Questions If you were going to travel back in time to ancient Greece, what would you take with you? In the book, Jeremy is separated from Aristotle (Jeremy is outside the palace gates and Aristotle is inside.) Have you ever been separated from someone you love? How did it feel? The gods have a feast with music and silver goblets of nectar. What kind of celebrations do you have in your family? If you could travel back in time, where would you choose to go? Describe the friendship between Aristotle and Jeremy.

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About the Writing As a primary school teacher for many years, Becky enjoyed seeing the excitement of her students when she read them myths from ancient cultures. The stories brimmed with exciting characters, hair-raising adventures and colorful settings. Her students’ enthusiasm for these myths inspired her to write the Enchanted Theater series about a boy and a cat who travel back in time to ancient Greece. The research was fascinating. She read hundreds of versions of Greek myths and found it challenging to select the ones she would use in the books. She tried to stay as true as possible to the myths and, at the same time, allow Jeremy and the cat Aristotle to have a meaningful role in the adventures. The series is a wonderful springboard to bring mythology into the primary classroom.

Suggested Activities Write riddles on scrolls. Dye the paper in tea to make it look old. Make a time capsule. Fill a tin can with items you would take back in time or into the future. Compare illustrations of the Greek gods from a variety of books. Draw a picture of your favorite god. 72

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Survey the numbers and types of pet cats belonging to the students in your school. Make a graph.

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Research a Greek god. Show what you have learned in a poster. Other Titles and Websites of Interest D’Aulaires Book of Greek Myths by Ingri D’Aulaire and Parin D’Aulaire Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths by Bernard Evslin Greek Myths for Young Children by Marcia Williams The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus by Aliki Usborne Greek Myths for Young Children by Heather Amery Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Danger at the Landings Dog Days Ellie’s New Home The Freezing Moon Jeremy and the Fantastic Flying Machine Jeremy and the Golden Fleece Jeremy in the Underworld Never To Be Told Runaway Strawberry Moon Reviews “Who could fail to love a series that time-travels into the Greek myths according to an ‘Enchanted Theater Rule Book’? It’s an inspired way to introduce primary school readers to classical mythology.” —Times Colonist

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Jeremy and the Fantastic Flying Machine

ISBN: 978-1-55143-950-1

About the Book In Jeremy and the Fantastic Flying Machine, the fourth book in the series, Jeremy and Aristotle travel back in time to the island of Crete in ancient Greece to solve the third riddle. They arrive at the palace at Knossos, where they meet the inventor Daedalus, who is known as the “crazy man” because of his attempts to fly. Jeremy and Aristotle become lost in a maze, where they narrowly escape from a monster. Jeremy saves the life of the inventor’s son and has a thrilling flight as he solves the riddle and saves the Enchanted Theater. About the Author Becky Citra was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. She was immersed in books as a young child and visited the public library at least twice a week. From an early age, Becky loved to write, and she spent many hours writing her own series, modeled after her favorite books, like the Hardy Boys and Trixie Beldon. Becky graduated from Simon Fraser University and embarked on a twenty-five-year teaching career. Becky has always loved sharing her books with children, and in 2007 she retired from teaching in order to write full-time and visit schools and libraries. Becky brings the skills she has developed as a teacher to her school visits. When she is not writing, Becky leads an active life skiing, hiking, gardening and horseback riding.

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Becky Citra illustrated by Jessica Milne

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

About the Writing As a primary school teacher for many years, Becky enjoyed seeing the excitement of her students when she read them myths from ancient cultures. The stories brimmed with exciting characters, hair-raising adventures and colorful settings. Her students’ enthusiasm for these myths inspired her to write the Enchanted Theater series about a boy and a cat who travel back in time to ancient Greece. The research was fascinating. She read hundreds of versions of Greek myths and found it challenging to select the ones she would use in the books. She tried to stay as true as possible to the myths and, at the same time, allow Jeremy and the cat Aristotle to have a meaningful role in the adventures. The series is a wonderful springboard to bring mythology into the primary classroom.

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Ideas Daedalus is called “the crazy man.” Why do you think people call other people names? Have you ever been hurt by name-calling? Classroom Discussion Questions How does Daedalus feel about his son Icarus? What kinds of things do you like to do with your parents? Jeremy and Aristotle are lost in the maze. Have you ever been lost? How did it feel? Choose an invention that you use every day (for example, a dishwasher or a computer) and imagine what your life would be like without it. How did Daedalus trick the king? Suggested Activities Design a maze and put a monster in the middle. Research the Wright brothers and other early attempts to fly. Make a model of a flying machine. Have your own Enchanted Theater and put on a play about one of the myths. Explore myths from other cultures (for example, Norse, Mayan or African). Write a different ending to a myth.

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Other Titles and Websites of Interest Island of the Minotaur by Sheldon Oberman Daedalus and the Minotaur by Priscilla Galloway Theseus and the Minotaur by Leonard Everett Fisher The Hero and the Minotaur by Robert Byrd Greek Myths for Young Children by Marcia Williams

Reviews “Who could fail to love a series that time-travels into the Greek myths according to an ‘Enchanted Theater Rule Book’? It’s an inspired way to introduce primary school readers to classical mythology.” —Times Colonist

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Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Danger at the Landings Dog Days Ellie’s New Home The Freezing Moon Jeremy and the Enchanted Theater Jeremy and the Golden Fleece Jeremy in the Underworld Never To Be Told Runaway Strawberry Moon

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Jeremy and the Golden Fleece

orca echoes

Becky Citra illustrated by Jessica Milne ISBN: 978-1-55143-657-9

About the Book In Jeremy and the Golden Fleece, the third book in the series, Jeremy and Aristotle return to ancient Greece to solve the second riddle. Jeremy faces the challenge of becoming the captain of the ship the Argo, with its crew, the Argonauts. He sails into all kinds of danger, including the Clashing Rocks, the frightening birds called Harpies, an angry king, a fire-breathing bull and a serpent that never closes its eyes. Jeremy uses his wits and his backpack full of magic things to solve the riddle and capture the Golden Fleece. About the Author Becky Citra was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. She was immersed in books as a young child and visited the public library at least twice a week. From an early age, Becky loved to write, and she spent many hours writing her own series, modeled after her favorite books, like the Hardy Boys and Trixie Beldon. Becky graduated from Simon Fraser University and embarked on a twenty-five-year teaching career. Becky has always loved sharing her books with children, and in 2007 she retired from teaching in order to write full-time and visit schools and libraries. When she is not writing, Becky leads an active life skiing, hiking, gardening and horseback riding.

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Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Idea Jeremy made the decision to board the Argo. Have you ever had to make difficult decisions? What things can help you when you have to make a decision? Classroom Discussion Questions Hester’s magic ointment made the bull talk. What would your pet say to you if it could talk? Jeremy thought Hester looked very wise. Do you think old people are wise? What things have you learned from your grandparents? Have you ever been on a sailing ship? What other kinds of boats have you traveled on? Jason forgave Jeremy for taking his ship. Do you think Jeremy deserved to be forgiven? Have you ever had to forgive anyone for something they did? How did it feel? Suggested Activities Research Greek ships.

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About the Writing As a primary school teacher for many years, Becky enjoyed seeing the excitement of her students when she read them myths from ancient cultures. The stories brimmed with exciting characters, hair-raising adventures and colorful settings. Her students’ enthusiasm for these myths inspired her to write the Enchanted Theater series about a boy and a cat who travel back in time to ancient Greece. The research was fascinating. She read hundreds of versions of Greek myths and found it challenging to select the ones she would use in the books. She tried to stay as true as possible to the myths and, at the same time, allow Jeremy and the cat Aristotle to have a meaningful role in the adventures. The series is a wonderful springboard to bring mythology into the primary classroom.

Make a story map that shows the route that the Argo sailed with Jeremy as captain. Write your own version of a myth. Put yourself in it. Read about life in ancient Greece. Make a poster to show what you have learned. Read lots of versions of an ancient Greek myth. Make a chart comparing the versions.

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Other Titles and Websites of Interest Jason and the Golden Fleece by Francis Mosley Jason and the Golden Fleece by Leonard Everett Fisher Greek Myths for Young Children by Marcia Williams Usborne Greek Myths for Young Children by Heather Amery Greek Myths by Geraldine McCaughrean Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Danger at the Landings Dog Days Ellie’s New Home The Freezing Moon Jeremy and the Enchanted Theater Jeremy and the Fantastic Flying Machine Jeremy in the Underworld Never To Be Told Runaway Strawberry Moon Awards and Reviews CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens selection “A fun read for those students who are beginning chapter books and who love to solve riddles…An entertaining read for those students who enjoy fantasy and adventure!” —Resource Links “An interesting introduction to Greek mythology.”

—CM Magazine

“Who could fail to love a series that time-travels into the Greek myths according to an ‘Enchanted Theater Rule Book’? It’s an inspired way to introduce primary school readers to classical mythology.” —Times Colonist

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Jeremy in the Underworld Becky Citra illustrated by Jessica Milne

About the Book In Jeremy in the Underworld, the second book in the series, Jeremy and Aristotle return to ancient Greece, this time to the banks of the Styx River at the edge of the Underworld. A sinister ferryman takes Jeremy and Aristotle into the Underworld, where they outwit a three-headed dog and hide from Hades, who is looking for slaves to take to his palace. As Jeremy tries to solve the first riddle, he offers assistance to different characters that they meet and eventually receives help from Hercules and Queen Persephone. About the Author Becky Citra was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. She was immersed in books as a young child and visited the public library at least twice a week. From an early age, Becky loved to write, and she spent many hours writing her own series, modeled after her favorite books, like the Hardy Boys and Trixie Beldon. Becky graduated from Simon Fraser University and embarked on a twenty-five-year teaching career. Becky has always loved sharing her books with children, and in 2007 she retired from teaching in order to write full-time and visit schools and libraries. When she is not writing, Becky leads an active life skiing, hiking, gardening and horseback riding.

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ISBN: 978-1-55143-466-7

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

About the Writing As a primary school teacher for many years, Becky enjoyed seeing the excitement of her students when she read them myths from ancient cultures. The stories brimmed with exciting characters, hair-raising adventures and colorful settings. Her students’ enthusiasm for these myths inspired her to write the Enchanted Theater series about a boy and a cat who travel back in time to ancient Greece. The research was fascinating. She read hundreds of versions of Greek myths and found it challenging to select the ones she would use in the books. She tried to stay as true as possible to the myths and, at the same time, allow Jeremy and the cat Aristotle to have a meaningful role in the adventures. The series is a wonderful springboard to bring mythology into the primary classroom.

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Idea Have you ever been punished for something you did wrong? Do you think the punishment was fair? Classroom Discussion Questions Do you think Hercules and Queen Persephone were good friends to Jeremy? Tell why. There is an expression, “curiosity killed the cat.” How did Aristotle’s curiosity get Jeremy into trouble? Aristotle drinks from the Pool of Forgetfulness. Is there anything in your life you would like to forget? Have you ever won a race? What did it feel like? What is your favorite event at Sports Day? Suggested Classroom Activities Make a map of the Underworld. Show the route that Jeremy and Aristotle took. Look at different illustrations of Cerberus. Design a monster with six heads, four eyes, etc. Eat a pomegranate or drink pomegranate juice (Forbidden Fruit of the Dead!) Watch the Walt Disney movie Hercules. Pack a magic backpack to take to the moon, the North Pole, a jungle, a desert, etc.

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Other Titles and Websites of Interest D’Aulaires Book of Greek Myths by Ingri D’Aulaire and Edgar D’Aulaire The Outlandish Adventures of Orpheus in the Underworld by Paul Newham Persephone by Sarah Tomaino The Story of Persephone by Penelope Farmer Usborne Greek Myths for Young Children by Heather Amery

Awards and Reviews CCBC Our Choice selection “Who could fail to love a series that time-travels into the Greek myths according to an ‘Enchanted Theater Rule Book’? It’s an inspired way to introduce primary school readers to classical mythology.” —Times Colonist “A good early reader for children.”

—CM Magazine

“A good adventure with cliffhanger endings at the end of every chapter. Citra has delivered a story that does not overwhelm the reader with facts while weaving a good story-line…a lot of good reading in 63 pages!…A good read aloud and a unique story…a nice series to add to your library collection.” —Resource Links

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Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Danger at the Landings Dog Days Ellie’s New Home The Freezing Moon Jeremy and the Enchanted Theater Jeremy and the Fantastic Flying Machine Jeremy and the Golden Fleece Never To Be Told Runaway Strawberry Moon

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Kelly’s Cabin

orca echoes

Linda Smith illustrated by Zorica Krasulja ISBN: 978-1-55143-408-7

About the Book Even a cardboard box can be a private (and magical) place. Kelly loves the cabin she has made from a refrigerator box. It has a window with curtains, pictures on the walls, a cabinsized table and a wonderful view. It sits in the vacant lot nextdoor, transformed into the rugged farm of a pioneer family. Now if only Kelly can find the right person to share it with. About the Author Linda Smith loved Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books when she was growing up on the prairies, and regularly pretended that she was a pioneer.

