One day, as I was walking in the forest, I sat down to rest. Looking around I saw a big spider spinning his web. When I looked around I saw many webs, but they all seemed to belong to this particular spider. The days were getting cooler and the spider wanted to catch as many bugs before the winter snows. High above the spider’s web, a little sparrow was flying home to his nest, when a big hawk swooped down on him. Surprised by this sudden attack, the little sparrow fought for his life. When the hawk’s claws lifted him high in the air, he turned and struck the hawk with his sharp little beak. Momentarily stunned, the hawk dropped the sparrow who fell and disappeared amongst the trees in the forest.

May, 1915. As a dangerous ring of spies and saboteurs threatens to turn the war against the Allies, Frenchman and British operative Julian Olivier discovers goodness in his enemies' hearts. But even if he survives, will he ever be reunited with the woman whose memory he can't erase? Will Canadian airborn hero Warren Flynn survive the war, and will the Allies' newest operative, Evette, unearth the infiltrator in her own Parisian territory before it's too late?

Spider, a baby abandoned on an English farm, grows up to be mentally slower than other children but manifests a remarkable talent for communicating with animals as he comes of age during World War II.

A visionary work that combines speculative fiction with deep philosophical inquiry, The Sparrow tells the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who leads a scientific mission entrusted with a profound task: to make first contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life. The mission begins in faith, hope, and beauty, but a series of small misunderstandings brings it to a catastrophic end. Praise for The Sparrow “A startling, engrossing, and moral work of fiction.”—The New York Times Book Review “Important novels leave deep cracks in our beliefs, our prejudices, and our blinders. The Sparrow is one of them.”—Entertainment Weekly “Powerful . . . The Sparrow tackles a difficult subject with grace and intelligence.”—San Francisco Chronicle “Provocative, challenging . . . recalls both Arthur C. Clarke and H. G. Wells, with a dash of Ray Bradbury for good measure.”—The Dallas Morning News “[Mary Doria] Russell shows herself to be a skillful storyteller who subtly and expertly builds suspense.”—USA Today

A beautiful story for older readers written almost twenty years ago in which bestselling author Dick King-Smith creates a fascinating picture of rural life at the time of the Second World War. Discovered as a foundling in a lambing pen, Spider Sparrow grows up surrounded by animals. From sheep and horses to wild otters and foxes, Spider loves them all, even the crows he must scare away from the newly sown wheat. Crowstarving was the idea job for Spider - he was on his own, yet never alone for all around him were animals of one sort or another. Amazingly, every animal who meets Spider implicitly trusts the young boy. This magical rapport is Spider's unique gift, but nothing else in his tough life is so easy.

Spiders are among the most diverse groups of terrestrial invertebrates, yet they are among the least studied and understood. This first comprehensive guide to all 68 spider families in North America beautifully illustrates 469 of the most commonly encountered species. Group keys enable identification by web type and other observable details, and species descriptions include identification tips, typical habitat, geographic distribution, and behavioral notes. A concise illustrated introduction to spider biology and anatomy explains spider relationships. This book is a critical resource for curious naturalists who want to understand this ubiquitous and ecologically critical component of our biosphere.

Once upon a time, there was an energetic little sparrow, a small, greenish-grayish frog, and a big black spider. Each one of them lived in its own world and did not have contact with each other until natures forces brought them together one autumn afternoon.