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Firewing
''Firewing'' is a children's book written by the Canadian author, Kenneth Oppel. It is the third book in the series which also consists of: '' Silverwing'', ''Sunwing'' and the prequel, '' Darkwing''. Plot Griffin Silverwing is the son of Shade Silverwing and Marina Brightwing. Slower and more clumsy than non-hybrids, Griffin's only real friend is Luna, a popular newborn. Fearing rejection by his father, Griffin, perhaps inspired by the story of the fate of Old Tree Haven, steals fire from human campers to show his bravery. Unfortunately, Luna is accidentally set on fire, killing her. Guilt-stricken, Griffin flies into the lower levels of Tree Haven and discovers a crack that leads to the Underworld. An earthquake opens the crack up wider and Griffin is sucked into the Underworld, unknown to the Silverwing colony. When Shade is unable to find his son, the Elders give him two days to search the Underworld before promising to seal the crack again. There, Griffin discovers a col ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Goth (Silverwing Character)
The Silverwing Book Series is a series of novels by Kenneth Oppel about the adventures of a young bat. All four books, published between 1997 and 2007, are commonly assigned in the curriculum of upper elementary and middle school grades in Canada, and in some parts of the United States. Summary Prologue: The Great War The great war between the birds and the beasts happened approximately 65 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs for dominance over the land and sky. The bats, however, seeing themselves as neither birds nor beasts, remained neutral throughout the conflict. Finally a compromise was reached; the birds would control the sky, while the beasts would claim the land. However, because the bats refused to take sides, they were banished from being allowed to fly during the day—not even allowed to so much as look at the sun—ever again; only emerging at night. The war is based on Aesop's Fables called "The Birds, the Beasts and the Bat." Sun Freedom (Silve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shade (Silverwing Character)
The Silverwing Book Series is a series of novels by Kenneth Oppel about the adventures of a young bat. All four books, published between 1997 and 2007, are commonly assigned in the curriculum of upper elementary and middle school grades in Canada, and in some parts of the United States. Summary Prologue: The Great War The great war between the birds and the beasts happened approximately 65 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs for dominance over the land and sky. The bats, however, seeing themselves as neither birds nor beasts, remained neutral throughout the conflict. Finally a compromise was reached; the birds would control the sky, while the beasts would claim the land. However, because the bats refused to take sides, they were banished from being allowed to fly during the day—not even allowed to so much as look at the sun—ever again; only emerging at night. The war is based on Aesop's Fables called "The Birds, the Beasts and the Bat." Sun Freedom (Silverw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Silverwing (series)
The Silverwing Book Series is a series of novels by Kenneth Oppel about the adventures of a young bat. All four books, published between 1997 and 2007, are commonly assigned in the curriculum of upper elementary and middle school grades in Canada, and in some parts of the United States. Summary Prologue: The Great War The great war between the birds and the beasts happened approximately 65 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs for dominance over the land and sky. The bats, however, seeing themselves as neither birds nor beasts, remained neutral throughout the conflict. Finally a compromise was reached; the birds would control the sky, while the beasts would claim the land. However, because the bats refused to take sides, they were banished from being allowed to fly during the day—not even allowed to so much as look at the sun—ever again; only emerging at night. The war is based on Aesop's Fables called "The Birds, the Beasts and the Bat." Sun Freedom (Silverw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sunwing (novel)
''Sunwing'' is a children's book written in 1999 by Canadian author Kenneth Oppel. It is the second book in the Silverwing series, preceded by '' Silverwing'' and succeeded by ''Firewing''. Plot summary Part I Shade, Marina and their friends in the Silverwing colony fly in the middle of the winter in hopes of finding Shade's father, Cassiel. The bats find a Human building, and fly inside, thinking that Cassiel might be there. Inside, they find an artificial forest filled with many other kinds of bats. The Silverwings discover that they cannot escape and that Cassiel is not there. Panic arises when several bats disappear, including Shade's friend, Chinook. Shade and Marina escape by way of a river that runs through the forest and find another artificial forest, this one filled with owls. Upon arriving in the other dome, Shade and Marina befriend Orestes, a boreal owl and the son of the owl king. Owls begin to disappear, as well, and Shade discovers that humans are experimenting ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kenneth Oppel
Kenneth Oppel (born August 31, 1967) is a Canadian children's writer. Biography Oppel was born in Port Alberni, and spent his childhood in Victoria, British Columbia and Halifax, Nova Scotia. He also lived in Newfoundland and Labrador, England, and Ireland. In 1985, Oppel wrote his first book ''Colin's Fantastic Video Adventure'', while at St. Michaels University School. He attended at the same time as actors Andrew Sabiston and Leslie Hope, fellow writers John Burns and Bert Archer, and just before the NBA's Steve Nash and Flickr founder Stewart Butterfield. Oppel forwarded the newly completed manuscript to a family friend who knew Roald Dahl, who in turn recommended it to his agent. Oppel went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts degree in cinema studies and English at Trinity College in the University of Toronto, writing ''The Live-Forever Machine'' (1992) during his final year. Oppel moved to England and wrote a number of books during that period, gleaning several ideas while ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Darkwing (novel)
