Our book showcases just how amazing Australian magpies are, with fun quirky photos and sketches. I share my stories of how I formed such special bonds with wild magpies and express how amazing it is to have these completely wild friends, who are free to come and go whenever they please. None of these magpies have been hand raised by me. Their real parents brought them up in the wild, which I believe... makes our story very special and unique. When I look into the eyes of magpies I see beautiful souls. I see highly intelligent beings that have individual personalities and feelings just like we do. Each one is special, unique and has as much right to live on this earth as what we do.Instead of spreading fear and hate about them (like many people do, especially around nesting season!) I would like to think the content that we share, helps counteract such negativity towards them and will "turn the tables", showing the world how highly intelligent they are and how truly lucky we are to have them coexisting with us.Many people have contacted me describing how their views on magpies have changed since coming across our Facebook page. I hope many more will follow their lead after reading our book, helping to raise an awareness of these amazing yet often misunderstood creatures of the sky.

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.

Silva and her family visit her grandfather, only to find his health has taken a bad turn. As they struggle with this news, Silva seeks escape in books – at the local library. But she gets more than she bargained for when a magpie guides her to a secret, magical room containing books that she can not only read, but that she can live. Silva finds herself in the worlds of the characters … who all turn out to be real people. People she knows. There’s a catch, though: she soon discovers that the magpie has lured her to these books for selfish and dark reasons. Going back to the books could mean losing her soul …

Set on Montana’s Flathead Indian Reservation in the 1940s, this is “a love story of uncommon depth and power [and a] superb first novel” (Booklist, starred review). On the reservation, summer is ending, and Louise White Elk is determined to forge her own path. Raised by her Grandmother Magpie after her mother’s death, Louise and her sister have grown up into the harsh social and physical landscape of western Montana, where Native people endure boarding schools and life far from home. As she approaches adulthood, Louise hopes to create an independent life for herself and an improved future for her family—but three persistent men have other plans. Since childhood, Louise has been pursued by Baptiste Yellow Knife, feared not only for his rough-and-tumble ways but also for the preternatural gifts of his bloodline. Baptiste’s rival is his cousin, Charlie Kicking Woman: a man caught between worlds, torn between his duty as a tribal officer and his fascination with Louise. And then there is Harvey Stoner. The white real estate mogul can offer Louise her wildest dreams of freedom, but at what cost? As tensions mount, Louise finds herself trying to outrun the bitter clutches of winter and the will of powerful men, facing choices that will alter her life—and end another’s—forever. “Beautiful . . . This novel will stand proudly among its peers in Native American literature and should have strong appeal to fans of Louise Erdrich.” —Library Journal “You will be mesmerized.” —NPR

Kayla perceives her world in vectors and variables, in quantities given and determined. She's a prodigy. A genius. Yet there are equations she can't solve.

When Chinese student Jiao Mei is woken from her sleep in her Hampstead bedroom by what appears to be the ghost of her grandmother, she dismisses the encounter as a vivid dream. But when these night-time visitations persist, and she begins to experience cravings for spicy Chinese food, and morning sickness, she comes to accept that she is being haunted and that what the ghost is telling her - that she is pregnant by her Western boyfriend - is true. Tie Mei, her grandmother, fears for her reputation, and urges Jiao Mei to abandon her London life to return to China. But Tie Mei has other business in London, old scores to settle from her past, which will shock Jiao Mei into confronting the complex nature of her own cultural heritage, and unlock secrets which have haunted her family for generations.

The Australian magpie is one of our nation’s most popular and iconic birds. It is loved for its impressive vocal abilities, propensity to play, excellent parenting and willingness to form enduring friendships with people. Written by award-winning author Gisela Kaplan, a leading authority on animal behaviour and Australian birds, this second edition of Australian Magpie is a thoroughly updated and substantially expanded account of the behaviour of these birds. With new chapters on classification, cognition and caring for young, it reveals the extraordinary capabilities of the magpie, including its complex social behaviour. The author, who has devoted more than 20 years to studying and interacting with magpies, brings together the latest research on the magpie’s biology and behaviour, along with information on the origin of magpies, their development and health not published previously. This fascinating book has a wide appeal to bird lovers, amateur ornithologists and naturalists, as well as those with a scientific or professional interest in avian behaviour and ecology and those interested in the importance of native birds to the environment.

Charming, warm and touching memoir from inspirational animal whisperer Carolyn Press-McKenzie, who runs two animal sanctuaries. Heart-warming and funny, Animal Magic tells the moving and inspirational story of one woman's work with animals. Carolyn's organisation HUHA (Helping You Help Animals) is a thriving network that rehabilitates and rehomes domestic and farm animals and wildlife all over the country. It is New Zealand's leading no-kill shelter. Carolyn's years of working with animals have given her many great stories to tell. From her first eclectic menagerie of a pig, chooks, cats, a movie-star dog, nine actor rats and Felix the magpie to Laurie, Charlie and Rachel the sad monkeys that were rescued from a circus, Carolyn's passion is to find positive outcomes for every animal and bird. Her special ability to connect meaningfully with every animal she deals with and her understanding of what makes each one tick, along with her warmth and friendship towards them, is nothing short of extraordinary. With its gentle sense of humour and perfectly pitched comic timing, Animal Magic is a charming tale of one woman's drive to follow her passion. This book will change the way you think about animals forever.

Tells the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus as told by a magpie.