Birds Books

I agree! Aaron Belz is a wonderful, wonderful poet. You must read this book and go to a reading if he's in your area. The reading I attended was very memorable. He delighted the entire audience with his unique wit- we were hooked! Seriously, I've never experienced anything quite like it. We were on the edge of our seats, often bent over laughing, wondering what he was going to come out with next. I'm so excited to see what he has in store for us!

This guy is a superstar. Do us all a favor and buy the book. And if he is coming to your town, go hear him read. The readings are even better than the book.

Ingenious, insightful, creative, clever....A feast of visual imagery. This author is amazing. It should be required for high school reading to study similes, descriptive comparisons, etc. All married people should read this book. The values of tradition, faithfulness, reliability, respect, trust...all come forth in the most colorful arrangement. I heard it on tape first. Would love to have a copy of the book to highlight the clever narratives.

A feast of visual imagery. McCadden's narrative is superb. She brings each character to life as if she could throw her voice into young, old, male and female. Hats off to you. Goudge is remarkable. I enjoyed listening in the car driving about. Would love to get a copy in print to highlight the imaginative, colorful, descriptive comparisons, etc.

so, not only is this book one of the most original and deftly structured to come along in recent years, but, as has been pointed out: the sentences!! Jones' sentences will take root in your head and grow, bloom, wither, rot, be reincarnated as a time travelling coyote. seriously, get on this one.

THE BIRD IS GONE is one of the best, and most orginial books i've ever had the pleasure of reading. his prose, once again, carry their own rhythm and read like poetry. read it, get lost in it, and then read it again, because its magic. mr. jones is without question one of our most talented writers writing today. do yourself a favor and read this book, then read his other two books, because he's just that good.

Reviewed by Brianne Plach (age 10) for Reader Views (7/08)

Have you ever been convinced something is wrong and found out later that it wasn't that way? Imaginations are great things, except that sometimes your imagination can run wild and make you think something entirely different than the truth.

Spencer is spending his summer vacation at Bird Lake. He is sure that there is a haunted house nearby. The house is rundown and he keeps finding clues that the house is haunted; but, is it just his imagination running wild, or is someone setting him up? Spencer makes a new friend in Mitch. Spencer spends a lot of time trying to convince Mitch that the house is truly haunted. But Mitch seems too skeptical to come around to Spencer's way of thinking. Does Mitch know something that Spencer doesn't?

"Bird Lake Moon" is a great summer read. The two boys are spending the summer at Bird Lake. They are doing all the normal stuff that boys do during a vacation but there's a mystery to be solved while there. There are many adventures around the lake to keep the boys occupied.

If you like mysteries and spooky old things, you will love "Bird Lake Moon" by Kevin Henkes. I'm sure he talks from experience when describing young boy's adventures. It is no surprise that Mr. Henkes is an award-winning author. He will keep you on the edge of your seat and entertain you from cover to cover. When you see the moon out in the sky this summer, think of all the fun you could have if you visited Bird Lake!

This is a great story about two boys who come together one summer at the lake. Both are dealing with tragedies that have occured in their lives. Spencer is trying to figure out about the death of his brother that occured when he was little and why noone talks about it. Mitch is dealing with the recent seperation of his parents. A great look at how they handle the situations and how they spend time together. Would highly recmmend this book.

I read this book as a child and re-read it everytime I visited my grandmother's farm. It never fails to delight people of all ages in communicating the Christian based parables within it.
I was sorry to see that it is no longer in print. It is timeless.

Hooray! I read this book almost 40 years ago and I am so happy to see it again. It contains great parables that kids of all ages will be able to relate to and remember. The issues are timeless and parents would be well advised to read it to and with their children.

I recently read The Bird Released and recommend it highly. You can almost see pictures of what's happening, through her words. Her emotions come through -- the highs and the lows, the fears and the loves. I feel as though I have experienced her memories with her.

"The Bird Released" by Ellen Marie Walker is highly recommended for lovers of poetry and other less experienced readers who want a lyrical read of expressive ideas.

Most of the poems concern interactions with nature and between people, told with musical feeling and rhythm flowing through each. The reader feels kinetic energy and emotion vibrating from each page.

This is THE ONE AND ONLY Birdsong CD that is principally confined to birdsong and that sets up a wonderful natural audio space. The entire recording is a single track. It places the listener in a deciduous northeastern forest. While there are also non-bird nature sounds, birds dominant the auditory environment and there are no abrupt shifts in the relaxing and beautiful sounds. There is no new age music. There are no narrations. We aren't moving from one bird to the next. Instead, we're taken away on a walk or to a quiet campsite deep in the woods--HOORAY!

the best nature audio track I've ever listened to. Calming and honest. Reminds me of my childhood and the wooded lot behind our home with the little creek that ran down to the swamplands. None better in this genre.

I own the other 2 Tales Alive books which I bought based on their publisher (williamson) who I find to be excellent, as well as descriptions of contents. I absolutely love them and this book, "Bird Tales", is also wonderful. It has lovely pictures and stories and a range of activities which are suitable for children 6-10yo but extendable in both directions if need be. I work with a youth organisation and use these stories and activities occasionally with the girls (9.5-13yo) as well as with my own children (aged 6 down to 18mo).
A great mix of folktales and science and craft and very flexible in uses.

This is a unique children's book in that it is an unusual combination of a fully illustrated picture book and activity book. Linda S. Wingerter's paintings are particularly rich and mysterious.

Finally, a comprehensive compendium about bird trapping and banding, a must have for anyone serious about field ornithology.

I think this is probably the most usefull book for any ornithologist interested in banning birds. There are also invaluable informations to game warden on traps which might be used by poachers. It covers all trapping methods which are used to catch birds alive.

This is a collection of 14 essays that vary greatly in focus and scope from the narrow nearly academic "Study of the Woodcreepers of Tropical America" to the wide open view of "Mexico by Train" and Through Peruvian Amazon by Gunboat".

Skutch's training is as a biologist and naturalist but his talents as a writer and his enthusiasm in the field have combined to help produce these fascinating essays. As someone interested in the birds and natural history of Central and South America I enjoyed each chapter. The Epilogue:"The Appreciative Mind" resonated with some of my own thoughts on birds and nature. Here again Skutch has written something I wish I could write, a philosophy of the appreciation of nature. It is particularly enjoyable when reading to find an author that has already collected thoughts that you yourself have stumbled about on. Here Skutch writes so eloquently on the enjoyment of nature and birds and the imperative to protect what has taken millenia to form that I have the greatest admiration of him.

Alexander Skutch traveled around much of Latin America as a USDA botanist in the 1930s and 1940s. His job involved such work as surveying the Amazon for rubber trees and studying the various plant life found in this remarkable region. However, his real love was the birds. It's difficult for birders to make their sport sound interesting to lay people but Skutch has a way with words that will capture the imagination of anyone with an interest in nature. He's a gentle soul who lived through interesting times, including the 1948 Costa Rican Revolution. His essay, "Birding during a Time of Revolution," is not only one of the most fascinating birding adventures I've ever read but it also perfectly captures the follies of man in this region, and throughout the world for that matter. My other favorite is "Birding on a Gunboat in the Amazon"-an essay about a military mission that Skutch made in the 1940s to survey the Amazon for rubber trees. While the times have changed in Central America, many of the birds remain the same. If you enjoy Latin America, and its culture, history, flora, and fauna, you will cherish this book and read Skutch's stories again and again.