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About the Writing Linda Smith has seen how children need private nooks or crannies to have as their own special places. As a small child she would pretend to be a pioneer and used unoccupied land such as a hillside or vacant lot to create her own pretend wild prairie.

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections

Classroom Discussion Questions How does Kelly demonstrate caring and courage? What does Kelly learn about herself and her friendships? Kelly makes an assumption about Sean based on what someone else has said about him. She later learns that Sean is friendly. What could have happened if Kelly continued to believe what she had been told about Sean? Do friends always agree? What can happen when friends like to do different things? Suggested Activities Have students brainstorm a list of the qualities they look for in their friendships. Collect some refrigerator boxes from an appliance store and have the students make their own cabins, sharing in the construction, design and decorating. Have students think about what it might be like to move to a new place and the challenges they might face. Other Titles and Websites of Interest http://familycrafts.about.com/od/royalcrafts/a/cbbcastle.htm The Birthday Girl (Orca Echoes) A Puppy is for Loving (Orca Echoes) Sharing Snowy (Orca Echoes)

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Prereading Idea Kelly uses her imagination to create a space to play that not everyone thinks is as special as she does. Friends don’t always agree on everything. Can you think of a time when a friend didn’t enjoy playing the same game or activity that you did?

Reviews “Excellent.” —Resource Links “A good choice...Recommended.” —CM Magazine 84

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Marsh Island

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Sonya Spreen Bates illustrated by Kasia Charko ISBN: 978-1-55469-117-3

About the Book Marsh Island is a fast-paced adventure story. Jake and his younger brother Tommy are on their first camping trip and are eager to explore the forest around their campsite. Following animal trails and their own instincts, they soon come across something they never expected to find: buried treasure. Before the boys can open the treasure, a noise in the bushes startles them. They dash blindly into the woods, where they become hopelessly lost. Exhausted, footsore and hungry, the boys begin searching for their campsite, only to stumble across the hut of the legendary Alfred Marsh, for whom the island was named. When they start to feel like they’re not alone in the woods, they begin to wonder if the story their dad told them about old Alfred Marsh and his lost fortune is true. About the Author Sonya Spreen Bates is a Canadian writer living in Australia. Sonya has a Masters in Speech Pathology and has spent many years working with children with communication disorders, both in Canada and Australia, often writing her own stories to use in therapy. She began writing children’s fiction in 2001, inspired by her two daughters and their love of the stories she told them. She is the author of A Tank of Trouble (Scholastic Education Australia) and Midnight Ghost (Limelight Press), and her short stories have been published in school magazines in Australia and New Zealand. Marsh Island is her first book with Orca. About the Writing Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

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Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Idea At the beginning of the story, Jake feels that his brother Tommy is a pest. Does his attitude change over the course of the story? If so, how has it changed and why? Classroom Discussion Questions Tommy and Jake have very different attitudes towards being in the woods. How does Jake feel? How does Tommy feel? Do their attitudes change over the course of the story? How? Jake and Tommy didn’t tell their dad that they were going exploring. Why not? Would the outcome of the story have been different if they had let him know where they were going? Tommy doesn’t really want to go exploring in the woods and repeatedly asks Jake if they can go back to the tent. If your friends were going to do something that you think is wrong or dangerous, what would you do?

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Camping and walking in the woods were a big part of Sonya’s life as a child and provided inspiration for writing Marsh Island. While the island itself is fictional, it is based on similar places she has visited and camped in throughout British Columbia and the Rocky Mountains. Old buildings, castles and ruins have always been of particular interest to Sonya, and as the story developed, it quickly evolved from a simple lostin-the-woods story to an encounter with the past. This new development led to a number of questions that needed to be answered before the story was complete: Who was Alfred Marsh? Why did he flee to Marsh Island? What happened to him? How did he survive? And of course, the main question for Jake and Tommy: Was the treasure really his? Learning about the history and life of this character was fun and exciting and added mystery and a touch of fear to the story that it previously lacked. Sonya has always found that her stories develop in this way. Although she has an initial plan and outline, the story seems to take over and move in directions she never imagined when she first started writing.

Walking in the woods can be fun and exciting, but it can also be dangerous if hikers are careless. What might the dangers be and what precautions do we need to take when out in the forest? We also need to protect our forests from damage from hikers and walkers. What should we do to keep our forests green and beautiful?

Jake and Tommy found their way back to the tent by climbing to a high spot and 86

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searching the forest below them. How else could they have found their way back? What could they have brought with them to prepare for the possibility of getting lost? If they couldn’t find their way back, how could they signal their position to any rescuers? Suggested Activities Create a map of your own island. Put in a variety of geographical features, such as hills/mountains, gullies/ravines, forested areas, grassy banks, streams/rivers, beaches, coves, lagoons etc. Also add any man-made features such as roads, houses, boat docks or shopping areas. Jake wanted to see some animals in the woods of Marsh Island. Do a research project on the types of animals that might be living in the forest on an island such as this. Alfred Marsh lost his fortune in the Great Depression of the 1930s. Research what happened in the Great Depression and how it affected people’s lives. How did their daily life compare to how we live today? Write about an experience you have had in the woods—a camping trip, a day hike or a stroll through a wooded park. What did you see, hear, feel and smell? Write a story, a poem or a journal entry. Imagine that you are lost in the woods and need to make a shelter. What would you use? Build a model of a shelter using the types of materials you might find in the forest. Other Titles and Websites of Interest Camp Out!: The Ultimate Kids’ Guide by Lynne Brunelle, Brian Biggs (illustrator) and Elara Tanguy (illustrator) Questions and Answers About Forest Animals by Michael Chinery Potato: A Tale from the Great Depression by Kate Lied

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Maybe Later

Ingrid Lee illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard

About the Book In his grandfather’s bedroom, a young boy (Johnny) discovers an old bottle, the cork cemented shut with sand. He can see a shadow inside, and he wants to break the bottle open. His grandfather tells Johnny the story of how he found the bottle and why it is still intact. He hands the responsibility of the bottle to his grandson. During the story, Johnny speculates on the bottle’s mysterious contents. These musings become a source of inspiration for various activities. As well, the bottle provides a connection between grandson and grandfather. There is always the idea that it might be a bottlebreaking day. At the end of the story, Johnny discovers that he is not sure if he wants to discover the secret inside the green glass. About the Author Ingrid Lee was born in1948 in East York, a suburb of Toronto, Canada, the daughter of a Canadian soldier and a Dutch war bride. She graduated from the University of Toronto and became a teacher of lots of things, but mostly of art and English. She has taught steadily since then, most of the time to intermediate students that are twelve and thirteen. She has probably taught close to ten thousand of Toronto’s great kids.

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ISBN: 978-1-55143-764-4

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About the Writing Maybe Later is based on a true story. My son found a bottle just like the one in this story in a tidal pool in Bermuda. The bottle had been in the sea for a long, long time. No one was able to pull the cork out of the top. Eventually we broke the bottle to discover the innards. A newspaper in Bermuda put the story and a picture of the event on the front page. Later, I decided to make up a story based on what may have happened if we had not broken our treasure.

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Idea Have you ever walked along a beach? What kinds of things do you see around you? What are things you might experience with your other senses? On the beach in this story, someone finds a treasure. What might this be? In the book Maybe Later, Johnny finds a bottle in his grandpa’s drawer. There is a dark shape inside the bottle, but the cork at the top will not come loose. Johnny wants to find out what is hiding inside. At the end of the book, we will all decide an answer to this question: What is a good bottle-breaking day? Classroom Discussion Questions Watch a movie about a salt-water tropical beach and reef. What are some of the things that Johnny saw on the beach? Everybody on the beach had their own idea about the insides of the bottle in chapter two. What is a genie? What would you ask of a genie? What is a pet peeve? What is your pet peeve? What is an attention grabber? What is something that you use as an attention grabber? Suggest something else that might be in the bottle. Johnny and his grandpa have a job jar in chapter four. What are some good chores that you do? What are some bad ones? Read the fable ‘The Golden Goose.’ What is the moral or lesson of this story? How is this story similar to the sad story of Farmer Henry in chapter six? What is a Poor Lost Soul? Pretend you did not see the illustrator’s view. What do you think the Poor Lost Soul in the bottle should look like? What were all the things the Poor Lost Soul had in his little home in chapter ten? Why was he still bored? How do you think the Poor Lost Soul liked Johnny’s wish?

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Answer the question: What is a good bottle-breaking day? What is a simple toy at home that has given you a lot of fun? Read The True Story of George with your teacher. How are Mackenzie and Katie able to have fun like Johnny?

And/Or Draw a giant class jar on chart paper and cut it out. Give the jar a name. Everyone now can design a classroom job for the job jar. Stick all the jobs on the job jar. Every day someone should put on a blindfold. Someone else should switch around the jobs. The blindfolded person picks a job (a reverse Tail on the Donkey game). They must then do the job. Mapping for Treasure (Geography) Read about Susan’s treasure map in chapter seven. Draw what you think her treasure map looks like. Label all the parts and make a dotted line (or a finger print trail) to the T. Give your map a title. On the back of your map, make a secret pouch. Put in a penny for a treasure! Presentation (Drama) Memorize the Hoopsi Chant of chapter five or the Pirate Limerick of chapter seven. Perform it for your class with actions. (You can change a word or two to make it more fun.)

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Suggested Activities Jars Jars Jars! (Art) Look up the Cook Islands to find out where the children were shipwrecked in chapter three. Find a bottle and bring it to school. Invent a strange place where you have washed up on the beach. Write a note to ask for help just like Johnny and Tommy. Draw a picture on your note to illustrate the problem. Put your note in the bottle and stuff in a cork or other stopper. If you want, splash a little white glue thinned with water on the outside of your bottle and sprinkle sand on it. Put on a little gold glitter for sparkle and let your bottle dry.

Lists (Language) There are many creatures mentioned in Maybe Later. Make a list of at least ten animals from the story. Give your list a title and arrange all the animals in your list into alphabetical order.

Kaleidoscopes! (Mathematics, Patterns) 90

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Teach the principle of symmetry. Use math pattern blocks to create a kaleidoscope pattern on the desk using two right-angled intersecting lines as a starting point. If you do not have pattern blocks, ask the children to trace some little shapes four times each, and stick the cut-outs on paper along the lines of symmetry. Other Titles and Websites of Interest Dragon Tide (Orca picturebook)—This is a good story to introduce the power of imaginative play on the beach. The Golden Goose retold by Uri Shulevitz—An internet version is readily available. The True Story of George (Orca Echoes) Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Dragon Tide George Most Wanted George, the Best of All! The True Story of George

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Monster Lunch

Pat Skene illustrated by Graham Ross

About the Book In Monster Lunch, we dine with Frankenstein, attend a burgoo and a birthday party, meet a grumpy garden-dude and slurp hot zoop. Each yummy, yucky, messy and hot rhyming poem is followed by an interview with the main character or an assortment of fascinating facts about food. About the Author Pat Skene has no strange pets or weird habits; however, she does have eleven rocking chairs and two outdoor swings. Could that be where she gets her wonderful sense of rhythm? Pat was a banker for many years and now enjoys her new life as a writer. She lives with her husband in Cobourg, Ontario.

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ISBN: 978-1-55143-941-9

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About the Writing Lots of kids would eat the same old boring thing day after day if you let them. And eating healthy can be difficult to do in a world filled with convenience food. Pat has always been an advocate for good nutritious food, but it hasn’t always been easy to have the children in her life agree. The writing of this book was important to her because she believes children should know about what’s in the food they eat—the good, the bad and the ugly. Years ago, she convinced her daughter to do a school project about processed food. She selected some popular packaged foods and snacks that she and her friends liked to eat. Then she went to the library to explore each ingredient to find out exactly what it was she was eating. Needless to say, she was horrified at what she found and to this day has never eaten any of those particular foods again. So Pat hopes kids have fun with the stories and poems in this book. And with any luck, maybe some of the food facts will set the stage for more discussion about food— both at home and at school.

