Magpie's Song


Book Description

In the slums of BrightStone, Moon Children are worth less than the scrap they collect to survive. It doesn't matter that these abandoned half-breeds are part-Meridian with their ancestors hailing from the technologically advanced wonder that floats above the once-thriving, now plague-ridden city. Instead they are rejected by both societies and forced to live on the outskirts of civilization, joining clans simply to stay alive. Not to mention their role as Tithe, leading the city's infected citizens deep into the Pits where their disease can be controlled. Nineteen-year-old Raggy Maggy is no different, despite the mysterious heart-shaped panel welded to her chest. Or she wasn't, until her chance discovery of a Meridian-built clockwork dragon--and its murdered owner. When the Inquestors policing the city find Maggy at the scene of the crime, she becomes their prime suspect. An exiled doctor and a clanless Moon Child named Ghost keep her hidden; all she has to do is help them find a cure to the plague they believe was not accidental. Doing so might risk more than her life--but it might be the key to uncovering the truth about the parents, and the past, she knows nothing about.




The Magpie Song


Book Description

Carla, who lives with her family in the city, shares a close relationship with her grandad in the country through their correspondence.




Mad Magpie


Book Description

Age range 3 to 6 Mad Magpie is the third book in this successful series of morality tales from Gregg Dreise. Inspired by wise sayings and the knowledge of his Elders, Mad Magpie tells the story of Guluu, an angry magpie who is being teased by a gang of butcher birds. The more he is teased, the angrier he becomes. When Guluu seeks advice, his Elders tell him to stay calm like the river, ignore the butcher birds and to be strong on the inside. Guluu tries this, but the cheeky birds just laugh at him. One day, when Guluu is at the river looking for worms, the butcher birds arrive and steal his food. He remembers the words of his Elders and he tries again – and this time Guluu has a different outcome. He stands proudly at the riverbank and remembers how he used to sing when he was having a bad day. Guluu sings so loud he cannot hear the birds laughing at him and they eventually give up and fly away. From that time on, the animals learnt to use music to create a happy mood and they worked together to stop bullying.




Australian Magpie


Book Description

Brings together everything we know about the biology and behaviour of this unusual species.




Featherhood


Book Description

“I loved every single page.” —Elton John “The best piece of nature writing since H is for Hawk.” —Neil Gaiman ​In this moving, critically acclaimed memoir, a young man saves a baby magpie as his estranged father is dying, only to find that caring for the mischievous bird saves him. One spring day, a baby magpie falls out of its nest and into Charlie Gilmour’s hands. Magpies, he soon discovers, are as clever and mischievous as monkeys. They are also notorious thieves, and this one quickly steals his heart. By the time the creature develops shiny black feathers that inspire the name Benzene, Charlie and the bird have forged an unbreakable bond. While caring for Benzene, Charlie learns his biological father, an eccentric British poet named Heathcote Williams who vanished when Charlie was six months old, is ill. As he grapples with Heathcote’s abandonment, Charlie comes across one of his poems, in which Heathcote describes how an impish young jackdaw fell from its nest and captured his affection. Over time, Benzene helps Charlie unravel his fears about repeating the past—and embrace the role of father himself. A bird falls, a father dies, a child is born. Featherhood is the unforgettable story of a love affair between a man and a bird. It is also a beautiful and affecting memoir about childhood and parenthood, captivity and freedom, grief and love.




How to Know the Birds


Book Description

"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.




The Song of the Magpie Robin


Book Description

Birder, naturalist and writer, Zafar Futehally was born in 1920 into a business family of Bombay. He grew up in Andheri, then one of the greenest areas of the city and went on to join the family trade. However, it was with Salim Ali, the famed ornithologist also known as the 'Birdman of India', that Zafar found his true calling. Zafar accompanied Salim Ali on his expeditions and helped him ring birds, collect specimens and take notes. On these field trips, he came in contact with some of the world's foremost naturalists and conservationists Dillon Ripley, Loke Wan Tho, Richard Fitter and Sir Peter Scott amongst others. These associations helped Zafar develop a nuanced, farranging understanding of ornithology as well as of the natural world. This, together with his diplomatic skills, made him a vital consensusbuilder on matters relating to conservation. Zafar Futehally spearheaded the conservation movement in India and played a key role in transforming it from a fringe concern of the middleclass to a matter of national importance. Zafar held key posts in all the important conservation organizations and initiatives in India and abroad BNHS, IUCN, WWF - India and Project Tiger. Witty, humble and deeply thoughtful, The Song of the Magpie Robin is a vibrant portrait of a man of principle, who spent his entire life striving to find a balance between development and nature conservation.




Penguin Bloom


Book Description

They saved a little bird . . . And in return she saved them tooAfter a near-fatal fall left Sam Bloom paralysed, no one - not her husband Cameron, nor their three boys - could reach her in the darkest days of her struggle. But everything changed when a new member of the family unexpectedly landed in their lives: an injured magpie chick abandoned after she fell from her nest, whom they named Penguin Bloom. Powerful and tender, Penguin Bloom is a beautifully written account of how compassion, friendship and family can come from unexpected places.




Magpie Learns a Lesson


Book Description

Two friends, Magpie and Brown Falcon, have different talents. But Magpie is cross that she can't fly like Brown Falcon and plays tricks on her friend. Will she ever learn how much friends need each other?




The Messy Magpie


Book Description

Morris the Magpie feels so lucky when the humans drop some shiny gifts in the forest! "The more of these gifts that his human friends threw, The more his collection expanded and grew." But are they the generous gifts that Morris first thought? Discover the importance of looking after our environment with this uplifting story. Download the full eBook and explore supporting teaching materials at www.twinkl.com/originals Join Twinkl Book Club to receive printed story books every half-term at www.twinkl.co.uk/book-club (UK only).