Lark Holds the Key (Orca Echoes) - Softcover

Deen, Natasha

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1459807278 ISBN 13: 9781459807273

Publisher: Orca Book Publishers, 2016

Synopsis

The first book in the Lark Ba Detective series!

It’s the third day of summer vacation, and Lark’s halmoni―that’s Korean for grandmother―has promised to take Lark and her twin brother, Connor, to the library. Only trouble is, they arrive to discover that the town librarian is missing her key to the library. Lucky for her, Lark just happens to be a budding private eye. Can rookie detectives Lark and Connor solve this mystery and recover the lost key?

The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

About this title

About the Authors

Natasha Deen loves stories: exciting ones, scary ones and, especially, funny ones! As a kid of two countries (Guyana and Canada), she feels extra lucky because she gets a double dose of stories. Natasha is the author of many books including the Lark Ba Detective series in the Orca Echoes line, Depth of Field in the Orca Soundings line and In the Key of Nira Ghani which won the Amy Mathers Book Award and was nominated for the Red Maple, MYRCA and R. Ross Arnett Awards. She is also a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee medal. Natasha lives in Edmonton.

Marcus Cutler is a freelance children's illustrator whose work has appeared in magazines, books, apps and more. He has worked with a variety of clients, including chickaDEE Magazine, OWL Magazine, Macmillan Publishers and Parks Canada, and he is the illustrator of the Lark Ba Detective series, The Owl and the Two Rabbits and The Walrus and the Caribou. Marcus lives in Tecumseh, Ontario.

Reviews

Gr 1–3-Lark Ba has ants in her pants, but not real ants, because, as she states, "that would be gross." She also has a younger brother. Ten minutes younger, that is. Like Judy Moody and Piper Green, Lark Ba is spunky and ambitious. When Lark's family visits the library, or the "Temple of Secrets," they discover it is closed because Mrs. Robinson lost the library key. Lark is determined to solve the mystery and locate the key, and she asks Mrs. Robinson to retrace her steps. When that approach fails, the others resign themselves to calling a locksmith. Not willing to leave any stone unturned, Lark continues to envision the key's whereabouts. Most noteworthy about this early chapter book may be the way Deen embraces and simply defines new vocabulary, a critical skill for kids at this reading level. Often this takes place in the context of the story, such as when Lark describes dyslexia. Other times, readers are given clues to uncover the new word, with answers in the back matter. Swahili and Korean words integrated seamlessly into the story help readers learn more about Lark's background. VERDICT A problem-solving adventure led by a lovable character and enhanced with vocabulary lessons: there is much to celebrate in this story. Lark Ba is a welcome addition to early chapter book heroines.-Beth Parmer, New Albany Elementary Library, OH

Edition details

• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1459807278
• ISBN 13: 9781459807273
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Cutler Marcus
• Number of pages: 80