Best Selling Books by Wendy Orr

Mona''s uncle Matthew works in a circus, and he always gives pretty great birthday presents. But when Mona turns eight, he gives her something better than juggling balls or stilts—a baby lion cub! His note says that the cub''s mother couldn''t care for it properly, and he knows Mona and her grandparents can help. Mona names the lion Kiki, and at first Kiki is like any other kitten. As she grows bigger and bigger, though, Mona realizes that Kiki needs a home which will allow her to be the wild animal she was born to be. Fans of the Rainbow Street Shelter books will love reading about how the shelter started and how its owner, Mona, has always loved animals—starting with an adorable baby lion.

The girl has had many selves in her short life. The first she remembers is Aissa, the daughter of Mama and Dada, sister to Zufi who watched the goats. Then the Bull King''s raiders came, and Mama said, "Don''t make a sound till I come back." And when the villagers found her she was silent as stone, because Mama never came back again. So the villagers cursed her as back luck and made her No-Name, lowest of the servants to the Lady, the island''s priestess. But there were whispers, as she grew, of another self: of the Lady''s rejected first daughter, born imperfect with two extra thumbs. The silent girl looks at the scars on her wrists and wonders, but she has more pressing concerns. The villagers blame her bad luck for the tribute the Bull King now demands of them: two youths given each spring to dance with his bulls and die for his god''s glory. And the servants hate and fear the unnatural way the animals all come to her. For Aissa, though, this bond with creatures of fur and scale is the first clue in finding the true self that no one else can give to her, or take away. Wendy Orr, the author of Nim''s Island, introduces a resourceful and resilient heroine for slightly older readers. Inspired by an archeological trip to the island of Crete, where frescoes show figures leaping over the backs of bulls, Orr weaves an intriguing mythological portrayal of the Bronze Age Minoan civilization. Lyrically written and refreshingly unpredictable, Dragonfly Song suggests a fascinating origin for the legend of the Minotaur and his dark tribute.

A gripping adventure of wilderness survival from the author of Nim''s Island. Raven is over the moon when she is the first to get to the mountaintop on a trek with her sister and new stepfather. Reaching the summit is like standing on top of the world: exhilarating and breath-taking. But her triumph is short-lived when the earth starts shaking and she takes a terrible tumble down the side of the mountain. Terrified and injured, she stumbles around looking for her family, only to realize they are alive, but trapped in a cave, impossible to reach. Raven sets out alone to find help. But with no food, and danger lurking at every turn, how will she find her way back to civilization? In the tradition of Hatchet, Facing the Mountain is the captivating story of a young girl''s incredible journey through unpredictable wilderness. Readers will be left breathless as Raven struggles to keep her wits about her and find the courage it takes to go on.

An honest, unsentimental story of pain and change and love. A powerful novel about a girl re-making her life after a car accident. For teenagers and young adults.

A girl. An iguana. An island. And e-mail. Meet Nim–a modern-day Robinson Crusoe! She can chop down bananas with a machete, climb tall palm trees, and start a fire with a piece of glass. So she’s not afraid when her scientist dad sails off to study plankton for three days, leaving her alone on their island. Besides, it’s not as if no one’s looking after her–she’s got a sea lion to mother her and an iguana for comic relief. She also has an interesting new e-mail pal. But when her father’s cell-phone calls stop coming and disaster seems near, Nim has to be stronger and braver than she’s ever been before. And she’ll need all her friends to help her.

Alroy enjoys a world of adventure and fantasy in his own room. Supa Dooper Chapter Book.

Two sisters, playing dress-up as a princess and her panther, embark on an extraordinary adventure in a book that brings to life the world of imagination. Full color.

Buster isn''t fluffy or pretty like other cats—he''s a crazy orange cat with attitude. And Mr. Larsen is the exact right person for him. Every morning Buster and Mr. Larsen sit on their porch in the sun, and every morning Josh sees them when he walks to school. When Mr. Larsen goes to the hospital and Buster goes missing, Josh and his family look for that crazy cat everywhere. But if Buster turns up, Rainbow Street Animal Shelter will have to help him find another home. That''s when Josh and his family realize that—sometimes—life can choose a pet for you.

For two rambunctious twins, living on a boat means always being underfoot or overboard.

Finding a horse in the park, Amy takes it to the Rainbow Street Shelter and secretly hopes the owner never turns up.

This time Nim’s the fish-out-of-water as she stows away on a cruise ship to save her kidnapped sea lion friend. Accompanied by her likeable iguana, Fred, the island girl lands with a splash in Manhattan, on the run from of a very Bad Guy, and on her way to reunite with her friend, cowardly adventure novelist Alex Rover. Kids who are interested in animals and animal welfare will enjoy this warmhearted story’s combo of suspenseful high-seas happenings, New York City excitement, and family drama.

Leira is about to start her initiation as a priestess when her world is turned upside down. A violent earthquake leaves her home--and her family--in pieces. And the earth goddess hasn''t finished with the island yet. With her family, Leira flees across the sea to Crete, expecting sanctuary. But a volcanic eruption throws the entire world into darkness. After the resulting tsunami, society descends into chaos; the status and privilege of being noble-born are reduced to nothing. With her injured mother and elderly nurse, Leira must find the strength and resourcefulness within herself to find safety. A thrilling new Bronze Age survival story from the award-winning author of Dragonfly Song and Nim''s Island.

Logan is moving from the farm to the city. He''ll miss all the things he''s leaving behind, but at least he has Bear. He loves Bear more than anything else in the world—because Bear is his dog. Hannah lives in the city. What she wants, more than anything else in the world, is a dog of her own. At the Rainbow Street Shelter, Logan and Hannah find a talking parrot, an old black Labrador, a three-legged goat, a puppy that looks like a peanut—and a Surprise that just might be the best thing in the world.