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Ideas Discuss the various terms—junk food, processed food, packaged food and fast food. Explore the meaning of the word burgoo. What does it mean when a person is “diabetic”? Discuss allergies and what it means to be allergic. How do you plant a vegetable garden? Make a list of everyone’s favorite cake. Classroom Discussion Questions What was your favorite story or poem and why? How did the author use her imagination to write the story? What are some of the real facts you learned? What did Tess do to spoil her party? What could she have done differently? What did the kids at the burgoo do to save the party? Suggested Activities Take turns reading from the stories in the book. Discuss the various rhyme patterns of each verse in the poems. List all the animals in Hot Zoop and their names. Draw a picture of your favorite one. Have students take turns telling the class about their favorite recipe, how to make it and what it tastes like.

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Have the class take turns reading verses from Rhyme Time News and recite the original Mother Goose version for comparison.

Other Titles and Websites of Interest For information on kids’ nutrition, junk food, allergies and much more, go to www.kidshealth.org. If you would like to see pictures of a real annual small-town burgoo, go to www.burgoo.org. Check out the size of the burgoo pots. For more goofy soup jokes, go to www.soupsong.com. Just for the fun of it—enjoy more rollicking rhymes and class discussions by reading the following books by Dr. Seuss: Horton Hears a Who Oh, the Places You’ll Go! The Sneetches Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Rhyme Stones What a Hippopota-Mess!

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Create a true or false quiz from the list of facts. Some examples could be: Shoofly pie has real flies in it. (False, page 6) Oxtail soup has real oxtails in it. (True, page 7) There are seven teaspoons of sugar in one can of cola. (True, page 8) Miss Muffet’s tuffet was a tricycle. (False, page 27) Mock turtle soup has real turtles in it. (False, page 36) The radish is the fastest growing vegetable. (True, page 46) Ladybugs and toads help your garden. (True, page 47) A Smash Cake has real smashed cookies in it. (True, page 56)

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A Noodle Up Your Nose

orca echoes

Frieda Whishinsky illustrated by Louise-Andrée Laliberté ISBN: 978-1-55143-294-6

About the Book Kate can’t wait for her birthday party, but her parents want her to invite everyone, even bossy Violet. Will Violet ruin her plans? Will Kate’s best friend Jake stick by her? About the Author Frieda Wishinsky is the author of over forty trade and educational books. Her books have earned critical acclaim in magazines and newspapers around the world and have been translated into many languages, including French, Dutch, Danish, Spanish, Korean and Catalan. Each One Special was nominated for a 1999 Governor General’s Award for text, and Jennifer Jones Won’t Leave Me Alone won the 2004/5 UK Stockport, Portsmouth and Sheffield Children’s Picture Book Awards. Please, Louise! (Groundwood Books) is nominated for the 2008 TD Literature Award and is the winner of the 2008 Marilyn Baille Picture Book Award.

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About the Writing Frieda remembers how vicious rumors were when she was a kid. She also recalls how much someone throwing a party hopes that people show up. She put those two truelife experiences together and A Noodle Up Your Nose was born.

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections

Rumors can be mean and hurtful. How can you stop a rumor once it starts? Classroom Discussion Questions If someone says something hurtful to you in public, what can you do about it? Why is it important it be on time for school and appointments? What do you consider when you’re buying a friend a birthday gift? Suggested Activities Ask one student to be Kate and another Violet and have them act out the scene where Violet shows up alone for Kate’s party. Think of what you’d like to do for your birthday party. Come up with a theme and build your plans around that theme. Share your birthday ideas with the class. Write up and decorate an original and colorful invitation to a birthday party. Other Titles and Websites of Interest A Bee in Your Ear A Frog in My Throat Dimples Delight Beware, Pirates! by Frieda Wishinsky (Maple Tree Press) www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

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Prereading Ideas Do you think you should invite everyone in your class to your birthday party? How do you decide who to invite so no one feels left out?

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Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers A Bee in Your Ear Dimples Delight Each One Special A Frog in My Throat Just Call Me Joe Awards Shining Willow nominee Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice selection Canadian Toy Council Great Book

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Out and About with the Big Tree Gang

ISBN: 978-1-55143-603-6

About the Book Out and About with the Big Tree Gang looks at friendship between siblings, between parent and child, and between friends. How does friendship work and how do people get along? Keely and Reg are brother and sister twin skunks, and they act like brothers and sisters everywhere—squabbling, teasing, competing and being good friends anyway. Their friends, Shawna and Burt, are great companions for the adventures that the four have in these stories. About the Author Jo Ellen Bogart grew up in Texas with warm weather and chiggers, but moved to the cold North and became a dual citizen of the US and Canada. She has enjoyed traveling across her adopted country, meeting her readers and gaining new ones. These trips have been very educational and have inspired a number of new works. Jo Ellen hopes to keep writing for a long time and has lots of projects in mind. Jo Ellen’s homebody self enjoys cooking and eating, reading and writing, gardening and pets, some well-chosen movies and Internet exploration. Her grown daughter, Jill, co-authored Out and About with the Big Tree Gang.

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Jo Ellen Bogart illustrated by Dean Griffiths

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About the Writing Jo Ellen likes to write about the everyday life of characters dealing with daily concerns that we all have. Growing up with three younger siblings gave her lots of chances to deal with relationships, and she incorporates these experiences into the Big Tree Gang stories.

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Idea What does being a friend mean to you? How would you like to be treated by a friend? Classroom Discussion Questions How are the four friends different from each other? How are they the same? What are some activities you would enjoy doing on a very hot day? What are some places you would enjoy taking a hike? For example, the rain forest, the Arctic or the desert? What sorts of things would you need to take along with you? If you did something bad to a friend, how would you try to make it up to the friend? Would you be tempted to tell a lie to save yourself from punishment or embarrassment? Would you lie to keep a friend from being hurt by your opinions? Suggested Activities A winter activity could be the building of a snow sculpture such as Keely and Reg built. This can be a group or individual activity. If there is no snow to work with, try Plasticine for modeling or even soap for carving. Maybe mashed potatoes? Kidding! How about a treasure hunt like the one the Big Tree Gang went on? Make up a new list or use the one in the story, “The Hunt,” in Out and About with the Big Tree Gang. Use you imagination to find good items to fit the categories. Make up some really silly songs like Keely’s or puns like Burt’s. Hint for puns: use words that sound alike but mean different things, such as Burt used with his ant and aunt pun. Put on a little play using the script in the story “In the Spotlight.” How would you make a costume for Burt, who played the part of Dirt? Make up a melody for the Grasses’ song on page 19 of Out and About with the Big Tree Gang.

Other Titles and Websites of Interest Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

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Simon & Schuster Children’s Guide to Insects and Spiders by Jinny Johnson. This is a kids’ book on insects and would be great to examine in conjunction with the story “Bug Walk.” Keely and Reg built a kite for their neighbor Mr. Brown in the story “The Golden Tulip” in The Big Tree Gang. Try a kite building website such as this one: http://www.molokai.com/kites/20kidskites.html

Reg loves and collects rocks. Check out these books on rocks: National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals Let’s Go Rock Collecting by Roma Gans and Holly Keller This website has a commercial aspect, but it all grew out of a home-schooled kid’s enthusiasm for rock collecting. I think that kids would find it fun and interesting. http://www.rockhoundkids.com/rh-articles.html http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm/vol12/no11/thebigtreegang.html Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers The Big Tree Gang Awards and Reviews CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens selection “By creating such a likeable boy-girl twin pair, Bogart has written a book with both boy and girl appeal.” —CM Magazine

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Reg loves his new compass in “The Compass” in Out and About with the Big Tree Gang. Learn about compasses. The Wikipedia site is helpful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Compass. Draw a map of the school and its playground and mark the directions of the compass on the map.

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Over the Rainbow with Googol and Googolplex Nelly Kazenbroot illustrated by Nelly Kazenbroot ISBN: 978-1-55143-469-8

About the Book Outer-space robots Googol and Googolplex come back to earth to continue their scavenger hunt with Pippa and Troy. This time they are out to collect all the colors of a rainbow, a ball of wool and some milk from a cow. Pippa and Troy think that their artistic aunt and the dairy farm next door should make the hunt easy, but they aren’t counting on a bad-mannered bull and a windstorm getting in the way. Luckily, Googol and Googolplex turn out to be the Pied Pipers of cows, and Troy discovers that there’s more than one way to catch a rainbow. About the Author Nelly Kazenbroot lives in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island with her husband and two children. She is a prize-winning painter and writer. When she isn’t painting and writing, she likes to work in her garden or play with the family cats and a space alien named Buzzby (who’s really their pet chinchilla). Orca Book Publishers has published three of her books about Googol and Googolplex’s adventures. She has also published adult poetry and participated in art shows.

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About the Writing Nelly based the books about Googol and Googolplex on stories she had made up for her children about two little robots that she had built out of Lego. She wanted this third book to be set during Pippa and Troy’s summer holidays, because that way she could have the robots find them on vacation in a new and interesting place.

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections

Classroom Discussion Questions Googol and Googolplex are like twins. Do you know any twins? Are they always identical? Why do some people drink soy milk instead of cow’s milk? What things might you not be able to do if your hands were hard and metal? Is Farmer Ben right to tell the children to stay out of his fields? How do the robots show emotion? Suggested Activities Teach the kids how to make a cat’s cradle with string. Bring in crystals and prisms on a sunny day and make rainbows. Do a research project on how cows produce milk. Paint a picture showing the way a rainbow is colored. Let the students write about what kind of food is raised on the farms around them.

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Prereading Idea In this book, Googol and Googolplex have to collect milk from a cow. Where does our milk come from? How are cows milked on big dairy farms? What happens to milk after it is collected? Why is milk good for us to drink?

Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Down the Chimney with Googol and Googolplex & Under the Sea with Googol and Googolplex Reviews “Fast-paced and fun…it is an entertaining story set to spark the reader’s imagination.” —Resource Links “While Pippa and Troy are expanding their knowledge of alien life, Googol and Googolplex are learning about life on planet earth.” —CM Magazine 102

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Paper Wagon

orca echoes

martha attema illustrated by Graham Ross ISBN: 978-1-55143-356-1

About the Book The rooster has been stolen by the fox. What is the little hen to do? Go to the shed and build a paper wagon, that’s what. Two little white mice pull her paper wagon, and the little hen heads for the fox’s house deep in the forest. On the way she meets a shiny needle, a hairy black spider, a fat cat and a big red brick. They all hitch a ride and want to help her save the fox from the rooster. Will they be on time to rescue the rooster? About the Author Born in the Netherlands, martha attema still collects folktales from Friesland. During the day, she works as a grade-one teacher in North Bay, Ontario. At night she likes to read and write stories. She now lives in a town named Powassan in the straw-bale house she helped build with her husband. She is very concerned about the environment, and together with her husband, she teaches students and adults how to take better care of our planet.

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Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Ideas Looking at the cover, who do you think are the main characters in this story? Where do you think the wagon is going? Do you think the two mice are strong enough to pull the heavy wagon? Can you tell what the wheels are made of? Who do you think is the strangest character on the wagon? Why? Classroom Discussion Questions In this story, the little hen is trying to rescue the rooster from the fox. When the little hen is on the way to the fox’s house, the needle, the spider, the cat and the brick offer to help her, and she takes them along. Discuss how in this case it is better for the hen to try and rescue the rooster together with the other characters, instead of alone. When the rescue operation becomes difficult, does the little hen give up? Give some examples of how she perseveres. Discuss how the characters teach the fox a lesson. Do you think it worked? Why? Would a paper wagon hold that many characters? Give a reason. How much do you think a little paper wagon would hold? In the end, the little hen forgives the fox. Do you agree with her decision? How did the fox feel? How did it make you feel?

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About the Writing The story of The Paper Wagon was inspired by an old folktale from Friesland. After martha had read the tale, she found it so hilarious and absurd that she wanted to do something with it. During her research she discovered that the tale must have been recorded in the 1700s, the same time the folktale “The Bremen Town Musicians” was written. She realized she needed to make many changes to this story, because it was very violent and had a terrible ending. She thanks author/editor Maggie de Vries for suggesting that she should write this story for the Orca Echoes series.

