Orca Currents are short, high-interest novels with contemporary, relatable themes written specifically for middle-school students reading below grade level. Accessible text and fast-moving plots help striving readers build confidence and finish books, often for the first time. Learn more on our Orca Currents series information page.
Living Rough
Poe, a homeless young teen, struggles to keep his living situation a secret.
Farmed Out
Fourteen-year-old Maddie, an artist with big-city dreams, is forced to volunteer on an organic farm.
Stuff We All Get
Fifteen-year-old Zack, a sound-color synesthete, is on a mission to find a musician he can relate to.
Benched
Cody and his friends get caught up in gang activity when they steal a park bench.
Storm Tide
Simon and his sister Ellen have to solve the mystery of the hidden treasure if they want to save the island lighthouse they call home.
Slick
Thirteen-year-old Liza gets involved in activism and takes on the oil industry.
The Snowball Effect
After a snowballing prank causes a car accident, Dylan deals with the guilt of lying about his involvement.
Fast Slide
Clay Gibson, teen lifeguard, has to solve the mystery of the emptied register.
Junkyard Dog
At his new job taking care of guard dogs, Justin discovers that the working dogs are being mistreated.
Struck
When Claire starts to experience success she'd never dreamed possible, she worries that a magical event is the cause.
Fraud Squad
Robyn, Nick and Trevor learn about paleontology as they try to solve a mystery at a local dinosaur dig.
Perfect Revenge
Stripped of her popularity, Lizzie is willing to do anything to exact her revenge. She's even willing to turn to magic.
Explore
Mike explores the world of outdoor recreation and discovers a new side of himself.
Watch Me
Kaz, troubled by his father's absence and a learning disability, discovers the real consequences of crime when he steals a watch from an elderly woman.
Bio-pirate
Three amateur sleuths learn about biological piracy in their pursuit of stolen research.
Marked
When Colin accepts a summer job he doesn't expect to become a criminal suspect.
Finding Elmo
Tim loves his job at the family pet store, but he questions his father's leadership when a bird is stolen at a public event.
Cracked
Trevor, Nick and Courtney solve the mystery of the bobsled saboteur.
Hypnotized
Rufus' relationship with his sister changes after he attempts to hypnotize her.
Camp Wild
Wilf figures he's too old for summer camp but has just what it takes to plot his escape from one.


