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Over 55 people from the east to the west responded and several wanted to see a Hit for the ORCA Soundings books. Yes, I will be ordering but with careful consideration to topics for middle school. Thanks everybody! Amy Watkins Central Middle School Lawton, OK awatkins@lawtonps.org I purchased one just as a test. It was Pigboy. It was good reading. Especially if you are comparing Readers digest to Time magazine. MS seem to like it. Our summer school director is going to purchase them for our summer school kids. Our kids love these books. I'm and 8th and 9th grade school. The authors are usually from Canada, so they do have a Canadian-flavor to them. The Orca Currents are good, too, and is middle school fiction for reluctant readers. Orca Soundings have more mature topics. I have many titles from both sets in my library, but not all. Some, I feel, may be more mature than I need. Some of them are great, others have very mature words. You might order a few and read them or see if you county library has some. Annette I'm late on this, but my kids love them, I can't keep them on the shelves. Kim I noticed you work in a middle school. I have about a dozen titles in my high school library. I have been book talking them (today in fact!) to our ELD students. Be careful what titles you choose. They are very quick reads. You could probably read 3 or 4 in an hour, so order them but preview before you catalog. The stories are very edgy and real life. But they are a hit here! Good luck! I have found them to be quite popular with reluctant readers in high school. They don't look like the typical hi-lo books. Jacquie We bought all of their titles at the beginning of this year, and students in our reading enhancement classes (specifically for reluctant readers) are reading them. Some titles circulate more than others, so we're ordering multiples of some of the more popular titles for next year, but overall, I'd say our reluctant readers have responded very positively to them. It was difficult for me to find reviews for all of them, though--I had to use the Children's Literature Comprehensive Database through our local university to find them, and some of them are from journals I had not seen before, but the database did have reviews for them. Kelly Stern They are fairly popular at my school, but not as popular as I thought they would be. One reason may be that they are set in Canada and my kids may have a hard time relating. Some of the terminology is unfamiliar - for example, I didn't know what a "loonie" was. Also, in many of the books the type is small and squashed together on the page - kind of off-putting for low readers. If I were you, I'd buy a few first and see how they go over before investing a lot of money. Jill We had several Orca books at my former public library and they were a hit with our teens. We had only ordered 2 or 3 titles initially, but They came back asking for more and I believe we ended up ordering nearly everything they had. I highly recommend them. Michele They are a big hit with our special ed kids here. They are definitely reading them. I learned about these at the BER conference I went to last year. Definitely worthwhile books. Charlotte We have purchased about 10 titles from Orca Soundings. They do not circulate well. It's difficult for me to get our reluctant readers interested in these books. I'd be interested in what others say. Mary I buy Orca books all the time - the kids really like them. A lot of our classes have a silent reading time, and these work especially well for reluctant readers. Lesley Amy, I have 25 Orca Soundings, 5 Orca Currents and 2 Orca Young Readers. We are an AR school, and the kids love them because they are quick and high interest. On my principals order, I have a restricted shelf of books containing inappropriate language, violence or sexual content. I do have a few Orca books on this shelf. If you are in a conservative community, as I am, I would recommend that you read the books first. (They are quick reads.) If you decide to order, I would be happy to list the books I have and which ones are restricted. Ruth I just got several of these books in my last book order. They are second only to the hip-hop/R & B biographies in popularity. I didn't advertise them as being Hi/Lo books, just set them out with the rest of the new books. Even some high-level readers have read them and told me that they liked them. Sarah Yes, and yes. Now it is still finding the right one for the right kid, but I have kids who say this is the first book they have ever read and liked. Lisa I just bought a dozen or so (I ordered them through Follett) and my SPED teachers have grabbed them all and tell me the kids love them. I will look for more next year. Yes and Yes. My high school students really like them because they are easy to read, have a lot of drama, and are about topics that affect them. They especially like No Right Turn and Rooster. Those are the two most popular in the series. Brenda I have had them about a year. I placed them in a highly visible rounder and the kids who have started them continue to go back to the rounderand check out more. They are a hit. Juanita My kids like the Orca books overall. There are a couple titles with subject matter that may be a bit questionable. I've ordered many of their titles and read most of them. I don't think they read like low level readers, especially