Jackdaw and the Randoms


Book Description

Most people call me The Jackdaw. If they don't, I tell them they probably should. Meet fifteen-year-old Jack 'Jackdaw' Dawson, a young man with a serious plan. Daydreaming in class one day, Jack is hit over the head with an idea so blinding, so extraordinarily visionary and so downright fantastic he knows it can't fail. It's his ticket out of school - an app that will stop you from getting into trouble for daydreaming in class (ahem...) Fame, glory and tons of money seem just around the corner - but then Jack runs into a few problems. First of all, his warring parents are determined to push him into a career of their choosing (mum says office, dad says factory) without much thought as to what Jack might actually want. Secondly (and quite importantly) Jack doesn't know the first thing about making apps, and the only person who does wants nothing at all to do with Jack. That is, unless he does her a favour... which leads to someone else needing another favour, then another and another - until Jack finds himself sat upon a very precarious pile of promises to a whole bunch of random people. Can the Jackdaw complete his scheme, or is this too much for even his superior brain to cope with?




Jackdaws


Book Description

In his own bestselling tradition of Eye of the Needle and The Key to Rebecca, Ken Follett delivers a breathtaking novel of suspense set in the most dangerous days of World War II. D-Day is approaching. They don’t know where or when, but the Germans know it’ll be soon, and for Felicity “Flick” Clariet, the stakes have never been higher. A senior agent in the ranks of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) responsible for sabotage, Flick has survived to become one of Britain’s most effective operatives in Northern France. She knows that the Germans’ ability to thwart the Allied attack depends upon their lines of communications, and in the days before the invasion no target is of greater strategic importance than the largest telephone exchange in Europe. But when Flick and her Resistance-leader husband try a direct, head-on assault that goes horribly wrong, her world turns upside down. Her group destroyed, her husband missing, her superiors unsure of her, her own confidence badly shaken, she has one last chance at the target, but the challenge, once daunting, is now near impossible. The new plan requires an all-woman team, none of them professionals, to be assembled and trained within days. Code-named the Jackdaws, they will attempt to infiltrate the exchange under the noses of the Germans—but the Germans are waiting for them now and have plans of their own. There are secrets Flick does not know—secrets within the German ranks, secrets among her hastily recruited team, secrets among those she trusts the most. And as the hours tick down to the point of no return, most daunting of all, there are secrets within herself. . . . Filled with the powerful storytelling, unforgettable characters, and authentic detail that have become his hallmarks, Jackdaws is Ken Follett writing at the height of his powers.




Jackdaw Summer


Book Description

Every summer Liam and Max roam the wild countryside of Northumberland - but this year things are different. One hot summer's day a jackdaw leads the two boys into an ancient farm house where they find a baby, wrapped in a blanket, with a scribbled note pinned to it: PLESE LOOK AFTER HER RITE. THIS IS A CHILDE OF GOD. And so begins Jackdaw Summer. A summer when friendships are tested. A summer when lines between good and bad are blurred. A summer that Liam will never forget... A stunning novel from the author of the modern children's classic Skellig - winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children's Book Award. David Almond is also winner of the 2010 Hans Christian Andersen award.




A Bird A Day


Book Description

'Perfect for dipping into, beautifully written, and great to look at.' – Birdwatching 'An ideal reference book for fledgling ornithologists.' – The Field The beauty and fascination of birds is unrivalled. Every day of the year, immerse yourself in their world with an entry from A Bird of Day, where Dominic Couzens offers an insight into everything from the humble Robin to Emperor Penguins, who are in the midst of Arctic storms protecting their young on 1 July. Or discover the fate of the Passenger Pigeon which became extinct through overhunting on 1 September 2014. If you ever visit the Himalayan uplands, go in late November when you can see a flock of the cobalt blue Grandala birds, which is one of the wonders of the natural world. The author is a world expert on birds and particularly bird behaviour and he reveals endless fascinating stories of birds from all over the globe to give a rich tapestry of avian life with stunning photography, illustration and arresting art. All of bird life is covered, from nesting, migration, and courting to birdsong and curious bird behaviour. From the promiscuous Fairywren of Australia, who gives petals to his mistresses, to the singing instructions of the female Northern Cardinal in North America, this is a delightful dip-in-and-out book for any nature lover.




The Random House Crossword Puzzle Dictionary


Book Description

THE RANDOM HOUSE CROSSWORD PUZZLE DICTIONARY MORE THAN 700,000 CLUES AND ANSWER WORDS! THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE POCKET CROSSWORD DICTIONARY ON THE MARKET! COMPREHENSIVE More clue words, special categories, and subcategories than any comparable dictionary In-depth coverage of people, places, and things AUTHORITATIVE Extensive coverage of modern history, popular culture, politics, literature, sports, and much more General vocabulary and synonyms checked against the voluminous Random House dictionary and thesaurus files CLEARLY ORGANIZED Clue words and clue information printed in easy-to-spot bold typeface All answer words grouped by their number of letters




The Jackdaw of Rheims


Book Description

A humorous poem that tells the story of a mischievous jackdaw who steals the bishop's ring during a solemn ceremony in Rheims Cathedral. Written in rhyming couplets, the poem is full of vivid descriptions and wordplay. This edition includes charming illustrations that bring the story to life. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.




The Animal Names of the Arab Ancestors


Book Description

In the Arab world, people belong to kinship groups (lineages and tribes). Many lineages are named after animals, birds, and plants. Why? This survey evaluates five old explanations – “totemism,” “emulation of predatory animals,” “ancestor eponymy,” “nicknaming,” and “Bedouin proximity to nature.” It suggests a new hypothesis: Bedouin tribes use animal names to obscure their internal cleavages. Such tribes wax and wane as they attract and lose allies and clients; they include “attached” elements as well as actual kin. To prevent outsiders from spotting “attached” groups, Bedouin tribes scatter non-human names across their segments, making it difficult to link any segment with a human ancestor. Young’s argument contributes to theories of tribal organization, Arab identity, onomastics, and Near Eastern kinship.