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Books in Orca Soundings series

  • Middle Row

    Sylvia Olsen

    Paperback (Orca Book Publishers, April 1, 2008)
    Things have changed since Raedawn and Vince started going out and the racial boundaries in town have slipped a bit. But when Dune, who never took sides, disappears, Raedawn is determined to find out where he has gone—or what happened to him. Fighting against ignorance and hate, they track Dune down and find he is in more trouble than they thought and that nothing is black and white.
    Z+
  • Shattered

    Sarah N. Harvey

    Paperback (Orca Book Publishers, Sept. 1, 2011)
    March has a perfect life: beauty, popularity, a great job, a loving family and a hot boyfriend. So when she discovers that her boyfriend is cheating on her, she is hurt and enraged. When she lashes out at him, he falls and is badly injured. March panics, flees the scene and then watches her perfect life spiral out of control. In a misguided attempt to atone for her crime, March changes her appearance, quits her job and tries to become invisible until an unlikely friendship and a new job force her to re-engage with life.
    Z
  • Tagged

    Eric Walters

    Paperback (Orca Book Publishers, April 1, 2013)
    The city is cracking down on graffiti and guerilla art. Between that and cutbacks to the local art gallery it seems like nothing is safe. But Oswald, masquerading as a graffiti artist known as The Wiz, is fighting back—by painting elaborate murals in public places and planting art in the galleries, and then by taking on the mayor himself. As the fight escalates and the stakes become higher, Oswald gets in deeper than he meant to and needs to rely on his friends to get him out of his latest mess.
    X
  • Chill

    Colin Frizzell

    Paperback (Orca Book Publishers, Sept. 1, 2006)
    Chill has always been different, but the way he deals with his disability and his art have given him the power to survive the horrors of high school. When a new teacher arrives, determined to crush his students' spirit, Chill decides to fight back and risk everything. A story of doing the right thing and standing up for yourself—and your friends.
    U
  • Exit Point

    Laura Langston

    Paperback (Orca Book Publishers, March 1, 2006)
    Logan always takes the easy way out. After a night of drinking and driving he wakes up to find he has been involved in a senseless car accident and is dead. With the help of his guide, Wade, and the spirit of his grandmother, he realizes he has taken the wrong exit—he wasn't meant to die. His life had a purpose—to save his sister—but he took the easy way out and he failed. Now, before he can rest in peace, he has to try and save his sister from a future no child should face. He will only get one chance and he cannot afford to fail this time—for Amy’s sake and for his own.
    Z+
  • Hide and Shriek

    Alison Hughes

    Paperback (Orca Book Publishers, Aug. 28, 2018)
    When Emily, Tess, Cam and Dylan decide to ignore the new town curfew during their Friday-night game of hide-and-seek, they get more than they bargained for. Down by the river, they witness a shady deal go down involving some criminal types who recently moved into their neighborhood. When the teens are discovered, they are hunted through the dark streets and back alleys. They will have to use all their hide-and-seek skills to save each other. Ultimately, Emily, the youngest of the group and the best hider, discovers that sometimes staying hidden is the best way to escape.
    Z+
  • Responsible

    Darlene Ryan

    Paperback (Orca Book Publishers, Sept. 1, 2007)
    Kevin Frasier is in a new high school—his fourth in the last year. He is trying to get along and not cause any waves. When he falls in with Nick and his friends, Frasier ends up going along as the group bullies and threatens their way through the school. When Nick starts tormenting Erin—and she stands up to him—the harassment escalates until Kevin is forced to make a difficult decision and risk everything.
    Z+
  • One Way

    Norah McClintock

    Paperback (Orca Book Publishers, March 1, 2012)
    Riding the wrong way up a one-way street, Kenzie takes his eyes off the road and hits a pedestrian. And not just any pedestrian. It's his ex-girlfriend, Stassi. Was this a freak accident? Or something more sinister? And when the police come to talk to him, it becomes clear that everyone thinks he had a reason to hurt her. Kenzie ends up in a fight to prove his innocence, even as he begins to question it himself.
    Z+
  • Rat

    Lesley Choyce

    Paperback (Orca Book Publishers, Oct. 1, 2012)
    Colin is tired of school bullies and other students' refusal to speak up or "rat" on the real troublemakers. When Colin does speak out against a couple of school thugs, they post an embarrassing photo of him on a social networking website. Colin makes some new enemies in the process but also a few new allies, including the VP, Mr. Miller. One of Colin's new unwanted allies, though, is Jerome, who is selling weapons to kids at school for "self defense." Colin threatens to turn Jerome in but backs off, tired of his growing reputation as the school rat.When Jerome is shot and killed, Colin regrets not speaking up earlier. Jerome's killer is now known but has not been located by the police. When the police show up, Colin tells them what he knows, and while he realizes that he has some enemies, he also has some real admirers as well.
    Z
  • First Time

    Meg Tilly

    Paperback (Orca Book Publishers, Nov. 1, 2008)
    Haley and Lynn are best friends. When Lynn meets Chad, a player several years older, Haley feels left out. She tries to be happy for her friend, but when her mother's new boyfriend starts making unwanted advances, Haley finds she has no one to tell. Not wanting to upset her mother's happiness and finding that Lynn is drifting away, Haley has to face her tormentor alone and face up to some very hard truths.
    Z+
  • Comeback

    Vicki Grant

    Paperback (Orca Book Publishers, March 1, 2010)
    Ria is rich, slim, pretty, popular. If you only knew her at school, you'd think she led a charmed life―and until recently you'd have been right. But her situation has taken a sudden, unfortunate change. Her parents' seemingly perfect marriage has broken up, and before she's had a chance to absorb the blow, her beloved father disappears in a plane crash. What's worse, rumors begin to surface that he may have perpetrated a multimillion-dollar investment scam and everybody―Ria's mother, her best friends, even her boyfriend―believes them. Ria sees no choice but to take her little brother and run. She vows to keep the memory of her father alive. Soon, though, she begins to wonder: is her memory playing tricks on her―or is he? Also available in Spanish or French.
    Y
  • Infiltration

    Sean Rodman

    Paperback (Orca Book Publishers, Oct. 1, 2011)
    Bex has explored almost every abandoned building and tunnel in the city. He's into "urban exploration"—going where he's not supposed to go. Bex has always done it just for fun and bragging rights, taking nothing but pictures and leaving nothing but footprints. But that changes when a new kid arrives at school. Kieran is edgy, dangerous and into urban exploration as well. Together, they start pushing each other to radical extremes. When Kieran pitches a plan that involves taking more than just pictures, Bex has a decision to make. Where will he draw the line, and how far will he follow Kieran?
    Z+