Sparrows Flight

From the author of Emily's House comes a “compelling, emotionally gripping”* novel of historical fiction—perfect for readers of America’s First Daughter. Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1676. Even before Mary Rowlandson was captured by Indians on a winter day of violence and terror, she sometimes found herself in conflict with her rigid Puritan community. Now, her home destroyed, her children lost to her, she has been sold into the service of a powerful woman tribal leader, made a pawn in the ongoing bloody struggle between English settlers and native people. Battling cold, hunger, and exhaustion, Mary witnesses harrowing brutality but also unexpected kindness. To her confused surprise, she is drawn to her captors’ open and straightforward way of life, a feeling further complicated by her attraction to a generous, protective English-speaking native known as James Printer. All her life, Mary has been taught to fear God, submit to her husband, and abhor Indians. Now, having lived on the other side of the forest, she begins to question the edicts that have guided her, torn between the life she knew and the wisdom the natives have shown her. Based on the compelling true narrative of Mary Rowlandson, Flight of the Sparrow is an evocative tale that transports the reader to a little-known time in early America and explores the real meanings of freedom, faith, and acceptance. READERS GUIDE INCLUDED

It’s been five months since an immunization for the flu collapsed civilization. Sparrow Gray had nothing to her name but the backpack she carried and the meager contents inside. Utterly alone, she fought to survive daily. Everyone was a suspected foe, and the ones unlucky enough to be infected were nothing more than walking corpses. Mason, an ex-Navy SEAL, and Asher, a back-alley fighter, found each other at an unlikely time. The two never thgouht they’d find pleasure each other’s arms. Then came Sparrow, and both realized they wanted her as badly as they wanted each other. And they meant to make that their reality. The world was a dangerous, ugly place, and their trip was filled with fear, pain, and everything in between. But when Sparrow was taken by men who wanted to use her for the only commodity left in this barren world, Mason and Asher would do everything in their power to get her back safely. But could Mason and Asher get to her before all hell broke loose? Reader note: This story was previously published under the same title. It has since been reedited, minimally revised, and new content has been added. Material may be sensitive to some readers. Includes MMF and MM scenes.

Erupting from the depths of a madman's nightmare, a foul tide of twisted magical abominations sweeps across the kingdom of Neffrom, devouring everything in its path. Behind this mighty vanguard marches the unstoppable host of the immortal Hezra-Thrall spreading his terrible, soul-corrupting curse like plague across the land.Desperate HopeIn the frigid depths of winter, hope burns small, its feeble flicker sheltered in the hearts of two young nobles, the disinherited lordling, Sparrow of Blackaker, and the blind swordswoman, Kisha. Bound together by a damning prophecy, this wretched pair must survive Thrall's legions, confront their own most horrible fears, and stand together against a god in battle wherein the ultimate sacrifice becomes the ultimate weapon.

Parents set rules for their children for a reason. Sammy Sparrow quickly learns why while trying to fly alone at night. His wings are weak and Sammy falls into a bush below. The world looks scary from the ground. A friendly owl flies Sammy back home to sleep under his parents' wings. Suggested age range for readers: 2-8

"In this elegant narrative, celebrated naturalist Ted Floyd guides you through a year of becoming a better birder. Choosing 200 top avian species to teach key lessons, Floyd introduces a new, holistic approach to bird watching and shows how to use the tools of the 21st century to appreciate the natural world we inhabit together whether city, country or suburbs." -- From book jacket.

Julie Hoffman is sixteen, clumsy, and a dreamer. Not such a great combo when your mom has moved you to a new school on Long Island. Feeling alone and ugly, Julie dreams about her estranged dad coming back and calling her Sparrow again. All she has left to remember him by is his collection of adventure and fantasy novels—which propels her into developing a fantasy of her own. In her new school Julie meets the members of the Clan of the Western Holt—a group of bright, imaginative kids like herself who don’t quite fit in. They devour comic books, sew costumes for Renaissance Faires, stage mock hunts, and huddle together for warmth and friendship against a world that ridicules them. The Clan brings out a talent for writing that has lain dormant in Julie. With Dana Burke, a young artist, Julie begins to write her own fantasy—‘Sparrow’s Flight’—and in it she puts all of her crises and dreams. She is able to give voice to her fears and desires through he make-believe characters—chronicling a painful experience with love, betrayal, and death. In her fantasy, Julie goes on an imaginary quest for her father and a mission to destroy the evil sorceress—her mom. But when she has the real-life chance to accomplish both, Julie finds that she has changed and makes her first adult decision.

A Guide to the Identification and Natural History of the Sparrows of the United States and Canada provides comprehensive information on all the features that make possible identification of all 62 species of sparrows that occur in North America. The text gives detailed descriptions of the summer, winter, and juvenile plumages of each species, as well as comparisons with similar species. The species accounts are illustrated with range maps and superb line drawings showing behavioral postures and, where useful, fine features of tail feather patterns. The 27 color plates splendidly illustrate the various plumages of each species with the emphasis on the distinctive appearance of birds of different sex, age, and geographic regions. This beautiful and authoritative book is a must for the library of all keen birders living in and visiting North America. Species accounts include discussions of species': * Identification * Measurements * Voice * Habitat * Ecology * Nesting biology * Distribution * Taxonomy * Geographic variations * Historical and present status

“There’s a special providence in the fall of a sparrow.” --William Shakespeare, Hamlet B fell twenty-five feet from his nest into the life of Chris Chester. The encounter was providential for both of them. B and Chester spent hours together playing games like bottle-cap fetch or hide-and-seek. They learned “words” in each other’s vocabularies. B developed a fetish for nostrils and a dislike of the color yellow. He grew anxious if Chester came home late from work. At bedtime he would rub his sleepy eyes on Chester’s thumb and settle to sleep in his palm. Chester ended up turning part of his house into an aviary and adjusting his social life to meet B’s demands. This was a small price to pay, though, for the trust and comfort of a twenty-five-gram friend who brought joy and wonder back into his life.

Sparrows are as complicated as they are common. This is an essential guide to identifying 76 kinds, along with a fascinating history of human interactions with them. What, exactly, is a sparrow? All birders (and many non‑birders) have essentially the same mental image of a pelican, a duck, or a flamingo, and a guide dedicated to waxwings or kingfishers would need nothing more than a sketch and a single sentence to satisfactorily identify its subject. Sparrows are harder to pin down. This book covers one family (Passerellidae), which includes towhees and juncos, and 76 members of the sparrow clan. Birds have a human history, too, beginning with their significance to native cultures and continuing through their discovery by science, their taxonomic fortunes and misfortunes, and their prospects for survival in a world with ever less space for wild creatures. This book includes not just facts and measurements, but stories--of how birds got their names and how they were discovered--of their entanglement with human history.