Orca Publishers Think Series
“Middle-grade readers are living in a difficult world,” says Orca Book publisher Andrew Wooldridge. “Kids are seeing headlines about climate change, artificial intelligence, housing insecurity, loneliness, migration, misinformation, and the future of democracy. They hear about these issues in their communities and learn about them at school. Too often, nonfiction for this age group either oversimplifies complex issues until they lose their meaning or presents information in a way that feels too dense.”
The Orca Think series was created to solve this problem and to answer the question: “What’s the big idea?”
Orca Think introduces readers to current issues, encouraging them to ask questions, form evidence- based opinions, and take action for a better future. The current list includes 22 books across topics including trust in science, sustainable housing, impacts of climate change, artificial intelligence, over-consumption, media literacy, voting, migration, homelessness, animal welfare, and more.
Upcoming and recent titles include Beyond Words: The Meaning and Impact of Signs and Symbols by Heather Camlot; Why Trust a Scientist: Shared Knowledge for a Bright Future by Kate McDonald, and Building Homes for All: Technology for a Fair and Green Planet by Elaine Kachala.
This series has seen several starred reviews and Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections. In a review for their Series Made Simple feature, School Library Journal said, “Those looking for books to encourage their students to stop and ponder big ideas will appreciate this series. An excellent series for promoting class discussions and debate.”Many of the books in the series also offer free downloadable resources, like teacher guides, to help educators incorporate the books in their classroom.
Orca Think also fits within additional nonfiction series published by Orca:
- Orca Footprints looks at environmental and social justice issues with well-researched, straightforward information and powerful images.
- Orca Take Action focuses on what young people can do to help. It moves from awareness to action and gives readers practical ways to get involved in their communities.
- Orca Timeline connects history to today’s world. It shows how ideas, inventions, and events have shaped humanity, from the past to the present and into the future.
“Together, these series reflect what we want Orca nonfiction to do,” says Wooldridge. “We want to publish books that help readers understand the world and explore big ideas. And we want to present those ideas clearly and with respect for readers’ intelligence.”
Orca Book Publishers is an independently owned Canadian children’s book publisher of award-winning, bestselling books in a number of genres. With over 1,000 titles in print and more than 80 new titles a year, Orca prides itself on publishing Canadian authors and bringing them to a wider market.
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