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Suggested Activities Character Education Through discussion and role playing, students can get involved in the following topics related to this story: co-operation, perseverance, friendship, compassion and forgiveness. Language Arts Write a short paragraph about your favorite character in the story and mention at least three things about this character. Write a new plan, how you would trick the fox. Write a poem about your favorite character and share it with the class. A list of difficult words: delicious (p.7) aroma (p.7) tender (p.7) herbs (p.8) scooted (p.8) parsley (p.8) chives (p.8) rosemary (p.8) sneaking (p.10) dangled (p.10) harnesses (p.12) injured (p.12) crease (p.13) swiftly (p.14) reins (p.16) tailor (p.18) ruins (p.23) rubble (p.23) scampered (p.36) Math Discuss and learn how to make the paper wagon using one square piece of paper. Fold it into 16 squares. In small groups discuss what would be the best choice for wheels (apples, marshmallows, cucumber slices, carrot slices). Each group selects different types of wheels. Predict which paper wagon will roll faster down the ramp. The one with apples, the one with cucumber slices, the one with carrot slices or the one with marshmallows. Test the wagons on a ramp. Make a graph to show if your predictions matched the outcome. Science Find some information on spiders and do a research project. Glue your information on Bristol board and display in the classroom. Art Make the paper wagon out of construction paper. Create the characters out of Plasticine, paper or valuable junk. Drama Make the characters out of paper bags. Turn a large box into a puppet stage. With a partner, students write and perform a scene from the story using the repetition from the text.

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Making Soup As a large group activity, ask each child to bring one vegetable from home. With adult assistance, the vegetables will be boiled and stirred. Let the soup simmer for about 3045 minutes. Eat with crackers or French bread. The students write the recipe for the “Little Hen’s Homemade Soup.”

On chart paper compare and contrast these stories. Find similarities and differences with the story of The Paper Wagon. Read books that have bad foxes and wolves like Little Red Ridinghood, The Three Little Pigs, The Wolf and the Seven Kittens, The Gingerbread Man and Jemima Puddle Duck. Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Daughter of Light Hero A Time to Choose Awards and Reviews A Time to Choose—Blue Heron Award winner, ALA Best Book nominee, Geoffrey Bilson Award nominee and Arthur Ellis Award nominee Daughter of Light—Sydney Taylor Award finalist Hero—Elementary Teachers’ Federation Writer’s Award winner, Silver Birch nominee, IODE Violet Downey nominee “The plot of The Paper Wagon is remarkably silly. The reader is meant to suspend disbelief, appreciate the foolishness of it all and get a few laughs.” —CM Magazine

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Other Titles and Websites of Interest The Bremen Town Musicians Henny Penny The Little Red Hen Stone Soup

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A Puppy is for Loving

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Mary Labatt illustrated by Renata Liwska ISBN: 978-1-55143-477-3

About the Book Every summer Elizabeth stays with her grandmother on the old family farm. Elizabeth wanders the farm with Grandma’s collie, Elsie, but this summer is different. Elsie is having puppies and Elizabeth has to help Grandma find the right home for each puppy. Then she has an idea. About the Author Mary Labatt, an award-winning education editor, is the author of twenty-eight trade and educational books. Her popular series of novels, Dog Detective Sam (Kids Can Press), feature spooky mysteries for ages eight to ten. Her ten early readers about Puppy Sam (Kids Can Press), available in both French and English, are for young children who are learning to read. Beginning in spring 2009, Mary’s eight graphic novels, the Sam and Friends Mysteries (Kids Can Press) are being released. Her graphic novels are for ages seven to ten. Her books have been translated into French and Chinese.

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About the Writing Mary breeds collies with her daughter Elizabeth. They love having puppies around and work hard to find each one the perfect home. A Puppy is for Loving is about family, the joy of raising puppies and the love that puppies give.

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections

List all the things you liked about your pet. Imagine that you have a dog and give your imaginary dog a name. List all the things you like about your imaginary dog. How do dogs help people who are lonely? Do you have a lonely grandmother or grandfather? Why are they lonely? What can you do to help? Classroom Discussion Questions What kinds of things do dogs like to do? List all the reasons you think people like dogs so much. Brainstorm all the things dogs can do for people. Consider this statement: Dogs and elderly people belong together. Talk about all the reasons you think that is true. What do you know about dogs having puppies? What other animals have their babies the same way? What other ways do animals have babies? Make a list. Make a list of how you would take care of new puppies.

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Prereading Ideas Have you ever had a pet?

Suggested Activities Your dog is having puppies. Make a shopping list of all the things you will need to buy to get ready. Write Taking Care of New Puppies in the middle of a page. Make a web diagram of all the things you will have to do to take care of new puppies.

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Make list of four different kinds of people. Beside each person write down the kind of dog you think they need.

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Work in partners. Role-play the conversation with Grandma where you try to prove you are the right person for that puppy. Find a book about collies and make a presentation to the class about all the things you learned about collies. Make a chart of how animals have their babies. Sort the animals into groups that have their babies the same way. Find a video of an old Lassie movie or Lassie tv episode. Show your video to the class. Pretend you are Grandma. Explain why you won’t leave the farm. Other Titles and Websites of Interest Look at the website www.mypuppy.ca and try the following activities: Find out how to get ready for new puppy. Find out how you will train your new puppy. Find out what your puppy can learn at each age. Click on Puppy Nursery Gallery and look at photos of puppies. Choose one for yourself. Print your puppy’s picture. Make a book about your puppy. In your book, tell how you got ready for the puppy, how you trained the puppy and all the things you do with your puppy. Animals and Their Young by Pamela Hickman and Pat Stephens (Kids Can Press). You can find out how animals have their babies and how they take care of them. Make a chart. Read this book to the whole class. Puppy Sam series by Mary Labatt (Kids Can Press). Ten easy readers about a curious little puppy, available in French or English. Use these books as a model and write an easy-to-read story about a little puppy who gets a surprise. Make lists of all the things that might surprise a little puppy. Dracula Madness and Lake Monster Mix-Up by Mary Labatt (Kids Can Press). Two graphic novels about a very funny dog (reading level—grade 2). Read one of these graphic novels and act out the story for the class with three friends. (One person can be Sam, one can be Jennie and one can be Beth) The Sam Dog Detective series by Mary Labatt (Kids Can Press). A series of eight mystery novels solved by a dog with a lot of personality (reading level—grade 3).

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Read one of the mysteries. Pretend you are Sam. Write a report to the class about the mystery and how you solved it. This website has pictures of all the different breeds of dogs. Look at pictures of all the different breeds and print their pictures. Make a scrapbook of the pictures and label them. http://www.dogbreedz.com/breeds/index.cfm

Reviews “A Puppy is for Loving is a genuine, charming, sweet—but not saccharine—story about Elizabeth’s summer visit with her grandmother and the birth of Elsie’s puppies…Renata Liwksa’s illustrations reinforce the warmth and gentleness of the story and provide the right amount of encouragement for the young reader…A very strong book....Mary Labatt’s intimate knowledge of raising puppies is evident in the text and the passion with which she tells this story. Highy recommended.” —CM Magazine

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Find and old copy of Lassie Come Home in the library and read it aloud to the class.

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The Rasberry Room

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Alison Lohans illustrated by Gillian Newland ISBN: 978-1-55143-353-0

About the Book Abby loves to play outside and has found a special hidden room in the raspberry patch in her backyard. In her raspberry room, she can play brave explorer or anything else she’d like to be. But Abby’s best friend Laura doesn’t like to get dirty. Instead of coming to see Abby’s secret place, Laura goes home just when Abby sees somebody looking at her through the hole in the fence. Mom always seems to be busy with Brayden, Abby’s baby brother, and Abby has no one to help soothe her hurt feelings. So she takes Brayden’s blue monkey out to her raspberry room, where she finds a little toy tractor hidden under the leaves. Where did it come from? Who was looking through the fence? Later, what wrecked Brayden’s monkey? Running away seems to be the only solution...In the course of facing the consequences of her actions, Abby finds a new friend who shares her love of imaginative play outdoors...and also finds new ways to understand and appreciate her friend Laura. About the Author Alison Lohans has been writing since early childhood and was first published at the age of twelve. She has published seventeen books for young people, ranging from picturebooks to books for teens, and also a poetry chapbook. She has published many short stories, poems and non-fiction articles, and has also won several awards for her writing. She lives in Regina, Saskatchewan.

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Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Idea Best friends don’t always agree about what they’d like to do. Discuss friendly problemsolving tactics. What could Abby have done differently? Would the story outcome be the same? How? Classroom Discussion Questions Do you and your best friend ever disagree about what you’d like to do together? How do you solve the problem? Some children have free time for playing. Others are very busy, with a lot of activities to go to. What types of games, sports or creative activities do you participate in? Is it important to have free time to play as well? What is the right thing to do if you find something but don’t know who it belongs to? Do you use your imagination when you play? What is fun about using your imagination? Suggested Activities Some people are scared of bugs. Discuss the different perspectives. How could you help a friend get over a fear of bugs? Do a research project on one of the insects that Abby and her friends encounter in the raspberry jungle, and draw pictures of the insect in its natural environment.

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About the Writing As a young child, Alison used to love to play outside. She says that sometimes there was almost a magical feeling about being up in a tree or sitting outside creating imaginary worlds as she played in special places out in the field amidst the tall weeds and wildflowers. There was quite a selection of fruit and nut trees and vines at her parents’ home, and in the summer, picking fruit was something she did to help her parents. Her favorites were figs, apricots, strawberries and especially youngberries. When she moved to Regina, she was delighted to find a raspberry patch in her backyard. Often when she went to pick berries, her mind would go back to those special moments of playing outside. And after a while, the idea for The Raspberry Room was born.

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Draw a map of Abby’s backyard and show the raspberry room. Show the hole in the fence, and what Abby can see in Thomas’s backyard. Draw a map of how Abby walks to Laura’s house.

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Figure out and role-play a discussion between Abby and Laura. How could they have solved their disagreement about what to play in a way that wouldn’t have hurt Abby’s feelings? Discuss what Abby did with Brayden’s blue monkey. How would you feel if you accidentally ruined someone else’s favorite toy? What would you do? Draw a picture of Abby with Brayden’s monkey that shows Abby’s feelings. Other Titles and Websites of Interest Kelly’s Cabin by Linda Smith (Orca Echoes) Sam and Nate by PJ Sarah Collins (Orca Echoes) Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Nathaniel’s Violin (picturebook, 1996, out of print) Reviews “The Raspberry Room touches on a few issues, such as being honest; running away from home; and having an accident when you just cannot make it to the bathroom on time. All these are dealt with in a serious, yet loving, way…This chapter book will surely be enjoyed by everyone who appreciates imagination…and secret rooms. Highly recommended.” —CM Magazine, starred review “Lohans’ simple story contains enough mystery and character tension to keep the pages turning…There is an excellent sense of the closeness and “fort-like” atmosphere of Abby’s secret outdoor room. Abby is an enjoyable character…Teachers and parents could use this story to build on topics such as friendship, family, siblings, and secrets. This was a good read.” —Resource Links

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Rhyme Stones

Pate Skene illustrated by Graham Ross

About the Book In Rhyme Stones, we go spelunking; we meet a witch who can’t stay on her broomstick and a schoolyard bully; and we see how a simple piece of cloth can become anything we want it to be. Each long poem is followed by an exclusive interview with the main character, and each short poem has a “trailer” of cool facts about the theme. About the Author Pat Skene has no strange pets or weird habits; however, she does have eleven rocking chairs and two outdoor swings. Could that be where she gets her wonderful sense of rhythm? Pat lives with her husband in Cobourg, Ontario.

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ISBN: 978-1-55143-636-4

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

About the Writing Pat loved writing the poems and stories in this book, because they’re all about solving problems through courage and imagination. Have you ever met a bully? Or felt that you just don’t fit in? Who do you talk to when you’re upset? Are you afraid of the dark? These are some of the important subjects she wrote about in this collection of stories. The ideas for these poems came from everyday conversations she’s had with the children around her. They are her inspiration for the characters in this book. You’ll meet Cecil Bunker, who is afraid of the dark and must find the courage to rescue his puppy from a pitch-black cave; Polly Palooka, a bully, who terrorizes children and takes the fun out of school; and a witch called Ernestine, who can’t join her friends on the biggest night of the year. This little book of poems is a celebration of everyday heroes. Feeling sad or afraid is part of who we are. But it’s important that we find ways to make ourselves happy again. For Pat, picking up a pen and writing about it is always a good way to start. It’s like taking a big spoonful of word medicine to make her feel better.

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Idea Explore what it means to go “spelunking.” List some of things you know about bats. How did Halloween get started? What would you do if someone bullied you or one of your friends? Can you get warts from a toad? Classroom Discussion Questions What was your favorite story or poem and why? How did the author use her imagination to write the story? What are some of the real facts you learned? Why were the other witches upset with Ernestine? What is the important difference between a “wild cave” and a “show cave”? Suggested Activities Take turns reading from the stories in the book. Discuss the various rhyme patterns of each verse in the poems. Using the Polly Palooka poem as a reference, discuss bullying and what kids should do when encountering a bully. Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

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Do a creative craft by having the students bring a square piece of cloth to class and make shawls and pirate bandanas like in Mrs. Magilvery’s Silvery Shawl.

