The Birmingham Roller

This is a new, reorganized and revised book that is built off one published in 2014. The sections have been revised and updated with new photos and descriptions as well as all new sections to the book. This version is 80% larger with updated information. The first book has now been retired.

Winner of the 2018 Burr/Worzalla Award * A CCBC (Cooperative Children’s Book Center) Choices 2018 Pick * A Bank Street Best Children's Book of 2017 A hilariously funny and poignant debut novel, perfect for fans of Jerry Spinelli, Kat Yeh, Gary D. Schmidt, and Rebecca Stead. When Lauren (but call him “Ren,” pretty please) Hall sees birds falling from the sky, he knows something is wrong. But just as he’s starting to worry, he realizes that the birds are plummeting toward the ground on purpose. Turns out they’re Birmingham Roller Pigeons, and his new neighbor Sutton is training them for a competition. Sure, it’s strange, but Ren’s best and only friend Aiden has picked this summer to start hanging with the popular kids. So Ren starts training pigeons with Sutton—what’s the worst that could happen? A bird falls on his head? You’ll have to read Roll to find out.

WINNER OF THE FORWARD PRIZE BEST FIRST COLLECTION 2014 *PBS Recommendation 2014* ‘When I became a bird, Lord, nothing could not stop me...’ In Black Country, Liz Berry takes flight: to Wrens Nest, Gosty Hill, Tipton-on-Cut; to the places of home. The poems move from the magic of childhood – bostin fittle at Nanny’s, summers before school – into deeper, darker territory: sensual love, enchanted weddings, and the promise of new life. In Berry’s hands, the ordinary is transformed: her characters shift shapes, her eye is unusual, her ear attuned to the sounds of the Black Country, with ‘vowels ferrous as nails, consonants / you could lick the coal from.’ Ablaze with energy and full of the rich dialect of the West Midlands, this is an incandescent debut from a poet of dazzling talent and verve.

Veteran Rollerman Graham Dexter shares the benefit of 50 years' experience of Birmingham Roller pigeons with depth and quality.

The Birmingham Roller pigeon is a popular domesticated breed of performing pigeon, known for its beautiful aerial rotations when flying in teams for roller pigeon competitions. Scores are based on aerial performances in group unison along with duration and style. In The Pigeon Trainer and the Birmingham Roller, pigeon fancier John Bender shares his decades long journey to becoming the 1994 World Cup Champion in roller pigeon competition, sharing his tips on how he picked and trained his world-champion group of birds. Whether you wish to fly competitively or simply raise pigeons for pure enjoyment, learn how to start your own family of rollers, house and care for your pigeons, color-breeding, as well as training pigeons for competition. Learn the history of roller pigeons and their evolution from prehistoric times. Guest writers include master flyer, Ken Easley, roller historian, Tom Monson, and pigeon scientist, Ben Novak. A great addition to your library or gift for the novice. More than a book, The Pigeon Trainer and the Birmingham Roller is a complete full-color study-guide/field-manual for housing, raising, feeding, breeding, and flying pigeons. Whether you want to raise pigeons as a hobby, specifically for color breeding, or flying competitively The Pigeon Trainer and the Birmingham Roller covers all aspects of the fancier's journey!