The adventures of two runaway baby sparrows by award-winning author Ranjit Lal. Chiddy and Gouri, two baby sparrows, are bullied mercilessly by their elder siblings. They are so traumatized that they absolutely refuse to learn how to fly. Instead, they run away, kindly assisted by Breaking Wind--a jovial breeze. But they quickly discover that the world is an unkind place; they are trapped, dyed red, caged and sold off. A kind girl frees them, but the sparrows--still red and flightless--end up on the 'hit list' of the local cat mafia. From there, how do the timid little birds become the feared ninja sparrows? Will they be able to defeat the evil Siamese cats Ping-Li and Pong-La? Will they ever be able to return to their families? And will they finally realize that being a bird means being able to fly free? In this delightful book, Ranjit Lal reveals the incredible drama that flourishes among bird and animal lives in the gardens and parks all around us. Clever, funny and full of non-stop adventure, The Little Ninja Sparrows is about finding your true place in the world--whether human or sparrow.

Stranger Things meets The Stand in this haunting coming-of-age novel about a plague that brings the world to a halt -- and the boy who believes that his town's missing sparrows can save his family. In the small town of Griever's Mill, eleven-year-old Ben Cameron is expecting to finish off his summer of relaxing and bird-watching without a hitch. But everything goes wrong when dark clouds roll in. Old Man Crandall is the first to change -- human one minute and a glass statue the next. Soon it's happening across the world. Dark clouds fill the sky and, at random, people are turned into frozen versions of themselves. There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no one knows how to stop it. With his mom on the verge of a breakdown, and his brother intent on following the dubious plans put forth by a nameless voice on the radio, Ben must hold out hope that his town's missing sparrows will return with everyone's souls before the glass plague takes them away forever.

“Exotic, entertaining . . . [an] exceptional first novel.”—San Francisco Chronicle The year is 1861. After two centuries of isolation, Japan has opened its doors to the West. And as foreign ships threaten to rain destruction on the Shogun’s castle in Edo, a small group of American missionaries has arrived to spread the word of their God. They have yet to realize that their future in Japan has already been foreseen. For a young nobleman has dreamt that his life will be saved by an outsider in the New Year. . . and it is said that Lord Genji has the gift of prophecy. What happens next—when the handsome lord meets an appa rently reformed gunslinger and a woman in flight from her own destructive beauty—sets the stage for a remarkable adventure. For as this unlikely band embarks on a journey through a landscape bristling with danger, East and West, flesh and spirit, past and future, collide in ways no one—least of all Genji—could have imagined. Praise for Cloud of Sparrows “The book seizes you from start to finish.”—The Washington Post “Adventure-filled.”—Entertainment Weekly “Rich . . . with an ambitious, unexpected ending that cuts deeper than a samurai sword.”—San Francisco Chronicle

The cultures of tribal Africa, Medieval Japan, and Ancient Greece are explored through dramatizations of traditional folktales. Ideas for costume design, staging, sets, props, lighting, sound and music are included.

Walking the path of grief with the Savior at your side.

Join Hilda, Twig and friends to find out what it takes to be a brave and brilliant Sparrow Scout in this very-nearly official (with a few little additions from Hilda) guide. Learn how to collect scouting badges, from practical outdoors awards to some of the REAL skills you need for life in Trolberg. Welcome to the flock! This guide introduces many popular level-one Sparrow Scout badges, perfect for new recruits. As well as learning cloud types, star constellations and how to build a shelter, you'll discover tons of interesting facts about the creatures of Trolberg, plus some secret tips and tricks from your favourite blue-haired Sparrow, Hilda!

Description Fifteen-year-old April lives in Imphal valley and has grown up learning to save herself from tear-gas shells and hearing stories about children disappearing. But when her best friend Henthoiba goes missing, she is determined to find him. April finds an unlikely ally in Shalini Gupta, her new schoolmate and the daughter of an army man recently posted in Imphal. With no real leads except for a bag with some of Henthoiba's belongings and sharp deduction and combat skills, the two set out to find him. As they get sucked into the investigation, they stumble upon a dangerous, unknown world-where children disappear and are trafficked and trained to be soldiers. A world where drugs, arms and gold are peddled across borders. Was Henthoiba abducted because he knew too much about this world? What awaits Shalini and April at the floating island on Loktak Lake where Henthoiba was last seen? Unflinching, tender and action-packed, Children of the Hidden Land is a story about two girls who overcome their prejudices to question their existing ideas about nation, friendship and ambition. Above all, it is a story of hope and courage.