Other Titles and Websites of Interest For an exciting spelunking adventure, go to the National Caves Association website and take the “Virtual Tour” at www.goodearthgraphics.com. To read stories about bats, try the Silverwing series by Kenneth Oppel. For more excellent information on the health and social issues discussed in this book (including bullying), go to www.kidshealth.org. Just for the fun of it—enjoy the rhythm of more rollicking rhymes in the following books: Boy Soup by Loris Lesynski If I Had a Million Onions by Sheree Fitch Buttercup’s Lovely Day by Carolyn Beck Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Monster Lunch What a Hippopota-Mess! Reviews “The poems…are enjoyable and flow nicely when read aloud.”

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Create a true or false quiz from the list of facts. Some examples could be: Bats like to fly into your hair. (False, page 10) Spelunkers like to explore caves. (True, page 9) Taking a bath in oatmeal can help relieve itchy skin. (True, page 43) A “yawl” is the same as a “yawn”. (False, page 50) There are no words that rhyme with orange, silver and purple. (True, page 59) Bats babies are called pups. (True, page 12) The last day of school used to be called “All Hallows Eve.”(False, page 32) A “stalactite” hangs down in a cave like an icicle. (True, page 12)

—Resource Links

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Sam and Nate

orca echoes

PJ Sarah Collins illustrated by Katherin Jin ISBN: 978-1-55143-334-9

About the Book Sam and Nate is the humorous story of two young boys at school and their friendship as it grows through a year of change. With letters, notebook scraps and several miscommunications along the way, the boys learn more about themselves, the ups and downs of being twins, working with others and helping the new teacher. The book contains six stories, each packed with the grade 2/3 Science, Language Arts and Personal Planning curriculum. About the Author If PJ Sarah Collins is not teaching children at school or chasing them at home, her favorite way to relax and recharge is to write for them. She thinks investing in children is the best way to spend a life. She’s had the opportunity to teach in three school districts: Vancouver, Coquitlam and Northern Ireland. Sarah was born and bred in the Lower Mainland, is passionate about all things green and loves family life with her husband and three young kids. She aspires to be like Sam and Nate in their simplicity and joy of life but is often more like Mr. Tangent. P.S. One of the Mr. Tangent stories is autobiographical but she’s not telling which one!

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Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Idea Using the strategy of Think-Pair-Share, have students reflect on where they have met their closest friends. How did they become friends? Was it an easy process or a bumpy one? Have students brainstorm what qualities make up a satisfying friendship. How important is being able to work through misunderstandings with your friends? (Sam and Nate started their friendship with a fight in chapter 1!) Classroom Discussion Questions Who are all the people in your school community? How many people help Mr. Tangent in chapter 5? Is taking a vote the best way for a group to decide what to study? What are some other ways or strategies for groups to make decisions together? (See chapter 2.) Describe the personality differences between the two main characters, Sam and Nate. (Even though Sam and Nate are trying to be twins in chapter 3, it is also the part of the book where they are least like each other.) Mr. Tangent used to teach high school before he taught Sam’s and Nate’s class. What do you imagine it will be like when you go to high school?

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About the Writing When Sarah discovered the joy of writing for children, she signed up for every course she could attend offered by her author-friend, Alison Acheson. Sarah took her courses through the Delta School Board night school and the Faculty of Creative Writing at UBC over a period of seven years. When Sarah submitted “Letters from the Mailbox” to her writing group, it was Alison who prodded her to write more stories about Sam and Nate based in the world she knew—the primary classroom—and inspired by her own students. When she writes for this age group, she feels like she’s painting with light brush strokes in watercolor; her YA novels are longer brush strokes in several layers of acrylic paint.

Sam and Nate encounter communication problems, bossy kids and separation anxiety at school. What are good strategies for solving problems with others? Suggested Activities Create a Quiz Show, much like Mrs. Licorice does in chapter 4. Make questions from whatever unit you are studying and put them on index cards. Divide the class into two teams. Then set up a tic-tac-toe grid on the blackboard. Each team wins a spot as “X” or “O” when they successfully answer a question together. If a team gets three spots in a row, they win! 118

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Have students write a Days-of-the-Week story that includes a problem and a solution. “On Monday…On Tuesday…” (In Sam and Nate, chapters 1, 2 and 4 are set up that way.)

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Read chapter 2 to launch a group research unit about animals. (Sam’s group: Dinosaurs, page18; Nate’s group: Monkeys, page 19-20) Study the most fascinating mammals on the planet: whales! In chapter 4, Sam and Nate measure out a Blue Whale in the hallway and create a habitat diorama, among other things. Why not dive right in and do the same? Rock your classroom like Sam and Nate do in chapter 3! If you’re hesitant to teach your own music class, check out one of the inclusive musical packages below—both are sure to be a bit hit on whatever scale you use them. Other Titles and Websites of Interest Find the musical package Celebrate You and Me—Helping Kids Build Self-Esteem by Roger Emerson at www.musicfirstexpress.com. It contains the song “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” that Mrs. Licorice used for her students in chapter 3. Another fun musical for primaries is Dinostars! by John Jacobson and Mark Brymer, found at www.musicfirstexpress.com. Great classroom fun for Jurassic lovers like Sam and Nate! Jeffrey and Sloth by Kari-Lynn Winters and Ben Hodson (Orca, 2007). This is a great picturebook for exploring issues of power and powerlessness and for helping students to solve their own problems (see Sam and Nate, chapter 2). Don’t let Mr. Tangent teach your weather unit (Sam and Nate, chapter 6). Get ideas from the pros at www.theweatherchannelkids.com/weather. Check out my favorite toy company at www.melissaanddoug.com. They have an affordable and adorable wooden mailbox for your classroom (or you could just make your own with a box). Either way, kids just love mail! (Sam and Nate, chapter 1.) Reviews “It is always a pleasure to read a story that skillfully takes the reader into the heart of a working classroom…much of the humor—while funny to adults—will be found authentic to young readers…Social interactions, friendship, loss, and perseverance are all themes that can be found in this dramatic little window into school life in the elementary grades.” —Resource Links

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Sea Dog

Dayle Campbell Gaetz illustrated by Amy Meissner

About the Book When Kyle searches for treasure on the beach after a big storm, he’s in for a huge surprise. The treasure he uncovers is a half-drowned dog, tangled in kelp. Kyle and his mom take the dog home and nurse her back to health. Kyle names her Treasure and plays with her every day. But one day Treasure runs up to a strange man on the beach. The man says the dog’s real name is Otter and she belongs to him. About the Author Dayle Campbell Gaetz grew up on the west coast and has always lived near the sea. As a child she loved to play on the beach. Now she enjoys walking her dog along the beach. Since growing up she has always had a boat to row, paddle or sail. Her love of the sea, of dogs and of “messing about in boats” all come together in Sea Dog.

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ISBN: 978-1-55143-406-3

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

About the Writing Every morning after moving to Campbell River, Dayle walked on the beach with her dog. Every day she saw a woman with a big black dog who always carried a large stick in his mouth. The dog loved to play in the water, no matter how cold. One day the woman told Dayle how she found the dog washed up on the beach after a violent windstorm. The dog was so weak the woman thought it must be very old or very sick. But he recovered quickly, and the first time she brought him back to the beach he swam out so far all she could see was a tiny speck bobbing on the waves. The dog headed straight for a white fishing boat. But the boat was too far away, and finally he came back. The dog had been with her for eight years when Dayle met them, and his owner always wondered if he fell off a fishing boat in that storm. It got Dayle thinking about the person, possibly a fisherman, who might have lost his dog overboard. He must have been devastated. How happy he would be to find out his dog had survived! Dayle wondered what sort of man he might be, and Cap’n Bill began to take shape. Then she considered who might find a fictional dog that fell from a boat. That’s when Kyle stepped into the picture.

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Idea Kyle’s dad doesn’t live with Kyle and his mom anymore, and Kyle misses him. When Kyle finds a cold wet dog on the beach, he brings her home and takes good care of her. He names her Treasure, and she helps him feel less lonely. But then Treasure’s real owner shows up. Bill is overjoyed to see his dog because he missed her so much. He lives all alone since his daughter moved away. Do you think Kyle should give Treasure back to her first owner? Ask students if they like to go boating with family and friends. Do they always wear a lifejacket? Should you wear a lifejacket even if you are a good swimmer? When Cap’n Bill gets a new puppy, he buys her a lifejacket so she will be safe on his sailboat. But when she outgrows the lifejacket he doesn’t buy a new one because she “swims like an otter.” If Bill had bought a new lifejacket for Otter, what might have happened when she fell overboard in the storm?

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Classroom Discussion Questions Why was Kyle happy and sad when he found the toy sailboat? Have you ever felt happy and sad at the same time? Why did Bill want to sell his sailboat?

If you were Kyle, would you give Treasure back to Bill? Why or why not? Suggested Activities Vocabulary words On a basic illustration of a sloop like the Lady Tia, have students find and print in the correct names for parts of a sailboat mentioned in the story: bow, hull, tiller, boom, cleat, mast, lines, rigging, mainsail, jib. They can print Lady Tia on the bow, or choose a name they’d like to name a boat of their own. They might want to add a background of sea and sky, perhaps seals and gulls, and then paint the completed picture. Language Arts Use small boxes or fold cardstock to form cubes approximately six inches on each side. Cut squares of white paper slightly smaller than the cube sides. Use the paper to draw your own cover illustration for a scene from Sea Dog. Print the book title and author’s name. Color your illustration and paste it on one side of the cube. Print the word “Characters” at the top of a new sheet of paper. Draw two characters from the book and use cartoon bubbles to show what they say to each other. Fill in the background and color. Print the word “Setting” at the top of a new sheet. Draw a picture that shows where an important scene takes place. Examples: Kyle’s house near the beach; Bill’s sailboat at the dock or at sea. For the remaining three sides, tell what happens in the story. If more pages are needed, they can be taped one above the other. For students with weak writing skills, this could be a class activity or students could draw a series of scenes that show what happened in sequence. Variation: Students can tell in words or by drawing what might happen next, i.e., after the story ends. Will Kyle and Bill become friends? Will they both still love Treasure even if they don’t live in the same house? Draw an illustration for the epilogue or a cover illustration for the sequel.

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Kyle should have felt happy when Bill told him he could keep Treasure. What made Kyle feel so sad he wanted to cry?

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Science Beach Study and Art Activity Discuss the items, living and non-living, Kyle found on the beach (eg., glass fish float, running shoe, toy sailboat, jellyfish, driftwood, seaweed and a dog). List what you might expect to find on a beach when the tide is out. For example: starfish, jellyfish, sand dollars, moonsnails, sea lettuce, eel grass, kelp, driftwood, clamshells, shore crabs. Also, on a rocky shore, oysters, barnacles and periwinkles. Draw and color a selection of these items. Cut out and paste onto a background drawing of a beach scene or underwater scene (intertidal zone). Sea Mammals Study Discuss similarities and differences between dogs, seals and otters (on inland waters around Vancouver Island, otters will be river otters, even though they live in the sea). How did Kyle know the animal he found was not a seal when he could only see a small part of its head? (p. 10). When Cap’n Bill saw a black speck on the water, how did he decide it wasn’t a seal or an otter? (p. 30). Learn more about sea mammals. What makes them different from land mammals? Why don’t seals have ears? Do otters have ears? How about sea lions and whales? This can lead to further study. What are two differences between seals and sea lions? If river otters live in the sea, how are they different from sea otters? Some sea mammals, like otters and seals, spend time on land as well as in the water. Others, like whales and dolphins, never get out of the water. How have their bodies adapted in different ways to living in an ocean environment? Writing Read some of the descriptive language in the book, looking for sensory imagines including sight, sound and touch. Good examples are on pages 28 and 31. Pages 56–57 describe what the windstorm was like for Cap’n Bill on his sailboat. How did Kyle’s experience of the storm differ from Bill’s? You might need to re-read chapter one to find out. Discuss types of storms: wind (gales, hurricanes, cyclones), rain, snow blizzards, lightning. Describe a storm you have experienced. What did you see? What did you hear? What did you feel or even smell related to the storm? Were you safe in your house or did you get caught outside by a bad storm? If you were indoors, what do you think it would be like for people or animals out in the storm?

