A Summer Of Hummingbirds

The country's most noted writers, poets, and artists converge at a singular moment in American life, a great companion to fans of the film A Quiet Passion, starring Cynthia Nixon as Emily Dickinson. At the close of the Civil War, the lives of Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Martin Johnson Heade intersected in an intricate map of friendship, family, and romance that marked a milestone in the development of American art and literature. Using the image of a flitting hummingbird as a metaphor for the gossamer strands that connect these larger-than-life personalities, Christopher Benfey re-creates the summer of 1882, the summer when Mabel Louise Todd-the protégé to the painter Heade-confesses her love for Emily Dickinson's brother, Austin, and the players suddenly find themselves caught in the crossfire between the Calvinist world of decorum, restraint, and judgment and a new, unconventional world in which nature prevails and freedom is all.

Winner of the Caldecott Medal! For fans of Blueberries for Sal, One Morning in Maine, and Make way for Ducklings. "Out on the islands that poke their rocky shores above the waters of Penobscot Bay, you can watch the time of the world go by, from minute to minute, hour to hour, from day to day . . ." So begins this classic story of one summer on a Maine island from the author of One Morning in Maine and Blueberries for Sal. The spell of rain, the gulls and a foggy morning, the excitement of sailing, the quiet of the night, the sudden terror of a hurricane, and, in the end, the peace of the island as the family packs up to leave are shown in poetic language and vibrant, evocative pictures.

Explains how to attract butterflies and hummingbirds to the backyard garden by creating an ideal habitat and provides a field guide to the sixteen hummingbird species and seventy-five common butterfly species that make North America their home.

"Hummingbirds and angels don’t need two good feet. They have wings." That's what Alba's mother always says. Of course, Alba doesn't have wings or two good feet: she has Cleo. Cleo is the name Alba has given to her left foot, which was born twisted in the wrong direction. When she points this out, though, her mother just smiles like the world has some surprise in store Alba doesn't know about yet. Well, Alba has her own surprise planned. After one final surgery and one final cast, Cleo is almost ready to meet the world straight on--just in time to run in the sixth grade cross-country race. Unfortunately, Alba's best friend Levi thinks there's no way she can pull it off. And she thinks there's no way he's right about the school librarian hiding a wormhole in her office. Tempers flare. Sharp words fly faster than hummingbirds. And soon it looks like both friends will be stuck proving their theories on their own.

Twelve-year-old March Anne Tanner's life is tied to the simple rhythms and cycles of the watermelon farm in Jubilee, Georgia, that she has grown up on. Thanks to Grenna, her grandmother and surrogate mother, March Anne has learned everything she needs to know about seeds, vine pruning, and harvesting melons and pumpkins. And although Grenna has tried to teach March Anne about her ancestors, March Anne has always been uncomfortable with the family name she's been given and doesn't like. And so, in secret meetings deep in the woods, March Anne and her two best friends form the Pseudonymphs, whose names change with the seasons. When Grenna suffers a heart attack, March Anne must face an uncertain future and confront her past. In the middle of it all, a ruby-throated hummingbird decides to winter at the Tanners' and becomes a source of delight and inspiration as March Anne prepares for Grenna's passing and journeys toward self-acceptance. This sweet and tangy debut introduces a memorable cast of characters who come to learn that grace can abide within and beyond the realities of pain and loss.

Join celebrated naturalist Stephen Moss, host award-winning BBC series Springwatch and author of The Robin, for a year in the idyllic village of Mark on the Somerset Levels – a watery wonderland rich in nature and wildlife, from birds to butterflies to badgers As the year unfolds, Moss transports the reader to the entrancing landscape of flora and fauna that accompanies the dawn of each month. Deeply informative and profoundly inspiring, Wild Hares and Hummingbirds is a celebration of the Great British countryside, animals and the natural world. ‘Moss captures the flora and the fauna of his Somerset home with a grace and charm to warm the coldest winter night’ Independent

An account of Squeak, a young ruby-throated hummingbird, chronicles the bird's rescue, its daily activities and behavior, its growth to maturity in the author's indoor garden, and its eventual release back into the wild.

“Consistently entertaining… always poised, eloquent, and full of moments of tenderness.” —Electric Literature The 52 micro-memoirs in genre-defying Heating & Cooling offer bright glimpses into a richly lived life, combining the compression of poetry with the truth-telling of nonfiction into one heartfelt, celebratory book. Alternatingly wistful and wry, ranging from childhood recollections to quirky cultural observations, these micro-memoirs build on one another to shape a life from unexpectedly illuminating moments.