Intermediate (ages 9-14)

Material appropriate for intermediate age groups

To Hope And Back

Sol and Lisa are two children aboard the St. Louis, a ship full of Jewish passangers escaping Europe to save their lives.

The St. Louis, a luxury ocean liner, leaves Germany in 1939, taking its almost one thousand passangers to a safe haven across the ocean.  They will be making a fresh start in countries like Cuba and the United States, away from the Nazi regime that is trying to destroy them.

Lisa and her family have a large cabin in first class, while Sol and his parents are below in tourist class. They don’t know each other, but they share a mix of feelings: excitement to be crossing the ocean, hope for the future, and sadness at leaving everything they know behind.

Sol and Lisa’s optimism is threatened when the ship is not allowed to dock in Cuba.  What the children don’t know is that their chance for refuge is in jeopardy and a darker future might lie ahead for the jewish passangers on board.

Nowhere Else On Earth

You don’t have to live in the Great Bear Rainforest to benefit from its existence, but after you read Nowhere Else on Earth you might want to visit this magnificent part of the planet. Environmental activist Caitlyn Vernon guides young readers through a forest of information, sharing her personal stories, her knowledge and her concern for this beautiful place. Full of breathtaking photographs and suggestions for ways to preserve this unique ecosystem, Nowhere Else on Earth is a timely and inspiring reminder that we need to stand up for our wild places before they are gone.

Visit http://www.greatbearrainforest.ca to find teacher and student resources, view the online photo gallery, or read a sample chapter from the book. To access the free teacher’s guide for Nowhere Else on Earth, click here:http://orcabook.com/nowhereelseonearth/guides/teachersguide.pdf.

Guan Yu: Blood Brothers To The End

Guan Yu, an ancient Chinese warrior, fights side by side with his blood brothers Liu Bei and Zhang Fei to squash the menacing Yellow Scarves. He defends his country and his honor, but his troubles are just beginning. All over China, opponents post grave challenges, each one more trying than the last. Will Guan Yu prevail against the forces that threaten him?  Or will the obstacles prove too much for even the brave warrior?

Sri Lanka

A look at the geography, history, government, economy, people, lifestyles, language, and culture of this diverse island country.

China

A look at the geography, history, government, economy, people, lifestyles, religion, language, and culture of the world’s most populous nation.

Philippines

An illustrated overview of the history, geography and culture of the Philippines and the people who inhabit these tropical islands.

Megan’s Year

Ten-year-old Megan Brady tells of her family’s lifestyle, spending summers traveling in a caravan through the Irish countryside getting work where they can, and winters in Dublin so the children can attend school.

Galileo’s Journal 1609-1610

This fictional journal is from the year in which Galileo constructed his own telescope and began to record his astronomical discoveries. Includes additional nonfiction biographical information.

A Greyhound of a Girl

Mary O’Hara is a sharp and cheeky 12-year-old Dublin schoolgirl who is bravely facing the fact that her beloved Granny is dying. But Granny can’t let go of life, and when a mysterious young woman turns up in Mary’s street with a message for her Granny, Mary gets pulled into an unlikely adventure. The woman is the ghost of Granny’s own mother, who has come to help her daughter say good-bye to her loved ones and guide her safely out of this world. She needs the help of Mary and her mother, Scarlett, who embark on a road trip to the past. Four generations of women travel on a midnight car journey. One of them is dead, one of them is dying, one of them is driving, and one of them is just starting out.