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide Other Titles and Websites of Interest A Sea Lion Called Salena by Dayle Campbell Gaetz A Salmon for Simon by Betty Waterton Moonsnail Song by Sheryl McFarlane Exploring the Seashore in British Columbia, Washington and Oregon; A Guide to Shorebirds and Intertidal Plants and Animals by Gloria Snively Kingfisher Press books and curriculum materials at www.kingfisherpress.ca

Awards and Reviews CCBC Our Choice selection “A beginner’s chapter book made doubly appealing by Amy Meissner’s beautiful drawings.” —Times Colonist

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Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Alberta Alibi Barkerville Gold Crossbow Mystery from History No Problem Something Suspicious in Saskatchewan Spoiled Rotten

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Sharing Snowy

orca echoes

Marilyn Helmer illustrated by Kasia Charko ISBN: 978-1-55469-021-3

About the Book More than anything in the world, Ali wants a pet cat for her birthday. Unfortunately her brother Jay is allergic to cats so the family cannot have a cat in the house. But Ali has a house of her own, a clubhouse hidden among the trees in her backyard. The clubhouse is Ali’s favorite place to play, and the only person she shares it with is her best friend Sam. One day Ali discovers that someone else is sharing the clubhouse too. To her delight, the new resident is a beautiful white cat who she names Snowy. Ali decides that the clubhouse is the perfect home for Snowy. But in the end, Ali is faced with a much more important decision. Is the clubhouse the perfect home for Snowy and is Snowy really hers to keep? About the Author Marilyn Helmer is the author of many children’s books, including picturebooks, early readers, novels, riddle books and retold tales, as well as numerous short stories, articles and poems. Aside from writing, Marilyn’s favorite pastimes are reading, pursuing one of her many hobbies and, of course, collecting new story ideas. Marilyn and her husband Gary share their home near Fergus, Ontario, with a cat named Misty who rules the household with an iron paw.

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Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Idea The main character, Ali, desperately wants to have a cat, but she can’t have one in the house because her brother Jay is allergic. Do you have allergies or do you know someone who does? What are some of the precautions we can take to avoid the problems allergies can cause? Taking care of a pet is a big responsibility. What are some of the things you can do to keep a pet healthy and happy? If you could have your very own clubhouse, where would it be? What would it look like? What would you put inside it? Have you ever had a secret you wished you could share with someone, but you didn’t because you were afraid it might get you in trouble? Pretend that you have your all-time favorite treat but there is really only enough for one. You friend comes over. Would you share with your friend or put your treat aside to eat later? Why?

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About the Writing The inspiration for Sharing Snowy came from a friend’s experience with a small mouse she found in her grandmother’s house. Marilyn’s friend wanted to tame the mouse, so she secretly left out crumbs and cheese for it. All was well until her grandmother found out, and the mouse was quickly banished to the outdoors. As a writer Marilyn always has her eyes and ears open for new story ideas, and friends and family have provided her with some good ones. With her friend’s experience in mind, Marilyn came up with a different cast of characters and setting, and so the story of Snowy and Ali was born. The challenge was to develop a series of situations that could actually happen. For example, how could Ali keep Snowy a secret? Could she provide Snowy with everything she needed? In the end, would Ali make the right decision about Snowy?

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Discussion Questions Sometimes Ali gets annoyed with her little brother Ben. Do you have a brother or sister who does things that make you cross? What kind of things do they do?

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Did Ali do a good job of taking care of Snowy? What would you have done differently? If you lost a pet, what things could you do to help find it? Sharing is not always an easy thing to do. Give some examples from the story of how Ali learns to share. Give some examples of ways that you share. Do you think that, in the end, Ali made the right decision about Snowy? Would you have done the same thing? Suggested Activities Make a poster about a lost pet. You can use a photo of your own pet or one cut from a magazine. What words would you use to attract people’s attention? Find out about organizations like the SPCA and the Humane Society to discover how they look after lost and abandoned pets. Write and act a new scene at the end of the book about what happens when Ali meets Mrs. Banks. Pretend that you are Snowy and write a letter to Ali telling her how you feel about living in the clubhouse. In small groups, make a clubhouse in the classroom. If there isn’t a lot of space, you can make a model of one. You could make your clubhouse from cardboard, empty boxes, Popsicle sticks or blocks of wood. What else could you make it from? What could you put inside? Make a booklet called “My Pet.” If you don’t have a pet of your own, you can make one up. Draw a picture of it. Make a list of the things you would need to take good care of your pet. You can draw pictures of those too or cut photos from magazines and paste them into your booklet. Don’t forget to give your pet a name! Things like food, water, exercise, play, grooming, regular veterinary care should be mentioned.

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Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Dinosaurs on the Beach Reviews “A great start to chapter books...A sweet book cat lovers and young girls will enjoy.” —Tucson Unified School District “Helmer is a warm and inviting writer who is not prone to writing down to children.” —The Hamilton Spectator

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Other Titles and Websites of Interest Fog Cat by Marilyn Helmer Lost Cat by Tad Hardy Lost in the Snow by Holly Webb Come Back, Cat by Joan Nodset Nini Here and There by Anita Lobel Rescue Pup by Jean Little Hobo Finds a Home by Hobo Sable by Karen Hesse Berta: A Remarkable Dog by Celia Barker Lottridge Silly Chicken by Rukhsana Khan Emma’s Yucky Brother by Jean Little I Spy Private Eye by Estelle Salata My Friend Has Allergies by Nicola Edwards The Peanut Butter Jam by Elizabeth Sussman Nassau

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Theodora Bear

orca echoes

Carolyn Jones illustrated by

ISBN: 978-1-55143-496-4

About the Book Harriet is a girl who has a large collection of stuffed animals. A visiting teddy, Theodora Bear, leads the other animals in a variety of attempts to boss Harriet around. It is all Harriet can do to get her own way once in a while. About the author Carolyn Jones is a teacher in Coquitlam, British Columbia. Theodora Bear is her first children’s book. It is set in Strathcona, Chinatown’s residential neighborhood, where Carolyn lives. Like Theodora Bear, Carolyn loves to shop in Chinatown.

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Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Ideas Chapter One: Sick Day How do you feel when you have a cold? What is Antarctica? Where is Antarctica? Chapter Two: Chores What chores need to be done every day? What chores are you expected to do at home? Chapter Three: Music, music, music What kind of music do you like to listen to? Chapter Four: Movie Night In this chapter, the animals watch a movie set in London, England. The people there have accents different from most accents we hear in Canada. What does an English accent sound like? (Be prepared to do one if you can’t elicit it from students.) Chapter Five: Theodora Bear Goes Camping Have you ever gone camping? What was it like? What do you need to take with you when you go camping? Chapter Six: Christmas Planning Note: If you have students in your class who are Jehovah’s Witness or belong to other religions that do not celebrate or acknowledge Christmas, you may wish to skip this chapter. Or you may wish to broaden your discussion to include other holidays. If you were going to get a teddy bear a present, what would you get her/him?

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About the Writing Carolyn Jones’s two goddaughters, Emma and Sarah, were the inspiration for the book. They always ask for stories about Theodora, the bossy, mischievous teddy bear. In Jones’ stories, the teddy bear always outsmarts the adults. Emma and Sarah often scold Theodora for the “bad” things she’s done since they saw her last. Writing the book was easy, since Jones has a large collection of stuffed animals herself.

Chapter Seven: Theodora and the Fish Have you ever gone shopping with adults and seen something you wanted them to buy for you? Were you able to convince them to buy it for you?

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Chapter Eight: Yoga What is yoga? (Be prepared to demonstrate a simple yoga pose. Have the whole class try it. This will be simpler if they’re already on the carpet.)

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Chapter Nine: Counting What is ABC order? (Write three or four students’ names on the board and elicit alphabetical order of the names.) Chapter Ten: Names Have you ever wanted to change your name? If you could change your name, what would your new name be? Do you have a nickname? Chapter Eleven: Bedtime Have you ever woken up in the night because the blankets have fallen off the bed? Chapter Twelve: Going Home What hobbies do you have? What hobbies do members of your family have? What hobbies does your best friend have? Bird-watching is a hobby. What do you think bird-watchers do? Do you ever see birds near the school or where you live? Classroom Discussion Questions Chapter One When you have a cold, what should you do to get better? Why don’t we say “shut up” to someone when we want that person to quiet down? Chapter Four Have you ever been at home when all the power has gone out? What did you do? What can you do for fun when the power goes out and the radio, television and computer don’t work? Chapter Six What are the holidays you celebrate? How do you and your family plan for them? Do you give gifts or not? Chapter Seven Theodora Bear’s fish is a good pet because she is quiet. Theodora’s fish also does tricks. Other animals make good pets for different reasons. What makes different animals good pets? What animals wouldn’t make good pets? Chapter Eleven What can you do to make sure you get a good night’s sleep every night?

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide Suggested Activities Vocabulary/spelling for Theodora Bear Chapter One Page 1: grumpy, frowned, coughed Page 2: quiet Chapter Two Page 4: household chore, thumbs Page 6: pre-breakfast

Chapter Four Page 10: relaxing, cushion Page 11: accents Page 13: relax Chapter Five Page 14: tease, revenge, essentials Page 15: kazoos Page 17: roughing it Chapter Six Page 21: marzipan Page 24: naughty or nice Chapter Seven Page 26: picky shopper Page 27: dumplings, moon cakes Page 28: vegetarian Chapter Eight Page 32: yoga Page 34: yoga positions Page 35: dresser

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Chapter Three Page 9: off-key

Chapter Nine Page 38: critic Page 39: schedule

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide Chapter Ten Page 40: roots Page 41: hurricane Page 42: crocodile Page 44: queen

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Chapter Eleven Page 48: wrapped, sales Chapter Twelve Page 50: binoculars, hobby Page 51: éclairs Page 53: wombat Other Titles and Websites of Interest www.theodorabear.com Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne

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Timberwolf Challenge Sigmund Brouwer illustrated by Dean Griffiths

About the Book Johnny Maverick has come up with an idea to win a fundraising contest for the Howling Timberwolves hockey team. It seems fun, until a girl visits Howling—and starts to win challenges against Johnny. The entire town finds it funny; even worse, his friends Tom and Stu like what’s happening. About the Author Sigmund Brouwer is the best-selling author of many books for children and young adults. In addition to several titles in the Orca Echoes series, he has contributed two titles to the Orca Currents series and over a dozen titles to the Orca Sports series. With close to three million books in print, Sigmund Brouwer writes for both children and adults. In the last ten years, he has given writing workshops to students in schools from the Arctic Circle to inner-city Los Angeles. His most recent books for children are Sewer Rats, Wired (Orca Currents for reluctant middle-school readers), Thunderbird Spirit, Maverick Mania and Absolute Pressure (Orca Sports for reluctant readers ages 10+) and Timberwolf Tracks (Orca Echoes). One of his latest novels, The Last Disciple, earned Sigmund an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America. Sigmund and his family live half the year in Nashville, Tennessee, and half the year in Red Deer, Alberta.