since the subject matter tends to be pretty mature in most of them. The company is easy to work with. The web site has good descriptions of the books and many have teacher's guides. (These are also helpful in getting an idea of what the book is about.) There is very little profanity and they resolve well. They are often available on Amazon for a good price if you want to order a couple just to read for yourself. Overall - I recommend you add some to your library. Janet Schneider my students are reading them. Many positive comments! Wendi Colby My lower-level readers love the Orca books -- easy text but without a "baby" look or feel. I just wanted to give you a heads-up that some have some pretty racy themes (prostitution, lesbian love affair, etc.) so you might want to double-check that in particular at your grade level. Wendy Hi Amy, I purchase both Orca Soundings and Orca Currents for my middle school students. I have had wonderful success w/ male LD students as well as both male and female reluctant readers. The themes are contemporary topics written with short sentences and short chapters. I also purchase the Reading Counts quizzes for them and the students are so excited to be able to read a book and pass the quizz. In fact, just last week, our Special Ed Dept Chair asked that I spend the $360 dept. money on Orca books. Order is already in the mail! Kaye Kaye Wyly I have about thirty of those books in my library (inner city, low income high school) and they seem to circulate regularly. I don't have any hard data on this because they are new this year, but our students don't read much so it says something that any have gone out at all. I know we got ours through Follett though. The binding seems sturdy and strikes me as good quality for the price. Victoria Hamilton Librarian YES, YES, YES! Most of the students here read well below grade level. The Orca books are the only ones I have found that they can read and holds their interest. The books are no more than 100 pages, with just one plot Line and only a few characters. This makes it easier for the students to follow the story. The stories are edgy which is just what the students want. My school is 5-12. Most of the Orca Soundings are fine, but screen the listing as some of the titles are for older students. "Charmed" comes To mind. Orca Currents are for middle schoolers. Sindy Cunningham The Orca Soundings books are the best things that I have found to work with reluctant readers. I've been doing booktalks for the Learning Disabilities classes. Working with the teacher I developed a list of High Interest Low Reading Level (Grade 3-8) titles for these students. Most are boys. The Orca books always disappear from the cart first. Even the ones who complain the most about having to read a book like the titles because they are easy to read (most are grade 3 to 5 reading level). Using these books I've gotten some of them to try more difficult - for them- titles. Jeanne Carpenter The students at Woonsocket Middle School in Woonsocket, RI love the Orca Currents, Orca Sports, and Orca Soundings books. We have ordered the entire series. There are some books in the Soundings series that are more HS appropriate than MS, but overall the books have been a great success. Ann Malbon My students love them and they are checked out over and over. They are less than 100 pages and usually have AR tests available. When the HS English teachers want them to read a book for the six weeks; that's what the reluctant readers go for. Last year, I put them all out in one display so they could find them easier. I usually try to buy the new ones in paperback at our library convention; I can get them for about $4. If you order them, I think they are $8. Then, I re-order hardbacks of the ones they like the most. I have the whole series and buy the new titles every year. Last year, I bought a few of their titles for middle schoolers and they have enjoyed those, too, at the JH. Jeri Calcote My special ed. and regular ed. reluctant readers LOVE them! They grab you from page 1 and keep you reading until the end (a short time later, because they are only about 100 pages long). I would pick a few that you think would appeal to your students and buy them. See how they go over, but I'll bet your students will really love them, too! Tish Carpinelli, Media Specialist Hi Amy, I have used Orca Soundings with some of my 7/8s and our local high school has the entire catalogue for their reluctant readers. I find these are great high interest/ low-vocab books and our kids have really bought into them. I've only read a the Eric Walters titles so far, but they would definitely appeal to kids. Actually, our grace 8 teacher has requested that I purchase more of these because they do so well with our boys! Amanda , Oshawa Hi I work in a school for kids with learning disabilities and many of our kids love them! They are short, but don't look babyish. The sports Ones are particularly popular. I just need to be careful because we only go up to age 14, but some of them are definitely high school content!! Ann Amy, our kids looooove these books. They are so great for especially boys who don't like to read. They will pick up these books because they have only 80-120 pages and then come back and tell me that this is the first time they have ever finished a book and do I have more like them Even the good readers like them They don't look like a " look at me I can't