Wendy Orr is a Canadian-born Australian writer born in Edmonton, Alberta. She is probably best known as the author of Nim's Island, which was made into a film in 2008 starring Jodie Foster, Abigail Breslin and Gerard Butler.^[1] In 1995, she received the CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers award.

Orr moved to Australia at the age of 21 and now lives in Victoria, on the Mornington Peninsula on a few acres of bushland. She has previously worked as an occupational therapist.^[2] In 1991 Orr suffered terrible injuries including a broken neck and two broken ankles when her car was hit by a car travelling at high speed. She spent the next five years dealing with the pain and walking with a cane. It took 15 years to recover but now she is well again. She says, " Readers borrow courage and resilience from books.” Qualities Orr has displayed herself creating a huge body of work during her recovery.^[3]

Works

Novels

• Peeling the Onion (1996)
• The House At Evelyn's Pond (2001)
• Dragonfly Song (2016)
• Swallow's Dance (2018)
• Cuckoo's Flight (2021)

Children's books

• The Tin Can Puppy (1990)
• Bad Martha (1991)
• Leaving It to You (1992)
• The Great Yackandandah Billy Cart Race (1993)
• Ark in the Park (1994)
• The Laziest Boy in the World (1994)
• Mindblowing! (1994)
• Dirtbikes (1995)
• The Bully Biscuit Gang (1996)
• Yasou Nikki (1996)
• Sally's Painting Room (1997)
• Alroy's Very Nearly Clean Bedroom (1997)
• Poppy's Path (2001)
• Spook's Shack (2003)
• Across the Dark Sea (2006)
• Too Much Stuff! (2006)
• Raven's Mountain (2011)

Paradise series:

1. Paradise Palace (1997)
2. Paradise Gold (1999)

Nim's Island series:

1. Nim's Island (2001)
2. Nim at Sea (2008)
3. Rescue on Nim's Island (2014)

Mokie and Bik series:

1. Mokie and Bik (2007)
2. Mokie and Bik Go to Sea (2008)

Rainbow Street Animal Shelter series:

1. LOST! A Dog Called Bear (2011)
2. MISSING! A Cat Called Buster (2011)
3. WANTED! A Guinea Pig Called Henry (2012)
4. ABANDONED! A Lion Called Kiki (2012)
5. STOLEN! A Pony Called Pebbles (2012)
6. DISCOVERED! A Beagle Called Bella (2013)

Picture books

• Amanda's Dinosaur (1990)
• Aa-choo! (1992)
• Jessica Joan (1994)
• Grandfather Martin (1996)
• Arabella (2000)
• The Princess and Her Panther (2010)

Micki and Daniel series:

1. Pegasus and Ooloomooloo (1993)
2. The Wedding (1993)
3. The Train to the City (1993)