The Peregrine: 50th Anniversary Edition: Afterword by Robert Macfarlane

The story and science of how animals find their way home.Home is the place we long for most, when we feel we have travelled too far, for too long. Since boyhood, acclaimed scientist and author Bernd Heinrich has returned every year to a beloved patch of woods in his native western Maine. But while it’s the pull of nostalgia that informs our desire to go back, what is it that drives the homing instinct in animals?Heinrich explores the fascinating science behind the mysteries of animal migration: how geese imprint true visual landscape memory over impossible distances; how the subtlest of scent trails are used by many creatures, from fish to insects to amphibians, to pinpoint their home; and how the tiniest of songbirds are equipped for solar and magnetic orienteering over vast distances. Most movingly, Heinrich chronicles the spring return of a pair of sandhill cranes to their pond in the Alaska tundra. With his marvellously evocative prose, Heinrich portrays the psychological state of the newly arrived birds, articulating just what their yearly return truly means, to the birds and to those fortunate enough to witness this transcendently beautiful ritual.The Homing Instinct is an enchanting study of this phenomenon of the natural world, reminding us that to discount our own feelings toward home is to ignore biology itself.

A heart-warming tale of courage, set against the backdrop of the second world war, about an abandoned village, a lifelong friendship and one very adventurous cat!‘Classic Morpurgo brilliance’ – Publishing News"Something's up. Something big too, very big. At school, in the village, whoever you meet, it's all anyone talks about. It's like a sudden curse has come down on us all. It makes me wonder if we'll ever see the sun again."It's 1943, and Lily Tregenze lives on a farm, in the idyllic seaside village of Slapton. Apart from her father being away, and the 'townie' evacuees at school, her life is scarcely touched by the war. Until one day, Lily and her family, along with 3000 other villagers, are told to move out of their homes – lock, stock and barrel.Soon, the whole area is out of bounds, as the Allied forces practise their landings for D-day, preparing to invade France. But Tips, Lily's adored cat, has other ideas – barbed wire and keep-out signs mean nothing to her, nor does the danger of guns and bombs. Frantic to find her, Lily makes friends with two young American soldiers, who promise to help her. But will she ever see her cat again? Lily decides to cross the wire into the danger zone to look for Tips herself…Now, many years later, as Michael is reading his Grandma Lily's diary, he learns about The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips – and wonders how one adventurous cat could still affect their lives sixty years later.Note that it has not been possible to include the same picture content that appeared in the original print version.

The story of a little cat who saved a family in crisis.Solomon’s story began one stormy night…Found on the doorstep in the middle of a thunderstorm, Solomon enters the King family as a tiny, wet ball of fur. But as his new owner Ellen coaxes him back to life, it becomes clear that he is no ordinary cat.Wise beyond his years, this little black and white kitten becomes the family’s protector. As Ellen and her young son deal with abuse, homelessness, and the loss of everything they hold dear, it is Solomon who brings light to the darkest times.Inspiring, moving and heartbreaking, ‘Solomon’s Tale’ is the story of an extraordinary cat who is the most faithful of friends. The perfect read for fans of ‘A Street Cat Named Bob’.

A novel of heart and courage inspired by the incredible story of a real life princess.Princess Haya, daughter of the King of Jordan, loves her family more than anything. So when tragedy strikes at its heart, she is devastated.The Princess becomes ever more withdrawn until, on her birthday, the King gives her a life-changing present. An incredible new friendship grows and the heartbroken princess begins to dream of an extraordinary future.Inspired by the real-life story of Olympic equestrienne Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein and set against the exotic backdrop of Arabia, this novel is destined to become a modern classic.

A beautifully written novel with long-lasting friendship at its heart and two elderly women search for their missing cat, and uncover a mystery at the same time. In the genre of such classics as Tom’s Midnight Garden and The Secret Garden.Two old ladies living in a tall old house, are finding life increasingly dull now that the houses in their square are all office buildings. No more families, no more children to brighten their lives. So when their beloved cat, Nicholas, disappears they are distraught and are determined to find him no matter what. In their quest to find Nicholas, something rather mysterious happens and their lives are never quite the same again…A touching story which will delight younger readers, written in the author's quiet, literary, accessible style.