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.

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.

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 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.

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.

An illustrated children''s story of friendship between a boy, his beloved dog, and a girl seeking a furry companion of her own. 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. Wendy Orr''s Rainbow Street Shelter series with illustrations by Susan Boase and Patricia Castelao Lost! A Dog Called Bear (#1) Missing! A Cat Called Buster (#2) Wanted! A Guinea Pig Called Henry (#3) Abandoned! A Lion Called Kiki (#4) Stolen! A Pony Called Pebbles (#5) Discovered! A Beagle Called Bella (#6)

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.

From the moment she''s born, the adorable beagle puppy named Bella has a lot of energy. She runs, she chases, she somersaults, she chews, and she sniffs . . . and sniffs and sniffs and sniffs. Her new owners love her, but they soon realize that Bella is bored while they''re out of the house all day, and that their small apartment might not be the best home for an energetic puppy. Luckily, Mona at the Rainbow Street Shelter can help! She keeps an eye out for the perfect place for Bella, and soon she finds her not just a home but a job—the best job in the world for a dog who loves to sniff.

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.

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

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.

Amy lives and breathes horses, but all her horses are in books or in her head. So when she goes on a picnic with her friend Hannah''s family, Hannah thinks Amy is imagining things when she says she heard a horse neigh nearby. But then Hannah hears a neigh, too! What''s a horse doing in the park? With a little help from Mona at the Rainbow Street Shelter, Amy makes sure the horse is safe and sound. She almost hopes the owner never turns up, so that she could keep visiting the pony. . . .

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.

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

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.

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.

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.