High and Dry
by Eric Walters
illustrated by Sabrina Gendron
Orca Book Publishers, 2020
ISBN 978-1-4598-2310-5
$7.95, 85 pp, ages 8 – 13
orcabook.com
Both Orca Books and Eric Walters are known for high-interest, low-readability chapter books that kids can’t put down. This page-turner features Dylan, a young boy who lives with his parents at his Grandpa’s cabin. The cabin is on an island accessed every few weeks by a supply boat. “Out here there was nobody to help, so you learned to do everything yourself.” After a storm, Dylan finds a young orca stranded on some sharp rocks as the tide is going out. The storm also damaged the power, and the generator is broken so there are no cell phones, no radio, and no way to call for help. Dylan and his Grandpa come up with a plan to help the orca as safely as possible. After hours of hard work keeping the whale wet and shaded, the tide comes in and both orca and boy go their separate ways—each to his own family with only the memory of the rescue tying them together.
Classroom Connections: Great for literature circles, guided reading groups, or whole class novel study. Could be used to make connections (compare and contrast) between students’ own lives and what actions they would take in similar circumstances. Reading Comprehension Strategies: Making Predictions and Asking Questions and Visualizing.
Review by Amanda Forbes.
This review is featured in Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Winter 2021 issue.
