• Age: 8 to 12
• Grade: 3 to 7

Kristie's best friend Lisa has moved away from her home on Salt Spring Island and Kristie is feeling very lonely. On the day the movers come to take her friend's belongings away, Kristie escapes to the beach. There she finds a wounded sea lion pup hiding under a wharf. Kristie wants to help the pup, whom she calls "Salena" after the Greek word that means salty.

Kristie catches fish for Salena, who is growing steadily weaker, and tries to make friends with her as she feeds her. The sea lion pup's problems increase when a local fisherman finds out about her and wants to shoot her because he fears she will take fish from his commercial nets.

Kristie manages to protect Salena, with the help of some new friends that she makes, and the sea lion pup is given a new chance at life.

Dayle Campbell Gaetz grew up in Victoria and attended the University of Victoria. She has always loved books, both reading and writing them. Her writing career began on Salt Spring Island where she wrote her first 16 novels. For several years she wrote a column for the local weekly newspaper and published the occasional article in children's magazines. Dayle now lives in Campbell River, British Columbia where, in addition to her own writing, she teaches a correspondence course on Writing for Children and Teenagers. She has published 21 books for readers from ages seven to 17. Never knowing what idea will strike next, Dayle writes books that range from science fiction to history and from biography to mystery. Thanks to a strong interest in British Columbian history, she wrote two historical novels that take place in B.C.'s early days. On the heels of those books came Mystery from History and Barkerville Gold, both with historical connections. She had meant to end there, but the three young characters refused quit at Barkerville. They have since travelled on to Alberta, (Alberta Alibi) and recently into Saskatchewan (Something Suspicious in Saskatchewan). Manitoba is calling to them next and it seems wherever they go the children trip over mystery and tumble into danger. Dayle's other books from Orca include Sea Dog (Orca Echoes), the story of two lonely people, a seven year old boy and an old man who are brought together by their love of one dog. At the other end of childhood is No Problem (Orca Soundings), where a 17 year old boy stands on the brink of drug abuse. In between is an Orca Currents, Spoiled Rotten, about an outdoors-loving 14 year old girl who needs to deal with a new stepsister who really is spoiled rotten. For more information about Dayle, visit http://web.mac.com/gdgaetz.

Dayle Campbell Gaetz's profile page

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Should be purchased by all elementary libraries…. Students will find it interesting and relevant.

BCTLA Reviews