By Rosanne Parry
Amazon rating: 4.9/5, grades 3-7
Good Reads: 4.2/5
Common Sense Media: 5/5, Ages 9+
4Rbooks: 5.5/6, Grades 3-8
Synopsis:
Vega is a young orca living in the Pacific Northwest with her family pod. She is looking forward to the day when she will be wayfinder and lead them through the ocean waters. A series of catastrophic events separates she and her brother Deneb from the rest of the pod. It is now Vega’s responsibility to look out for her brother and find their family.
Together they explore ocean waters, shallow and deep. They meet other orcas, whales, otters, seals, and octopi. Vega, with the encouragement of her brother, learns that she is more capable then she believed. Their journey is dangerous as they look for food, survive many dangers, interact with humans, and cope with the devastation of natural disasters.
The story is told in first person, both Vega and Deneb. As you start reading, you aren’t sure, until a few paragraphs into each chapter, who is speaking. But there is a clue that clever readers will discover that keeps them informed as to the identity of each chapter’s story teller. There is also a unique ending to the story which I truly appreciated.
Parental Guidance: Low-medium
Though a very kid-friendly book, there are many scenes and descriptions of realistic wildlife events and interactions. Survival isn’t always pretty, and the author paints an accurate picture. There is an excellent non-fiction resource section at the end of the book which should be extremely interesting to children interested in wildlife, especially marine based animals. There are also references to the effects humans have had on the orca population and oceans with suggestions on what people can do to help affect change.
Recommendation: High
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any upper elementary or middle school student. The story is well told and kept my interest throughout. Children who are interested in orcas and marine life will be particularly intrigued by this story, and will find a generous amount of information throughout the book, and in the final, after the story, non-fiction section. Illustrations are present throughout the book and add to the story. I was impressed enough that I will be picking up the authors other book, A Wolf Called Wander.
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