Clio can't remember a time when she didn't share a bond with the mare Grey Girl. On the whole island of Crete, she and her Trojan-born father are the only people who raise and ride horses — and she couldn't live without it. Between the freedom of the pasture and the safety of her grandmother Leira's pottery studio, Clio always had everything she needed.

Then an accident stole Clio's ability to ride, or even to walk without a crutch. The weather changed and summers grew drier. Now raiders are preying on nearby towns. As anxiety builds, a terrible pronouncement is issued by the palace: at the spring festival, a girl between the ages of twelve and fourteen will be chosen to save the town from disaster. She will be sacrificed as an offering to the mother goddess. (From Pajama Press)

Wendy Orr's books have been published in 27 countries and won awards worldwide. Her books Nim's Island and Nim at Sea were inspired by a story about a young girl running away from home that Orr wrote at only nine years old and have also been adapted into feature films starring Jodie Foster and Gerard Butler.

Her latest children's book Dragonfly Song combines elements of fantasy with prose and poetry to re-imagine the mythology of ancient Crete into the coming of age story of a young girl named Aissa. Dragonfly Song was the winner of the 2017 Prime Minister's Literary Awards for children's nonfiction and the 2018 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature, children's literature, both in Australia.

Dragonfly Song was a finalist for the $50,000 2018 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award.