Perfect for reluctant teen readers, the Orca Sports titles combine mystery and adventure with team sports such as hockey, baseball, football and soccer, and solo sports like scuba diving, running, sailing, horse racing and even race-car driving. Written by popular, award-winning writers such as Sigmund Brouwer and Nikki Tate, Orca Sports books engage young readers with exciting plots and easy-to-read language. The Orca Sports Resource Guide provides teachers with ideas for connecting each title in the series to the curriculum, the text and, most importantly, the students. Certain to encourage lively discussion in the classroom, the Orca Sports Resource Guide is a valuable tool for teachers who want to give their students the very best.

Del plays striker on his high school soccer team, the Cardinals, and they’ve gone almost three seasons undefeated. To Del, it’s just a game, but some of the players think winning is all that matters. When an ugly tackle results in a major loss for the Cardinals against their main rival, the Rebels, things get heated between the teams. That night, one of Del’s teammates has his ankle broken by an unknown assailant, leaving him unable to take part in the playoffs. As Del tries to figure out which of the Rebels’ players is responsible for the attack, his coach brings in a substitute player, and he’s actually really good. Is it just a coincidence, or did someone finally take the above all else mentality too far?

After a member of her competitive cheerleading team is injured in practice, sixteen-year-old Marnie is asked to be a flyer-the most coveted role in cheerleading. The Soar Starlings team has a real shot at the provincial championship, and Marnie has only a few weeks to prepare. But as she scrambles to polish her lifts and throws, Marnie's personal life begins to unravel. First, her boyfriend of two years breaks up with her, and then her best friend Arielle, captain of the Starlings, disappears during a team trip to Toronto. As Marnie struggles to adjust to being both a flyer and the team's new captain, she realizes that, to be a leader, you have to let go of old alliances to make room in your life for new ones.

Holding each other up with respect, dignity and kindness.

Dylan’s wish comes true when Coach Scott names him to the starting lineup for the Mountview High Hunters’ first game of the playoffs. But just when he should be concentrating on basketball, Dylan becomes the target of some off-court aggression. As he’s driving his girlfriend, Jenna, home one night, a black pickup truck tries to run them off the road. The police call it an accident. But even as Dylan tries to put it behind him, he has a sense of impending danger that he can’t shake. When Jenna starts receiving threats from an anonymous cyberbully telling her to “keep quiet,” Dylan becomes seriously concerned about her safety. Jenna has no idea what the cyberbully thinks she knows. But Dylan will have to help her figure it out fast if they’re ever going to feel safe again.

Orca Soundings are teen novels for reluctant readers. Orca Currents are middle-school novels for reluctant readers. Written at a grade 2.0 to grade 4.5 reading level, these compelling contemporary novels have proven incredibly popular with teachers and librarians looking for material that will engage their most reluctant of readers. Orca has always provided professionally written teachers guides to accompany these books. Now we offer a complete resource guide to enable classroom integration of these popular titles. Including sections on reading levels, book discussion groups, literacy circles, assessment and follow-up activities, this resource guide enables a teacher to implement the Orca Soundings and Orca Currents series as part of a comprehensive independent reading and literacy unit.

The Orca Echoes Resource Guide helps teachers open the door for meaningful classroom discussion. Professionally written guides with curriculum connections, writing exercises, discussion questions and activities are provided for each title in the Orca Echoes series.