With their father home from the sea, the rambunctious twins Mokie and Bik make the Bullfrog shipshape for a voyage out to sea, where they make friends with a scaredy-seal, save a runaway boat, and keep track of Waggles.

Mona at the Rainbow Street Shelter finds the perfect home--and job--for an energetic beagle puppy who loves to sniff.

Sam chooses a guinea pig named Henry to be her pet, envisions a dog named Nelly visiting and helping her younger brother Liam feel comfortable in his kindergarten class, and encourages Liam to also get a guinea pig as a pet.

Megan is sick and can''t go to daycare, so her mother takes her to work with her.

Sophie lives in a tall building that overlooks a large green park. In the middle of the park is the biggest, strangest, most wonderful pet shop in the world. Built like a ship, with tall glass sails stretching to the sky, the pet shop is called The Noahs'' Ark. Every evening Sophie makes three secret wishes as she gazes at the ark in the park. Over at The Noahs'' Ark, Mr. and Mrs. Noah, who own the pet shop, also make a secret wish. On a very special birthday, a magical meeting shows Sophie and the Noahs that secret wishes really can come true.

When Ruth, with a love of flying that leads her to become an Auxiliary Pilot during WWII in England, meets Canadian navigator, Bill, on a fog-bound country airstrip, they know it''s something special. And it is, until Bill''s death some fifty years later. Recently widowed, Ruth returns to England for the first time since she left to live in Canada. It''s her last journey as she dies unexpectedly in her cousin''s home in London. Ruth''s daughter, Jane, flies from Australia where she now lives with her dairy farmer husband Ian, to take her mother''s ashes to the family home at Evelyn''s Pond in Canada. On her own for the first time since her marriage, it''s a time for reflections and memories, not all of them comfortable. She loves Ian but, with the best of intentions, he unwittingly controls her life, never allowing her the space to find out who she truly is. Surrounded by mementoes of the past, Jane faces a different kind of journey-two days and nights of self discovery and decision. But Jane also has their daughter, Megan, in her thoughts. Megan is hiking on the west coast of Canada and falling in love as assuredly as she approaches life. But she doesn''t yet know she''s lost her beloved grandmother. Wendy Orr, takes us on a voyage across three continents, two lifetimes and one solitary weekend in The House at Evelyn''s Pond. Beautifully written, enticing and involving-Wendy Orr displays an uncanny ability to look deeply into the loves, griefs and warmth of family relationships.

Nim lives on an island with her father, Jack, a marine iguana called Fred, a sea lion called Selkie, and their friend Alex Rover, the adventure writer. Nim''s island is the most beautiful place in the world, and she wouldn''t swap live anywhere else. When Jack invites a group of scientists to visit, they bring their children as well. But two of the scientists have plans other than studying algae... By the time Nim discovers what they really want, and what they will do to get it, the children are in grave danger. And so is the island! Nim must choose between saving a natural treasure and saving someone''s life.

Deep in the bush, where the trees grow tall, Finn discovers an old deserted shack. Inside is shivery cold, with green fungus on the walls. When a dog growls and a gravelly voice snarls, Finn''s hair stands up like bristles on a brush. An old man and his dog are glowing in the darkness. Jack Henry lived in the shack 100 years ago and was friends with all the wild creatures. When Finn is with the old ghost, he can feel what the birds are singing and what the animals are feeling. But now they are all in danger - someone is going to bulldoze the land and wreck their homes. How can one boy, a ghost and his dog save the bush? Spook''s Shack is another magical adventure-fantasy from the author of Nim''s Island.

Grandfather Martin liked routine, but now he is retired. What can he do to keep busy?

From the award-winning author of Nim''s Island and Dragonfly Song, a gripping novel about a family''s will to endure, mystical horses, and the beauty of self-sufficiency and restoration.

Linda''s class are off visiting old people. She is assigned to visit Mrs Pugh who she finds to be fascinating.

The misadventures of Micki and Daniel at a wedding. Micki was the flower girl and Daniel was to play his violin. Things always seemed to happen when they were together. Their pet parrot, Ooloo Mooloo, and pony, Pegasus, decide to attend the wedding too!

A warm and wonderful adventure with a touch of fantasy. Honey and her family seek the quiet comfort of a magical valley so they can escape the troubles of the wide world. A beautifully restorative novel from the award-winning author of the bestselling Nim''s Island stories.''This middle grade narrative by a master storyteller is an utter delight.'' Books+PublishingIn the mountains there was a valley, and in the valley were the horses.When Honey was four and her brother Rumi was a tiny baby, her family loaded up their converted ice-cream-van-camper and drove away from all they knew, as an illness swept the sad wide world. High in the mountains, they crossed a bridge to follow a mysterious herd of enchanted horses into a sheltered valley. The bridge and the track disappeared behind them - and now they are trapped in paradise.In the valley of horses, Honey''s family becomes self-sufficient, fishing, growing vegetables and using solar power. But no messages from the outside world are ever received. When her father falls desperately ill, Honey is sure there must still be people in the big wide world who can help. She is determined to draw on her resourcefulness, self-belief and courage, but will this be enough to find a way out of the valley?A rich and enchanting adventure full of wonder, resilience and hope.

Dylan wanted a puppy more than anything in the world, he didn''t care what sort of puppy it was, he just wanted a dog. But his parents say that he is too young. So when Dylan finds a puppy hiding in a tin can at the tip, Dylan takes the puppy home and hides it.

Even though there are many other animals on her parents'' farm, Amanda wishes she had a dinosaur, and when she discovers an egg in an old log, she is certain that it must be a dinosaur ready to hatch.

Bad Martha is a witch stuck with ordinary parents. She finds a kindred spirit in Granny who helps out when her spells go wrong.