read book" cover are very modern and so are the stories. Writing varies, most is pretty good and the stories are peer related and what kids want to read about. I think I have everyone published so far ( including several that a replacements for ones that walked away-- a sure indication that the titles are popular. Darlene My students like the edgier ones (I work in an urban high school). You might also take a look at the Bluford series published by Townsend Press (urban stories, nothing explicit and a bargain at $1.00 each). Debbie I purchased mine through Follett. If your school is using AR they all have quizzes associated with them. My better students read them so they can take the quiz the next day -- the reading teacher gives bonus points for having read more than the minimum number of books -- we don't use the AR points, just the grade they receive on the quiz. The reluctant/lower level readers like that the stories are about teens and "real life stuff" -- it makes reading more palatable for them. Regardless of who's reading them, very few are ever on the shelf. Usually they are off the "to be shelved" cart before the end of the day. I will be purchasing more as soon as I get more money. My recommendation: get the books and ALL your students will be reading. Gail Ours circulate very well. I bought mine from Follett. My kids like them and I even have a teacher using some of them. Karen Yes, the students like them. Jean I actually got mine from Follett. They are hardly ever on the shelves. David Lininger, I have quite a few of the ORCA soundings books and they are quite popular-and not just with reluctant readers. Some of my students who are good readers pick them up and read them when they want or need a quick read or have forgotten the free reading book for a class and just want something that is little more than a short story. Kathy Hall, Librarian Yes, especially the Bluford High series. Chris Yes, Yes, Yes! This is one of the two most popular series in my school (the other being the Bluford series from Townsend Press). The Orca series is read by ALL students at my 7th/8th school, from the lowest level readers to the honors students. The books deal with issues teens are interested in and/or are dealing with: abuse by parents, stalking, drag racing, etc. Some of the most popular titles are Chill (about bullying), Dead-End Job (stalking), Fastback Beach (Hot Rods), Grind (skateboarding), Hit Squad (bullying), Juice (steroids), Sticks and Stones (namecalling), and Who Owns Kelly Paddick (abuse). I can't recommend this series enough. There is one title which I do not own because it deals with prostitution (can't remember the title now). It is unusual to have more than ten remaining on the shelf, and I have around 80 copies! Some of the Orca Currents are great as well. I just shelf them with the Orca Soundings and they fly off the shelf. The Orcas are kept on a separate bookshelf to keep them together and make them easier to access. There are no characters that are the same from book to book so there is no order in which they need to be read. Stand-alone topics in each book. I always order directly from the company and have had great service with every order. Heidi Yup -- on a par with the Bluford Series -- maybe written a little better. Joanne I've been wondering the same thing. Please post a Hit. I have 10 Orca Soundings titles on the shelf at our MS and they work very well for reluctnat readers. I also added reading counts quizzes for these and have found that students who are reading well below grade level are able to pass the 10 question reading counts quizzes with scores of 8/10 or better. Yes, the students like them. Yes, go for it! They are small (not intimidating) books that have MS and HS characters, but a lower reading level. We have lots of them and they are very popular. Pam Grad My SpEd teacher was glad to see a few for her very low level students. So far I haven't heard any comments YEA or NAY. I just got an updated catalog, so I need to contact her to find out if I need to be ordering more. BTW - I was able to purchase AR tests for all the titles. I also looked at the Bluford series, but decided against them. I didn't think the urban setting with mostly black characters would be of great interest to most of my students in SE Montana - esp. those with very low reading levels. "VAN" My lower level reading students do seem to like them. I haven't actually read any myself, but I have heard good things & see them being checked out. Yes, I like them. They are very good for my special ed students and low readers because they are about topics that interest them. Ann My students love them. However, I work at a high school. If I were your, I would read a few before purchasing them for a middle school. Many of the subjects are pretty adult--prostitution, rape, etc. For mature reluctant readers, though, a great buy. Ross C. Teller They are good books. Written with teen ideas, for students who can't Read well. They are shorter than most novels. Students who read a lot don't check them out, so do they get a lot of use, not like Harry Potter. But they are wonderful for reluctant readers. If you have younger studentsthough, they seem to gravitate towards them, and the subject might not be good for them. Raynette Amy --------------------------------- Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book. 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