By Anthony McGowan (author) , Keith Robinson (illustrator)
"A heart stopping adventure for three damaged birds seeking a safe haven."
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May 2026 Book of the Month
This extraordinary story from the Carnegie winning author, is a masterclass in how to write animal stories without a whiff of sentimentality. That is not to say that it will not tug at your heart strings, because it surely will. Beaky, Herman and Pidge, the three birds at the centre of this tale, will live with you way beyond the final page.
Nicknamed by Jordie, a young lad who spots them on a station platform and can immediately tell that these birds are different and are struggling to survive. Beaky is a young jackdaw with a twisted beak, Herman an old crow with a broken wing and Pidge, a pigeon with badly damaged feet. Despite Jordie’s best attempts to share food with them, they always lose out to more able-bodied birds.
The trio, united by their bad luck, discover how they came to be at the station. Whereas the other two were aimless wanderers, Herman, before breaking his wing, had been on his way to Dump. His mother had told him of this refuge for birds, where food is plentiful and where white angels would care for you.
With little else to hope for, Beaky and Pidge like the sound of this and the unlikely trio set off. But as Herman warned from the outset, this is a journey fraught with danger, especially for birds who cannot (or will not, in Pidge’s case) fly.
Facing the constant threat of starvation, surviving encounters with wily cats, fearsome dogs and deadly stoats, negotiating physical and manmade obstacles, they gradually forge a real bond. Although we can and do empathise with the characters as they reveal the tragic circumstances which led to their situation and can enjoy their bickering and banter, these are never anything other than birds in a natural landscape. It is a very fine line to tread, but it is superbly handled by a writer with a depth of knowledge and a very real passion for the natural world in all its cruel beauty.
Inevitably there is an increasing sense of dread building in the reader, who will not have the same hopes for Dump as our brave birds, and will be aware of the deadly hunters on their trail. Seeing how cruelly disability is taken advantage of in nature could well prompt some interesting discussions about human society too. With the author’s characteristic beautifully spare and accessible prose and the bonus of Keith Robinson’s superb illustration, this has appeal to a wide age range.
A truly unforgettable story of survival against the odds. which is brim full of tragedy and loss, bravery, love and hope and which has future classic written all over it!
A thrilling and heart-breaking animal adventure from the Carnegie-winning author of Lark.
Read the full description
A thrilling and heart-breaking animal adventure from the Carnegie-winning author of Lark .
Life can be tough when you're a bird, and is especially tough for Herman, Beaky and Pidge. But when the cantankerous crow, young jackdaw and flighty pigeon band together as an unlikely flock, they set off for a place where they are promised shelter and food aplenty.
As they set out into the wild, the trio find themselves facing a series of threats both human and animal. Will the three birds survive to make it to their final destination? And if they do, will it be everything they are hoping for?
A letter from the author:
I first had the idea for what was to become Birdlands when I was leaning out of a window on a train stuck in a small station somewhere outside Edinburgh. Amidst a mob of crows and pigeons on the platform, I picked out three wretched, starving birds – a jackdaw with a bent beak, a pigeon with stumps for feet, and a crow with a broken wing. I tried and failed to feed the remains of my sandwich to them – they just couldn’t compete against the hungry, healthy flock.
And then, as I watched, they began to turn into characters in my head, like something from a lost Samuel Beckett play. Thus were born Beaky, Pidge and Herman.
My birds, unable to fly because of their infirmities, set out on foot on one of those epic journeys, trying to find a possibly mythical bird paradise, called Dump. Along the way they are in constant danger from people and predators. They bicker, they bond. They become a family.
It’s an adventure story in the tradition of Watership Down, but one touched with sadness. I’m afraid it’s one of those McGowan books with designs on your tear ducts. I think, taken as a whole, it might be the best thing I’ve ever written. The ending is … good.
I’d like to thank you so much for agreeing to have a look at my story. I know how busy you are, and how having to read things you haven’t chosen can feel like a burden you could do without. But any kind words from you would mean a lot.
Once again, thank you for sharing your precious time with my birds and me.
Praise for Dogs of the Deadlands :
'This wonderful novel deserves to receive the literary equivalent of the starlight barking to ensure it’s read by all.' - The Times
'This book! It broke my heart and then splintered it back together again. Imagine Watership Down meets The Animals of Farthing Wood but fiercer.' Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear
Anthony McGowan is one of the most widely acclaimed young adult and children’s authors in the UK. His books have won numerous major awards. In 2020, he was awarded the CILIP Carnegie Medal for Lark . He was also shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal with Rook and won the Booktrust Teenage Prize and the Catalyst Award for Henry Tumour . His YA novel The Knife that Killed Me was made into a critically-lauded film in 2014.
Anthony lives in London, with his wife, two children and dog.
Photo credit Michael Thorn
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A thrilling and heart-breaking animal adventure from the Carnegie-winning author of Lark. Life can be tough when you're a bird, and is especially tough for Herman, Beaky and Pidge.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Birdlands and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Birdlands features in the following genres: Featured Books for 9+ readers, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Star Books, Adventure Stories, Historical Fiction, Animal Stories, The Natural World, PSHE: Bereavement and Grief, Ecological and Environmental Interest - Non Fiction, Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Children’s / Teenage general interest: Dogs and wolves, Classic Literature, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Children’s / Teenage: Social issues / topics, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Large land mammals, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Mammals, Children’s / Teenage: General interest
Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
Birdlands was written by Anthony McGowan and published by Rock the Boat an imprint of Oneworld Publications
Birdlands has 194 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
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