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ISBN: 978-1-55143-730-9

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Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections

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Prereading Idea Think about what it means to be a “good sport.” Classroom Discussion Questions and Activities On page 46, Johnny’s dad tells Johnny he needs to be at the video presentation in order to show everyone that he is a “good sport.” Discuss with students what the phrase “good sport” means in this instance and why it is such an important part of being on a team. Make a list of good sportsmanlike behavior. Discuss what nonpartisan-like behavior is, and if possible, have students give examples from their own team experiences. Other Titles and Websites of Interest Timberwolf Chase Timberwolf Revenge Timberwolf Hunt Timberwolf Tracks Timberwolf Trap Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Orca Echoes: Timberwolf Chase, Timberwolf Revenge, Timberwolf Hunt, Timberwolf Tracks and Timberwolf Trap Orca Currents: Sewer Rats, Wired Orca Sports: Rebel Glory,All-Star Pride, TigerThreat, Blazer Drive, Chief Honor, Cobra Strike, Hitmen Triumph, Hurricane Power, Scarlet Thunder, Titan Clash, Winter Hawk Star, Thunderbird Spirit, Maverick Mania and Absolute Pressure Reviews “Brouwer illustrates his moral with physical humor and one-liners that have proven appeal with children. Recommended.” —CM Magazine “…will appeal to young hockey players who enjoyed the first two books in the series.” —Resource Links

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Timberwolf Chase Sigmund Brouwer illustrated by Dean Griffiths

About the Book Johnny Maverick and his friends play for the Timberwolves peewee hockey team in the small town of Howling. Tom Morgan has just moved from Toronto and is a talented player. Tom is also very competitive and seems determined to pick on Stu Duncan, who is slightly overweight. Johnny suggests a race between Tom and Stu. Tom eagerly accepts; Stu is reluctant but Johnny convinces him to trust his best friend’s advice. On race day Tom is surprised by both the race and its outcome and learns that teamwork pays off. About the Author Sigmund Brouwer is the best-selling author of many books for children and young adults. In addition to several titles in the Orca Echoes series, he has contributed two titles to the Orca Currents series and over a dozen titles to the Orca Sports series. With close to three million books in print, Sigmund Brouwer writes for both children and adults. In the last ten years, he has given writing workshops to students in schools from the Arctic Circle to inner-city Los Angeles. His most recent books for children are Sewer Rats, Wired (Orca Currents for reluctant middle-school readers), Thunderbird Spirit, Maverick Mania and Absolute Pressure (Orca Sports for reluctant readers ages 10+) and Timberwolf Tracks (Orca Echoes). One of his latest novels, The Last Disciple, earned Sigmund an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America. Sigmund and his family live half the year in Nashville, Tennessee, and half the year in Red Deer, Alberta. 136

orca echoes

ISBN: 978-1-55143-548-0

Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections

orca echoes

Prereading Idea Ask students to consider what it would be like to move to a new town and a new school. Classroom Discussion Questions and Activities Tom Morgan is new to Howling, but he isn’t very nice to Stu and calls him names. How does this affect Stu and how does Johnny deal with Tom’s negative comments? In small groups of four students, read chapter three aloud as a play. There are enough parts for Stu, Johnny, Tom and a narrator. Discuss the characters’ reactions and the effects of insults, teasing and name-calling. Brainstorm with students about the idea of “teamwork.” Other Titles and Websites of Interest Timberwolf Trap Timberwolf Revenge Timberwolf Hunt Timberwolf Tracks Timberwolf Challenge Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Orca Echoes: Timberwolf Trap, Timberwolf Revenge, Timberwolf Hunt, Timberwolf Tracks and Timberwolf Challenge Orca Currents: Sewer Rats, Wired Orca Sports: Rebel Glory,All-Star Pride, TigerThreat, Blazer Drive, Chief Honor, Cobra Strike, Hitmen Triumph, Hurricane Power, Scarlet Thunder, Titan Clash, Winter Hawk Star, Thunderbird Spirit, Maverick Mania and Absolute Pressure

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Timberwolf Hunt Sigmund Brouwer illustrated by Dean Griffiths

About the Book When the Timberwolves get a new coach, they also get the coach’s son. The only problem is that Eldridge Elwell is a terrible hockey player. The team is on the hunt to make the playoffs, and every time Eldridge plays a shift, it hurts the team more. Johnny Maverick is just as angry about it as anyone on the team, until he learns something important about the coach’s son. About the Author Sigmund Brouwer is the best-selling author of many books for children and young adults. In addition to several titles in the Orca Echoes series, he has contributed two titles to the Orca Currents series and over a dozen titles to the Orca Sports series. With close to three million books in print, Sigmund Brouwer writes for both children and adults. In the last ten years, he has given writing workshops to students in schools from the Arctic Circle to inner-city Los Angeles. His most recent books for children are Sewer Rats, Wired (Orca Currents for reluctant middle-school readers), Thunderbird Spirit, Maverick Mania and Absolute Pressure (Orca Sports for reluctant readers ages 10+) and Timberwolf Tracks (Orca Echoes). One of his latest novels, The Last Disciple, earned Sigmund an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America. Sigmund and his family live half the year in Nashville, Tennessee, and half the year in Red Deer, Alberta.

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ISBN: 978-55143-726-2

Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections

orca echoes

Prereading Idea There is a saying: “Take one for the team.” Eldridge isn’t a great hockey player, but he has a good sense of sportsmanship team spirit. What does being a “team player” mean? Classroom Discussion Questions and Activities How does Eldridge help and show his support toward the team? How do Johnny and Tom show their support of Eldridge? Ask students if they have ever belonged to a team and experienced favoritism. Discuss how it might feel to be the player who is benched and/or the player who is favored. Other Titles and Websites of Interest Timberwolf Chase Timberwolf Revenge Timberwolf Trap Timberwolf Tracks Timberwolf Challenge Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Orca Echoes: Timberwolf Chase, Timberwolf Revenge, Timberwolf Trap, Timberwolf Tracks and Timberwolf Challenge Orca Currents: Sewer Rats, Wired Orca Sports: Rebel Glory,All-Star Pride, TigerThreat, Blazer Drive, Chief Honor, Cobra Strike, Hitmen Triumph, Hurricane Power, Scarlet Thunder, Titan Clash, Winter Hawk Star, Thunderbird Spirit, Maverick Mania and Absolute Pressure

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Timberwolf Revenge Sigmund Brouwer illustrated by Dean Griffiths

About the Book There’s plenty of action both on and off the ice. At a big tournament in Calgary, teammate Tom Morgan plays a practical joke on Johnny Maverick, so naturally Johnny feels he has to pay him back. The rivalry escalates. After Johnny scores a hat trick, he’s given a hockey stick signed by all the members of the Calgary Flames. He worries that Tom will do something to this prized trophy and decides he will not let it out of his sight. But in the end Tom outsmarts him one more time, and Johnny learns that revenge is never a good idea. About the Author Sigmund Brouwer is the best-selling author of many books for children and young adults. In addition to several titles in the Orca Echoes series, he has contributed two titles to the Orca Currents series and over a dozen titles to the Orca Sports series. With close to three million books in print, Sigmund Brouwer writes for both children and adults. In the last ten years, he has given writing workshops to students in schools from the Arctic Circle to inner-city Los Angeles. His most recent books for children are Sewer Rats, Wired (Orca Currents for reluctant middle-school readers), Thunderbird Spirit, Maverick Mania and Absolute Pressure (Orca Sports for reluctant readers ages 10+) and Timberwolf Tracks (Orca Echoes). One of his latest novels, The Last Disciple, earned Sigmund an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America. Sigmund and his family live half the year in Nashville, Tennessee, and half the year in Red Deer, Alberta. 140

orca echoes

ISBN: 978-1-55143-544-2

Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections

orca echoes

Prereading Idea Johnny and Tom are good friends, but when Johnny does something that Tom doesn’t like, Tom wants revenge. Ask students to think about the effects of seeking revenge. Classroom Discussion Questions and Activities On page 10, Stu tells Johnny he should learn what the word revenge means. Look up the word revenge in the dictionary. Ask students to think and discuss a time when they were angry or upset with someone and sought revenge. How does Johnny get his revenge on Tom? (Page 21 and page 50.) What happens after Johnny gets his revenge on Tom? Brainstorm with the class the negative aspects of seeking revenge and getting even. Discuss some positive alternatives to revenge. Other Titles and Websites of Interest Timberwolf Chase Timberwolf Trap Timberwolf Hunt Timberwolf Tracks Timberwolf Challenge Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Orca Echoes: Timberwolf Chase, Timberwolf Trap, Timberwolf Hunt, Timberwolf Tracks and Timberwolf Challenge Orca Currents: Sewer Rats, Wired Orca Sports: Rebel Glory,All-Star Pride, TigerThreat, Blazer Drive, Chief Honor, Cobra Strike, Hitmen Triumph, Hurricane Power, Scarlet Thunder, Titan Clash, Winter Hawk Star, Thunderbird Spirit, Maverick Mania and Absolute Pressure

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Timberwolf Tracks Sigmund Brouwer Illustrated by Graham Ross

About the Book It’s the most talked about trophy in Howling—The Wassabbee! And it goes to the winner of the annual fathers versus sons’ hockey game. This year it looks like the fathers are in trouble. The game won’t be played indoors. It’s going to be held outside, at a weekend camp out. In the middle of the winter! Johnny Maverick and his friends Tom Morgan and Stu Duncan definitely don’t want to go. They know the fathers are going to play a few tricks on them. So they decide to use all their genius to be the ones to play the tricks first. It’s fathers vs. sons. Who will out-trick who? About the Author Sigmund Brouwer is the best-selling author of many books for children and young adults. In addition to several titles in the Orca Echoes series, he has contributed two titles to the Orca Currents series and over a dozen titles to the Orca Sports series. With close to three million books in print, Sigmund Brouwer writes for both children and adults. In the last ten years, he has given writing workshops to students in schools from the Arctic Circle to inner-city Los Angeles. His most recent books for children are Sewer Rats, Wired (Orca Currents for reluctant middle-school readers), Thunderbird Spirit, Maverick Mania and Absolute Pressure (Orca Sports for reluctant readers ages 10+) and Timberwolf Tracks (Orca Echoes). One of his latest novels, The Last Disciple, earned Sigmund an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America. Sigmund and his family live half the year in Nashville, Tennessee, and half the year in Red Deer, Alberta. 142

orca echoes

ISBN: 978-1-55143-734-7

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections

orca echoes

Prereading Idea Everyone has a different sense of humor. Think about how some tricks can be very funny but some can also be taken the wrong way and be hurtful. Classroom Discussion Questions and Activities The boys play tricks on the dads, and the dads play tricks on their sons. Is playing a trick on someone ever a bad idea? What kinds of tricks are funny and what kinds are hurtful? Have students give examples. Johnny tells Tom that playing a trick is like scoring a goal. Ask students to consider how the two are the same and discuss in groups. Other Titles and Websites of Interest Timberwolf Chase Timberwolf Revenge Timberwolf Hunt Timberwolf Trap Timberwolf Challenge Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Orca Echoes: Timberwolf Chase, Timberwolf Revenge, Timberwolf Hunt, Timberwolf Trap and Timberwolf Challenge Orca Currents: Sewer Rats, Wired Orca Sports: Rebel Glory,All-Star Pride, TigerThreat, Blazer Drive, Chief Honor, Cobra Strike, Hitmen Triumph, Hurricane Power, Scarlet Thunder, Titan Clash, Winter Hawk Star, Thunderbird Spirit, Maverick Mania and Absolute Pressure

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Timberwolf Trap

Sigmund Brouwer illustrated by Dean Griffiths

About the Book Johnny Maverick and Tom Morgan are in a race for the league’s goal-scoring trophy, but one or two other things are getting in the way. Like a joke on the coach. And, worse, the smelly socks of death… About the Author Sigmund Brouwer is the best-selling author of many books for children and young adults. In addition to several titles in the Orca Echoes series, he has contributed two titles to the Orca Currents series and over a dozen titles to the Orca Sports series. With close to three million books in print, Sigmund Brouwer writes for both children and adults. In the last ten years, he has given writing workshops to students in schools from the Arctic Circle to inner-city Los Angeles. His most recent books for children are Sewer Rats, Wired (Orca Currents for reluctant middle-school readers), Thunderbird Spirit, Maverick Mania and Absolute Pressure (Orca Sports for reluctant readers ages 10+) and Timberwolf Tracks (Orca Echoes). One of his latest novels, The Last Disciple, earned Sigmund an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America. Sigmund and his family live half the year in Nashville, Tennessee, and half the year in Red Deer, Alberta.

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orca echoes

ISBN: 978-1-55143-722-4

Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections

orca echoes

Prereading Idea Think about the word pride and what it means to Dale’s dad and Coach Smith. Can someone’s sense of pride ever get in the way? Classroom Discussion Questions and Activities Tom gets Dale new hockey equipment. Why do Johnny and Stu stop Tom from giving it to him? Johnny’s dad wants to help Coach Smith build his garage. Why doesn’t Coach Smith accept his help? On page 52, Johnny’s dad says, “It’s nice to win a trophy, but it’s more important how you win.” What do Tom and Johnny do to create a gracious win for their team? What is the difference between being a player that just scores goals and one that is part of the team? Other Titles and Websites of Interest Timberwolf Chase Timberwolf Revenge Timberwolf Hunt Timberwolf Tracks Timberwolf Challenge Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Orca Echoes: Timberwolf Chase, Timberwolf Revenge, Timberwolf Hunt, Timberwolf Tracks and Timberwolf Challenge Orca Currents: Sewer Rats, Wired Orca Sports: Rebel Glory,All-Star Pride, TigerThreat, Blazer Drive, Chief Honor, Cobra Strike, Hitmen Triumph, Hurricane Power, Scarlet Thunder, Titan Clash, Winter Hawk Star, Thunderbird Spirit, Maverick Mania and Absolute Pressure

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The True Story of George Ingrid Lee illustrated by Stéphane Denis

About the Book Katie and Mackenzie find a little red plastic toy on the beach. They make up adventures to have with the toy. Meanwhile, George, the little red guy, experiences the events in a whole different way. About the Author Ingrid Lee was born in1948 in East York, a suburb of Toronto, Canada, the daughter of a Canadian soldier and a Dutch war bride. She graduated from the University of Toronto and became a teacher of lots of things, but mostly of art and English. She has taught steadily since then, most of the time to intermediate students that are twelve and thirteen. She has probably taught close to ten thousand of Toronto’s great kids.

