Orcas Everywhere: The Mystery and History of Killer Whales

by Mark Leiren-Young

Overview

Orcas are found in every ocean on the planet. But can they survive their relationship with humans? Orcas Everywhere looks at how humans around the world (Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike) related to orcas in the past, how we relate to them now and what we can do to keep cetacean communities alive and thriving. The book deals with science, philosophy, environmentalism and ethics in a kid-friendly and accessible way. Writer, filmmaker and orca activist Mark Leiren-Young takes us back to when killer whales were considered monsters and examines how humans went from using orcas for target practice to nearly loving them to death. If you know a young person who loves Free Willy or Finding Nemo, they will fall in love with these whales.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459819986
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	09/03/2019
Series:	Orca Wild , #1
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	445,373
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.75(d)
Lexile:	1000L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Mark Leiren-Young is an award-winning writer, documentary filmmaker, podcaster and orca activist. His book, The Killer Whale Who Changed the World, won the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada general audience book award. He wrote, directed and produced an award-winning documentary called The Hundred-Year-Old Whale, and his documentary about Moby Doll is being produced by Middle Child Films. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Splash Zone
Chapter One: Queen of the Salish Sea
Chapter Two: Moms and Matriarchs
Chapter Three: Wolves of the Sea
Chapter Four: Right Whales and Wrong Whales
Chapter Five: Catching a Killer
Chapter Six: Moby Dick
Chapter Seven: Moby Doll
Chapter Eight: The Age of Aquariums
Chapter Nine: Thinking Bigg
Chapter Ten: Listening to Orcas
Chapter Eleven: What’s in a Name?
Chapter Twelve: Orca Intelligence
Chapter Thirteen: Orca Love
Chapter Fourteen: Orca Mysteries
Chapter Fifteen: Orcas Everywhere
Chapter Sixteen: Tanks for the Memories
Chapter Seventeen: Orca Celebrities
Chapter Eighteen: Orcas and You
Glossary
Resources
Acknowledgments
Index

Editorial Reviews

"Told in an accessible, conversational style, this is a book for children and adults to enjoy. It opened my eyes to so much I didn't know about orcas. It's also a real page-turner. Leiren-Young never condescends to his readers; he tells it like it is, and 'like it is' is not always pretty. But he gives hope for the future and offers up achievable steps we can take to help. This is, quite simply, an important and beautiful book."

Susin Nielsen

This inviting book will be treasured by kids—a fun way to discover orcas and the sea.

Erich Hoyt

The reader will certainly learn much about these fascinating, intelligent, and beautiful creatures, and hopefully will understand why they need to be protected.

School Library Connection

A valuable, extensive examination of what we’ve learned about orcas, filling a spot as an up-to-date reference among the many books in publication about this topic. Highly Recommended.

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

A marvelous overview of orcas and their place in history as well a chronicle of their challenges in the past and into the future."

The Commentary podcast

This informative non-fiction title will encourage a love of killer whales and all things aquatic. Readers will enjoy uncovering the mysteries of whales while proving they are not the monsters humans once thought them to be.

Resource Links

An amazingly accessible and fun book that explores our relationship with whales over millennia. The reality of their complex and intelligent behavior should give anyone pause in assuming human superiority.

leader of the Green Party of Canada Elizabeth May

Pages filled with photographs, impassioned narrative, “Orca Bites” (facts), and further research resources make this title one for all libraries.

Booklist

Leiren-Young provides several stories to support his premises and exploration into this species; the stories add high interest level to the reading…Highly recommended for middle school libraries; supports science curriculum, activism and preservation.

Must Read Literature: K thru YA

Pages filled with photographs, impassioned narrative, “Orca Bites” (facts), and further research resources make this title one for all libraries.

Booklist

11/08/2019

Gr 4–7—Leiren-Young, an activist and filmmaker in British Columbia, outlines the history of human interaction with killer whales, dating back to ancient Rome. He also explains recent changes in human understanding of the mammals and the treatment of whales in captivity. Coverage of orca behavior in families and groups is especially illuminating. The plentiful photos and illustrations spotlight orcas in the wild. The final chapter contains a list of what can be done to ensure species conservation, such as reducing plastic usage and becoming politically active. Testimonies from four young activists provide a human connection. While it keeps a conversational, occasionally snarky tone that middle graders might appreciate, the narrative is too often laced with vague statements such as "most people now admit," "some people believe," and "almost everyone thought." The two-page list of resources includes books, websites, videos, and audio programs. While photos are credited, there are no source notes. Clear citations of scientific research are lacking. VERDICT While the subject is important and the text is engaging and appealing, with illustrations and helpful sidebars throughout, the lack of rigorous documentation makes this title an additional purchase.—Bob Hassett, Luther Jackson Middle School, Falls Church, VA

School Library Journal

2019-06-25
Leiren-Young explores basic facts about orcas as well as the sobering history of continued human maltreatment of these whales.

The documentary filmmaker (The Hundred-Year-Old Whale) shares his extensive knowledge of orca culture and history with plentiful photographs. The book is approachable, the design maintaining a nice balance of text to sidebar to photograph. It is visually consistent: All callouts are called "Orca Bites," photographs are labeled clearly, and chapters are designed similarly. The biggest struggle for readers is making sense of the order in which information is presented. A very helpful section about the different types of orcas with an illustrated guide doesn't appear until Chapter 15, for example, even though several of those different ecotypes (classification of orcas into different species has proven difficult, hence the term) are referred to prior. Some of the "Orca Bites" are not aligned with their relevant photographs or are otherwise distracting. The narrative dips in and out of first person, which makes for an unbalanced tone. Disappointingly, Leiren-Young takes liberties by explaining what historical figures thought and felt without any direct citations or quotations. Readers should be prepared for the (rightfully included) gruesome and upsetting history of human treatment of whales. It's a call to action for animal rights even if, as nonfiction, it's uneven.

A fascinating subject related with passion—but also with poor organization. (glossary, resources, acknowledgements, index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews

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