''Darkwing'' (known as ''Dusk'' in the United Kingdom) is a 2007 young adult fantasy novel by Canadian author Kenneth Oppel. It is the prequel and fourth book of the '' Silverwing'' series, and takes place 65 million years before the events of the first book. It describes the origins of the war between the birds and the beasts. Setting Set 65 million years ago, at the very beginning of the Paleocene epoch, a huge natural disaster has wiped out most of the dinosaurs (referred to as "Saurians" within the context of the story). A few managed to survive in the aftermath, albeit weakened by climate change, a shortage of food, and a flesh-rotting virus. The mammals, who were once at the Saurians' mercy, decide to form ''The Pact'': unable to wage battle against them on their own terms, they decide to band together to exterminate the remaining Saurians by destroying their eggs. Plot summary Dusk, a young Chiropter, is being taught by his father to glide. Dusk is different from the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jungle
A jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past recent century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅgala'' (), meaning rough and arid. It came into the English language via Hindi in the 18th century. ''Jāṅgala'' has also been variously transcribed in English as ''jangal'', ''jangla'', ''jungal'', and ''juṅgala''. Although the Sanskrit word refers to dry land, it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its connotation as a dense "tangled thicket", while others have argued that a cognate word in Urdu derived from Persian, جنگل (Jangal), did refer to forests. The term is prevalent in many languages of the Indian subcontinent, and the Iranian Plateau, where it is commonly used to refer to the plant growth replacing primeval forest or to the unkempt tropical vegetation that takes over abandoned areas. History ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vampyrum Spectrum
The spectral bat (''Vampyrum spectrum''), also called the great false vampire bat or Linnaeus's false vampire bat, is a large, carnivorous leaf-nosed bat found in Mexico, Central America, and South America. It is the only member of the genus ''Vampyrum''; its closest living relative is the big-eared woolly bat. It is the largest bat species in the New World, as well as the largest carnivorous bat: its wingspan is . It has a robust skull and teeth, with which it delivers a powerful bite to kill its prey. Birds are frequent prey items, though it may also consume rodents, insects, and other bats. Unlike the majority of bat species, it is monogamous. Colonies consist of an adult male and female and their offspring. The adult male will bring food back to the roost to provision the adult female and their offspring. Colonies generally roost in tree hollows, though individuals may roost in caves. Due to habitat destruction and its low population density, it is listed as a near-threatene ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cannibal
Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is well documented, both in ancient and in recent times. The rate of cannibalism increases in nutritionally poor environments as individuals turn to members of their own species as an additional food source.Elgar, M.A. & Crespi, B.J. (1992) ''Cannibalism: ecology and evolution among diverse taxa'', Oxford University Press, Oxford ngland New York. Cannibalism regulates population numbers, whereby resources such as food, shelter and territory become more readily available with the decrease of potential competition. Although it may benefit the individual, it has been shown that the presence of cannibalism decreases the expected survival rate of the whole population and increases the risk of consuming a relative. Other negative effects may include the increased ri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld. The concept of an underworld is found in almost every civilization and "may be as old as humanity itself". Common features of underworld myths are accounts of living people making journeys to the underworld, often for some heroic purpose. Other myths reinforce traditions that entrance of souls to the underworld requires a proper observation of ceremony, such as the ancient Greek story of the recently dead Patroclus haunting Achilles until his body could be properly buried for this purpose. Persons having social status were dressed and equipped in order to better navigate the underworld. A number of mythologies incorporate the concept of the soul of the deceased making its own journey to the underworld, with the dead needing to be taken a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carnivore
A carnivore , or meat-eater (Latin, ''caro'', genitive ''carnis'', meaning meat or "flesh" and ''vorare'' meaning "to devour"), is an animal or plant whose food and energy requirements derive from animal tissues (mainly muscle, fat and other soft tissues) whether through hunting or scavenging. Nomenclature Mammal order The technical term for mammals in the order Carnivora is ''carnivoran'', and they are so-named because most member species in the group have a carnivorous diet, but the similarity of the name of the order and the name of the diet causes confusion. Many but not all carnivorans are meat eaters; a few, such as the large and small cats (felidae) are ''obligate'' carnivores (see below). Other classes of carnivore are highly variable. The Ursids, for example: While the Arctic polar bear eats meat almost exclusively (more than 90% of its diet is meat), almost all other bear species are omnivorous, and one species, the giant panda, is nearly exclusively herbivorous. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Luna (goddess)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Luna is the divine embodiment of the Moon (Latin ''Lūna'' ). She is often presented as the female complement of the Sun, Sol, conceived of as a god. Luna is also sometimes represented as an aspect of the Roman triple goddess (''diva triformis''), along with Proserpina and Hecate. ''Luna'' is not always a distinct goddess, but sometimes rather an epithet that specializes a goddess, since both Diana and Juno are identified as moon goddesses. In Roman art, Luna attributes are the crescent moon plus the two-yoke chariot (''biga''). In the ''Carmen Saeculare'', performed in 17 BC, Horace invokes her as the "two-horned queen of the stars" (''siderum regina bicornis''), bidding her to listen to the girls singing as Apollo listens to the boys. Varro categorized Luna and Sol among the visible gods, as distinguished from invisible gods such as Neptune, and deified mortals such as Hercules. She was one of the deities Macrobius proposed as the secret t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
