The Orca Two Read series supports children ages six to nine who are “struggling to learn how to read because of dyslexia or another language-based learning difficulty.” Each book contains four high-interest, controlled vocabulary short stories that provide practice in mastering specific phonics concepts. These stories are designed for shared reading; the left-hand page offers text for the confident reader, while the right-hand page resembles a graphic novel with minimal text to support the developing reader. In The Bake Sale, the silent “magic” e phonics rule is introduced, followed by pages of activities for further reinforcement of the concept. Although several additional pages of information to assist parents are included, this series does a commendable job in its presentation as a typical beginning chapter book series. Characters Meg and Greg feature in appealing and relatable stories about a lemonade stand, a bike ride, dog adventures, and finding a lost cat.

Other End Matter: Contents, Glossary, How to Read information, additional information pages for adults
Images: b&w photographs
Bibliography: No
Index: No

Source: Books BC - BC Books for Schools

Elspeth Rae has a BEd from Simon Fraser University and is a certified Orton-Gillingham teacher for children with dyslexia and other language-learning difficulties. Elspeth was diagnosed with dyslexia at age eight and received Orton-Gillingham instruction during her school years. As a certified teacher, she works as a literacy specialist in the public school system, where she teaches reading, spelling and writing to children ages five to thirteen. She lives in Vancouver with her husband and three children.

Elspeth Rae's profile page

Rowena Rae worked as a biologist specializing in aquatic ecosystems in Canada and New Zealand before becoming a freelance writer, editor and children’s author. She is the author of Rachel Carson and Ecology for Kids, as well as Chemical World and Upstream, Downstream in the Orca Footprints line. Rowena writes both fiction and nonfiction from her home in Victoria, British Columbia.

Rowena Rae's profile page

Elisa Gutiérrez is an award-winning designer, author and illustrator. Her book Picturescape was short-listed for the Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize, was honored by the Alcuin Society and was the subject of a scholarly paper by the renowned Dr. Lawrence Sipe. Elisa has designed over 100 books and specializes in book design for children. Born and raised in Mexico City, Elisa now lives in Vancouver.

Elisa Gutiérrez's profile page

“Clear, well-spaced font and the shaded paper on the right hand side pages make the reading more accessible to a dyslexic reader. The length of each story is manageable and has a good flow and pace. The partnering of the adult/buddy’s reader’s page and the kid’s page works beautifully.”

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

“Each story is followed by simple games to cement the concept into the child’s brain. Children will be eager to read these stories and will understand the concepts well.”

Children's Literature

“An essential purchase for school and public libraries.”

School Library Journal