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ISBN: 978-1-55143-293-5

Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

Orca Echoes Resource Guide

orca echoes

About the Writing When her two children were small, they did find a little plastic guy in a jumpsuit. They spent many a day thinking up terrible adventures for the toy. When Ingrid decided to write a book about these exploits, Kate, her daughter, suggested Ingrid write the book with two points of view, so that readers could share in George’s fun too. This is the first book in the series.

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections

Prereading Idea The True Story of George is a tale of a little plastic figure and his owners. What is your favorite plastic figure? What does it looks like? What are some of the games you play with toy figures? Classroom Discussion Questions George says, “He was George the Brave, George the Steadfast.” What does it mean to be brave? Who do you know that is brave? How do they show bravery? What does it mean to be steadfast? Who do you know that is steadfast? How do they show this trait? Katie and Mackenzie like to investigate. What do they investigate? What word describes people who like to investigate? What do you like to investigate? Katie and Mackenzie also like to make things. What do they make? What word describes people that like to make things? What do you like to make? In chapter ten, George is logical. Logical (adjective) is a word to describe something that makes sense. If the clouds are dark, it might rain. That is logical. If you go to bed late, you will be tired the next day. That is logical too. Give an example of something that is logical. How would you use logic to decide what to wear? Where else do you need to be logical? This story is told from two different points of view. What does this mean? Why do you think the writer changes the point of view between chapters? What happened to Humpty Dumpty in the Mother Goose rhyme? Where do you think George’s parts will go? Think of some unusual places. Do you think he will get himself together again? Why do you think that? (Read George Most Wanted to find out what the writer decides.)

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Suggested Activities Words Words Words! (Language) What is a word in chapter three that is spelled to copy the sound? Words that copy noises are fun. This technique is called onomatopoeia. Say onomatopoeia quickly five times. Spell it without looking. Now pretend you are a strange animal. What sound does the animal make? What letters put together will make that sound?

A simile compares two things using the words like or as. It is a figure of speech. A figure means a picture. Similes help the reader to think of a picture from the words. For instance, George is “as fresh as a daisy.” Picture this. Here is a little story. All it needs are good similes to make it more descriptive. Fill in each blank to finish the simile. Afterward, give the story a title. Once upon a time there lived a dragon. The dragon had eyes as red as _______________. It had scales as hard as _______________. The smoke coming from its nose was as hot as _______________. The dragon was unhappy. It wanted to sit in some grass as soft as _______________. But every time it sat down, the grass would turn brown and crispy. The dragon’s breath was too hot. Finally the dragon started to cry. The tears were so hot, they made the ground steam and sizzle like _______________. The princess of the kingdom felt sorry for the dragon. She climbed on the dragon’s back. They walked for five days and nights. The dragon walked as fast as _______________. It carried the princess all the way to the cold North Sea.

orca echoes

In chapter eighteen, George found four letters in his bubble bath. How many words can you make with some, or all, of these letters? (Hint: One word means fish eggs. One word means a scary giant. One means pirate drink! There are names of people hidden here too.)

The princess pointed to a big chunk of ice. It was floating in the water. “That is an iceberg,” she said. “It is as cold as _______________. If you eat one every spring, you will not burn the grass. You will be as cool as _______________. Next winter you can live at my castle. You will get back just enough heat to keep my toes as warm as _______________. My father, the King, will enjoy your company. You and my father will get along like _______________.” So the dragon followed the advice of the princess and lived happily ever after.

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Parachute Parade (Art and Science) Katie and Mackenzie make a parachute for George. Make a parachute and a passenger! Follow these instructions:

orca echoes

• Cut the sides of a plastic bag to make a large piece of plastic. See if you can find a bag with a great color. • Trace a circle (You can use a large dinner plate or some other large round shape.) • Cut out the circle. • Make six small holes around the edge of the circle. Space your holes evenly. If you wrap a piece of masking tape at the site of each hole, the holes will not tear. • Cut six pieces of strong thread about one ruler long. • Tie one end of the thread at each hole. Make a tight knot three times. • Bring all the ends together evenly. Tie them together in one big knot right at the end. • String a paper clip through the knot. • Make a small cardboard doll for a passenger. Glue a penny to the back of its head for the weight. Add a paper clip to the top. (Remember that masking tape will stop a rip in the holes.) Words to Equations (Mathematics) George makes up some questions and answers while he is at school. Write out two of his questions and answers. _______________________________________________________ = _______________ _______________________________________________________ = _______________ How many lights in total does the yellow rocket with the dragons have? Add them up. Write out the work and the answer! ___________ + ___________ + ___________ = ___________

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Reading for Detail (Language, Art,) Stéphane Denis is the illustrator of The True Story of George. Pretend you are the illustrator. Draw the dinosaur that Mackenzie makes. First, fill in the blanks with words from the story. This will help you see the dinosaur properly in your mind. legs as big as ______________

_____________ neck

eating _____________

_____________ tail

_____________ color

_____________ head

_____________ eyes (made of)

Now that you have all the facts, draw Mackenzie’s dinosaur. Include what the dinosaur is eating.Don’t forget to color your creation. Put the name of the dinosaur as the title. Or make your dinosaur out of Plasticine! Inventory (Language, Mathematics) People often make lists of things that they have or need. This is called making an inventory. Here is an inventory of things Ingrid Lee has in her cupboard.

orca echoes

_____________ belly

Toppings for Ice Cream in My Cupboard butterscotch sauce blackberry jam chocolate sprinkles cherries in syrup (two bottles) marshmallows crushed toffee bits Make an inventory of all the fireworks that Mackenzie and Katie buy at the fireworks trailer. Give it a proper title. (There’s a little trick here. Read the chapter carefully!) (b) Now make an inventory of your own.

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

orca echoes

Other Titles and Websites of Interest The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss (George likes this poem. It makes him laugh.) My Very First Mother Goose by Iona Opie and Rosemary Wells George Most Wanted by Ingrid Lee George, the Best of All! by Ingrid Lee Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Dragon Tide George Most Wanted George, the Best of All! Maybe Later

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Under the Sea with Googol and Googolplex

ISBN: 978-1-55143-366-0

About the Book Outer-space robots Googol and Googolplex come back to earth to continue their scavenger hunt with Pippa and Troy. This time they are out to find a tutu, sand dollars and peacock feathers, and they are only too happy when an old, retired ballet teacher steps in to help them. The neighborhood bully gets in the way once again, but that just gives Pippa and Troy an opportunity to show the robots how to swim. Googol and Googolplex pay them back by showing them the fun way to give others a helping hand. About the Author Nelly Kazenbroot lives in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island with her husband and two children. She is a prize-winning painter and writer. When she isn’t painting and writing, she likes to work in her garden or play with the family cats and a space alien named Buzzby (who’s really their pet chinchilla). Orca Book Publishers has published three of her books about Googol and Googolplex’s adventures. She has also published adult poetry and participated in art shows.

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Nelly Kazenbroot illustrated by Nelly Kazenbroot

Orca Book Publishers • www.orcabook.com • 1-800-210-5277

orca echoes

Orca Echoes Resource Guide

About the Writing Nelly based the books about Googol and Googolplex on stories she had made up for her children about two little robots that she had built out of Lego. As soon as she had finished writing Down the Chimney with Googol and Googolplex, she knew that her two little robots had to continue their scavenger hunt. She wanted their story to keep inspiring children to explore their own backyard, as well as the rest of the world. Nelly also wanted to give the robots a chance to grow, as children grow, by learning to swim, trying to dance and giving others a helping hand.

Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Idea In this book, the robots and the kids get a lot of help from an older woman named Madame Myfanwy. Discuss the importance of having older people, like grandparents, in our lives. Are they a pleasure to have around? Do they tell good stories? Do they need help from us sometime? Classroom Discussion Questions What is an astronomer? Are there still 141 moons in our solar system, or have the astronomers found more? If you could stretch up as tall as Googol and Googolplex can, what handy things could you do around the house? Why should young children let adults or robots change lightbulbs? Have you ever seen a peacock? Where? Suggested Activities Bring in some sand dollars and peacock feathers and draw pictures of them. Study the life cycles of sand dollars and peacocks. Let students write about the important part that an older person plays in their lives. Create a map of the Philippines and the Palawan Island. Study tide charts and ask the students how the tides affect us.

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Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Down the Chimney with Googol and Googolplex Over the Rainbow with Googol and Googolplex

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Reviews “Like any good book, this one has drama and conflict. Anyone who enjoyed Down the Chimney with Googol and Googolplex will love this new book.” —The Star

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

What a Hippopota-Mess!

orca echoes

Pat Skene illustrated by Graham Ross ISBN: 978-1-55143-402-5

About the Book The poems in this book tell stories of animals and nature, from two sweaty hippos, a smiling lizard and some creepy crawlers to a few tricky dandelions. At the end of each poem, readers find out more information in an interview with a key character or a list of fascinating facts. About the Author Pat Skene has eleven rocking chairs, including the one her father gave her when she was two years old. She says that she does her best thinking when she is rocking back and forth. In fact, she wrote the first draft of What a Hippopota-Mess! while rocking one night before dinner. Pat was a banker for many years. She loves her new life as a writer of rhymes. Pat lives with her husband in Cobourg, Ontario.

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Teaching Ideas—Curriculum Connections Prereading Ideas Some of the topics covered in this book include stories about animals like moose, hippopotami, lizards, dandelions, trees and snakes. Have the class list some of the things they already know about these subjects. Ask students how many of these animals they’ve actually seen? Describe them to the class. Talk about snakes. Has anyone ever touched a snake? How did it feel—dry or slimy? Take a poll about dandelions? Are they nasty weeds or spring flowers? Classroom Discussion Questions What was your favorite story or poem and why? How did the author use her imagination to write the story?

orca echoes

About the Writing Ideas for stories are all around us, if we take the time to look. The idea for Blue Muckles Brown came from Pat’s visit to Alaska and the Yukon. There were so many moose everywhere she looked. Pat began to wonder how they liked living in such a cold climate. And so her imagination went to work thinking about that question. That’s how she wrote about Muckles—the moose who didn’t like being cold. Her inspiration for Smiling Jack came at the zoo. She was watching the lizards moving around in a big tank. She thought the shape of their mouths made them look like they were smiling and happy all the time. So she named one of them Smiling Jack. In this book, there is also a poem called “My Sleeping Tree.” Pat wrote this poem about the cherry tree right outside her writing-room window. Pat says, “There’s no magic in finding ideas for stories. All you have to do is pay attention to what’s going on around you in everyday things and let your imagination run free. There’s always a story to be told right in front of your nose.”

What are some of the real facts you learned? Why wouldn’t Muckles the moose eat the “smelly fish and ham” the children offered him? What’s the difference between “deciduous” and “evergreen” trees? List some of each.

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Orca Echoes Resource Guide

Suggested Activities Form groups and sing verses of “Smiling Jack.” The rhythm in the poem is perfect for “rapping” the story lines.

orca echoes

Discuss the way words rhyme in the stories. Ask students to write a short story or poem in rhyme. Have the students choose a favorite story or poem and draw a picture of what they saw in their imaginations while reading or listening to the words. Create a true or false quiz from the list of facts. Some examples could be: Some lizards can squirt blood from their eyes. (True, page 33) Oak trees get struck by lightening more than other trees. (True, page 42) Mukluks are big hairy ferocious animals. (False, page 56) Otters are part of the skunk family. (True, page 35) A rattlesnake loves to hear the sound of its own rattles. (False, page 23) Hippo sweat looks like blood. (True, page 15) In the artic, sometimes the sun stays out all night. (True, page 55) The “Aurora Borealis” is a big city in the Yukon. (False, page 56) Other Titles and Websites of Interest For wonderful pictures and information about animals and nature, go to the National Geographic website for kids at www.kids.nationalgeographic.com. For more cool stuff—check out the animal facts and pictures at Canadian Geographic for Kids at www.cgkids.ca. Just for the fun of it—enjoy more rollicking rhymes in the following books: Cat Magic by Loris Lesynski There Were Monkeys in My Kitchen by Sheree Fitch Any of the Jillian Jiggs books by Phoebe Gilman Other Books by the Author from Orca Book Publishers Monster Lunch Rhyme Stones Reviews “A terrific book for kids…funny and informative. Great to read aloud in a classroom setting. Highly recommended.” —CM Magazine

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