As development overturns the landscape of North Carolina, tenth-grader Chris Fuller knows he’ll end up fighting Brandon, a new kid who just moved into the housing development that destroyed Chris’s beloved pine forest. Brandon turns out to be a real runner, far better than Chris, shows no respect for locals, and when it comes to a school project that has Chris baffled, slams his hand down and says, “It’s as good as done!” Chris needs an idea for the project, but mostly he’s trying to find a way to be talking to violinist Muriel. She makes the crazy suggestion he try talking to someone from the past, anyone who might give him an idea. But he’s pretty sure he’s already been spoken to, maybe by a mythological night sky jaguar, who asks, “Do you know how fire burns in water?” When Chris’s first idea falters and he gets desperate, the jaguar makes a way for Brandon’s troubled past and Chris’s faithfulness as a friend to cross paths and carry them to a new place of standing and friendship.

A treasure trove of stories, poems, and information on the brainy, black-feathered bird that’s rich in insight and humor. This revised and expanded edition of Candace Savage’s best-selling book about ravens and crows is enhanced by additional paintings, drawings, and photos, as well as a fascinating selection of first-person stories and poems about remarkable encounters with crows. In one story, a pack of crows brilliantly thwarts an attack by a Golden Eagle; in another, a mischievous crow rescues the author from grief. And in a third piece, after nursing a battered baby crow back to health until it flies off with other crows, Louise Erdrich hauntingly describes her altered awareness as she listens for the “dark laugh” of crows while she works. Based on two decades of audacious research by scientists around the world, the book also provides an unprecedented, evidence-based glimpse into corvids’ intellectual, social, and emotional lives. But whether viewed through the lens of science, myth, or everyday experience, the result is always the same. These birds are so smart—and so mysterious—they take your breath away. Published in Partnership with the David Suzuki Institute. Praise for Crows “A beautifully crafted celebration of these birds.” —Nature “A deft juxtaposition of interesting anecdotes and firsthand accounts of scientific discoveries.” —Canadian Literature “Surprising avian revelations are contained within the pages of Savage’s glorious festival of crow arcana.” —Alberta Views

Offers insight into crows' ability to make tools and respond to environmental challenges, explaining how they engage in human-like behaviors, from giving gifts and seeking revenge to playing and experiencing dreams.

The two-time Newbery medalist has crafted “a loving representation of a relationship between parent and child” in post-WWII America (Publishers Weekly, starred review). This is the story of young Liz, her father, and their strained relationship. Dad has been away at WWII for longer than she can remember, and they begin their journey of reconnection through a hunting shirt, cherry pie, tender conversation, and the crow call. This allegorical story shows how, like the birds gathering above, the relationship between the girl and her father is graced with the chance to fly. “The memory of a treasured day spent with a special person will resonate with readers everywhere.” —School Library Journal (starred review) “Beautifully written, the piece reads much like a traditional short story . . . the details of [Ibatoulline’s] renderings gracefully capture a moment in time that was lost. Relevant for families whose parents are returning from war, the text is also ripe for classroom discussion and for advanced readers.” —Kirkus Reviews

Download the first two chapters of Six of Crows for free! Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price-and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone.... A convict with a thirst for revenge. A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager. A runaway with a privileged past. A spy known as the Wraith. A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist.

Magick is the birthright of every child in Arkadia. Power defines a person's name, their skill, their destiny. Brin Menderson is different. Even the simplest spells do nothing for him and he is starting to fear that he might not have magick at all.Little does he know that there are those in the kingdom who would see an end to peace and order; an end to the golden age of magick. They believe in a prophecy, an ancient rhyme about a child foretold to end the kings rule and bring dragons back to the starless sky. Brin is about to learn that having no magick might just make him the most important person in all the land. Heralds the coming of a strong new voice in Australian fantasy. A compellingly readable tale. His hero may not have magick but McKenzie does. - Justin Woolley, author of A Town Called Dust

A finalist for the 2020 Thurber Prize for American Humor! "The Secret Life of Pets meets The Walking Dead" in this big-hearted, boundlessly beautiful romp through the Apocalypse, where a foul-mouthed crow is humanity's only chance to survive Seattle's zombie problem (Karen Joy Fowler, PEN/Faulkner Award-winning author). S.T., a domesticated crow, is a bird of simple pleasures: hanging out with his owner Big Jim, trading insults with Seattle's wild crows (i.e. "those idiots"), and enjoying the finest food humankind has to offer: Cheetos ®. But when Big Jim's eyeball falls out of his head, S.T. starts to think something's not quite right. His tried-and-true remedies—from beak-delivered beer to the slobbering affection of Big Jim's loyal but dim-witted dog, Dennis—fail to cure Big Jim's debilitating malady. S.T. is left with no choice but to abandon his old life and venture out into a wild and frightening new world with his trusty steed Dennis, where he suddenly discovers that the neighbors are devouring one other. Local wildlife is abuzz with rumors of Seattle's dangerous new predators. Humanity's extinction has seemingly arrived, and the only one determined to save it is a cowardly crow whose only knowledge of the world comes from TV. What could possibly go wrong? Includes a Reading Group Guide.