The Snowbirds

"Snowbirds will turn your image of the Amish upside down. Lucy will grab your heart and run away with it." --Robin MacCready, winner of the Edgar award for Buried Every year, Lucy waits eagerly for the arrival of the "snowbirds," the Old Order Amish who come trundling into Florida on buses from the north, bringing Lucy's best friend Alice, with whom she's spent every winter she can remember. This winter is different. At sixteen, Alice is in the middle of "Rumspringa," a season in which Amish teens try out forbidden temptations, in order to get them out of their system. Lucy is part of a different sect, in which teens aren't allowed such bold experimentation, and she's fighting to keep up as Alice races from one wild party to the next. Then, one night after just such a party, Alice vanishes. Wracked by guilt, Lucy knows that she should have been watching out for Alice, but instead, she was kissing Faron, an Older Order boy shunned by his society. Now, Lucy plunges into a search for her best friend--while also hiding her own secret, which could put her in even more danger.

Discover birds who survive winter against all odds in this poetic, gorgeously illustrated picture book Snowflakes whirling, snow-flocks swirling, streaks of white twirl through the night . . . You’ve heard of birds who migrate to warmer climates in the wintertime—but what about those who persevere through snowy weather and freezing temperatures? With elegant verse and striking illustrations, Snow Birds salutes the brave and resourceful birds who adapt to survive the coldest months.

To millions of Canadians, the Snowbirds are a national icon. An air demonstration team revered worldwide, Canada's aerial ambassadors have performed with precision and pride for over one hundred million spectators across North America. In breathtaking demonstrations of the courage, skill, and teamwork of the Canadian Armed Forces, the Snowbirds have wowed audiences for thirty-five years. Three years ago, action photographer Mike Sroka was granted unprecedented access to the dynamic Snowbirds team as one of their official photographers. From the beginning, he set out to capture the spirit, dedication, and hard work of the pilots, ground crew, and support staff. Sroka intended to tell the story of the Snowbirds as it has never been told before. As he traveled and flew with the Snowbirds all over North America, Sroka found the heart and soul of the elite team, as is documented in the flawless digital photographs that burst from the pages of Snowbirds. Snowbirds features a foreword by Lieutenant Colonel Steve Will, Snowbird #1 (2002, 2003, 2004), an afterword by Major I.W. McLean, current Snowbird #1, and an essay on the history and intricate workings of the team by Sroka. This essay also includes Sroka's favourite shots of the Snowbirds and information on how the action photographer bagged them. Most thrilling, though, are the 175 full-colour, exclusive images, laid out in a page-turning design that takes the reader from the anticipation of tryouts and the complex technology that keeps the Snowbirds in the air, to the determination shown on the practice ground and the high spirits of North America's air shows. With his unique talent, Mike Sroka has captured the grace and energy of the Snowbirds. See the Snowbirds' schedule for the summer and fall 2006 and access to journals from shows done by clicking .

In a small Japanese mountain village, young Shoji enters an ice carving competition. He soon finds he has a rival in Orochi, another boy in the village, who tries to sabotage Shoji’s entry, but with the help of his family Shoji creates a most beautiful Snowbird. When the other ice carvings are revealed they discover that Orochi has stolen Shoji’s idea and has also carved an equally beautiful Snowbird. The judges cannot decide the winner of the competition so they announce that the result will be declared the next morning. During the night Jack Frost discovers the two Snowbirds and thinks one of them will make an ideal companion for his Grandfather Frost, the Snow King. At the same time Shoji, anxious for the safety of his Snowbird, sneaks out of his house and meets Jack Frost who explains his plan. Shoji agrees to let him have his Snowbird, but they are both interrupted by the arrival of Orochi who demands payment in return for his. Jack Frost brings the Snowbirds to life and tells them they must travel to the North Pole where his Grandfather will choose one of them to be his companion. On their journey they meet different characters and encounter many difficulties until they both finally arrive, but which one will be chosen? Jack Frost has a cunning idea to help his Grandfather decide… The Snowbirds is a magical tale that will be enjoyed by children from the age of seven. In the style of a full length novel, it will help the younger reader progress to more challenging literature, while providing a thrilling read for those who are older.

Dashing Through the Snowbirds is the next merry installment of Donna Andrews's New York Times bestselling Meg Langslow mystery series. Christmas in Caerphilly is wonderful! Unless you’re a Canadian whose inconsiderate boss is forcing you to spend the holiday there, far from family and friends, with only a slim chance of a white Christmas. Meg already has her hands full, trying to make the season festive for the dozen programmers who are staying with her and Michael while working on a rush project with her brother’s software company. At least it’s an interesting project, since the Canadian company is doing forensic genealogy and DNA analysis. When the inconsiderate boss is found murdered, there are too many suspects. Even before their Christmas in exile, his own employees had plenty of motives, and the growing number of people suing the company for faulty DNA analysis and invasion of their genetic privacy include at least one notorious murderer. Can Meg crack the case in time to keep the Yuletide bright?

Describes the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, their history, aircraft, maneuvers, and team members.

Developing numerous themes, including leisure, state-promoted tourism, citizenship, and business investment, Godefroy Desrosiers-Lauzon considers advertisements, movies, policymakers, and the behaviour of snowbirds in Florida to provide the most thorough study of the vacation state to date. He also looks at the temporary communities of Canadians, Québecois, New Englanders, and Mid- Westerners that develop, showing how they blur the lines that usually divide national and regional identities, and youth and age. An insightful work full of amusing details, Florida's Snowbirds pieces together a complete cultural atlas of Florida Snowbirds that goes far beyond the familiar postcards they send home

Nic Dorsey and her sisters return to Persuasion, Alabama, for their annual Christmas celebration, and Nic runs into the one man she hoped to never see again. Before the holiday is over, the Dorsey sisters will have their secrets revealed, their motivations uncovered, and their faith ignited.