Awards

• Commended for YA Honorable Mention, Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award (SONWA) 2017 (United States)
• Winner of National Outdoor Book Award 2016 (United States)
• Winner of Outstanding Science Trade Books 2017 (United States)

Overview

Full Product Details

9781943328604

Table of Contents

Reviews

Chasing at the Surface is a beautifully written story of how one girl's connection to the wonder of nature s wild orcas helps her save both them and herself from life's perils. Mary Ruckelshaus, Managing Director, Natural Capital Project, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment

Mentyka artfully weaves whale facts through this moving drama about family relationships and the natural world. Though what s outstanding is Mentyka s skill at immersing readers in Marisa s wonderful sensory scenes with the whales that could only come from her own first-hand experience. The parallels between the plight of the whales and Marisa s confusion and anger at her mom reinforce that the answers to all of life s questions can be found in nature. Chasing at the Surface is an unforgettable adventure that takes readers along on a heart-pounding, up-close-and-personal encounter with a pod of powerful orcas. Copyright (c) 2016 by Peggy Tibbetts

Chasing at the Surface is a beautifully written story of how one girl's connection to the wonder of nature s wild orcas helps her save both them and herself from life's perils. Mary Ruckelshaus, Managing Director, Natural Capital Project, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment Chasing at the Surface is a beautifully written story of how one girl's connection to the wonder of nature s wild orcas helps her save both them and herself from life's perils. Mary Ruckelshaus, Managing Director, Natural Capital Project, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment National Outdoor Book Award Winner: As Marisa learns more about whales, she begins to understand the delicate life-and-death balance facing these creatures of the deep. Her interest and passion for the whales grows, but events take a turn for the worse when the whales become trapped because of human activity. The story comes to a climax as Marisa plays a role in helping the whales escape back into the wild. . . Mentyka artfully weaves whale facts through this moving drama about family relationships and the natural world. Though what's outstanding is Mentyka's skill at immersing readers in Marisa's wonderful sensory scenes with the whales that could only come from her own first-hand experience. The parallels between the plight of the whales and Marisa's confusion and anger at her mom reinforce that the answers to all of life's questions can be found in nature. Chasing at the Surface is an unforgettable adventure that takes readers along on a heart-pounding, up-close-and-personal encounter with a pod of powerful orcas. Copyright (c) 2016 by Peggy Tibbetts A wonderful book that weaves an exciting and mysterious story about families and whales, and shows the similarities of the social lives of Southern Resident orcas with our human families. Each chapter left me wanting to read more! As someone who has welcomed these whales for much of my life, I hope many young readers will discover and learn about this very special orca community and become interested in learning more about them and work to preserve their habitat and the salmon prey they need to survive for future generations. --Susan Berta, Cofounder, Orca Network As the orcas' lives become increasingly imperiled, Marisa unleashes her imagination, her compassion, and her courage . . . Moments close to the orcas are breathtakingly described, accentuating the thrill as the whales breach, sound, and vocalize. Basing her story on actual events, the author has created a poignant novel that vividly celebrates the interconnected nature of all living creatures. Like the eerily beautiful voices of the orcas in the ocean, this book will haunt readers. --Kirkus Reviews A heartfelt story of courage, love and the true meaning of family, Chasing at the Surface moved me to tears and had me cheering for young Marisa in her quest to free a pod of magnificent, endangered orcas trapped in an inlet in the Pacific Northwest. --Anjali Banerjee, author of Maya Running, Looking for Bapu and Seaglass Summer Chasing at the Surface is a beautifully written story of how one girl's connection to the wonder of nature's wild orcas helps her save both them and herself from life's perils. --Mary Ruckelshaus, Managing Director, Natural Capital Project, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment

Author Information

Sharon Mentyka is a graduate of the MFA program of the Whidbey Writers Workshop and she has had stories and essays published in various literary magazines for both children and adults, including Columbia Kids, a publication of the Washington State History Museum, Soundings Review, and Cricket magazine. B in the World, an illustrated chapter book for children ages four to seven about a gender nonconforming child, was published in 2014.

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