National Network for Equitable Library Service

In the land of Birddom, a terrible danger is spreading. Magpies and crows, led by the vicious Slyekin and his assassin Traska, have taken control by hunting down and exterminating one gentle species after another. But in the face of slaughter, a brave robin named Kirrick leads the charge against Slyekin. Flying to every corner of Birddom, Kirrick rallies eagles, owls and an assortment of other creatures to resist the menace.

Guardians are humans with powers beyond those of ordinary people, such as controlling nature or knowing a person's deepest desires. In 18th century London, Gwynne Owens believes she did not inherit supernatural powers. Yet, her first kiss with an alluring Scotsman, Duncan Macrae, is accompanied by terrifying visions of great catastrophe. Nevertheless, when asked by the Guardian Council to marry this dangerous laird of a Scottish clan, she dutifully agrees. Her marriage--wich surprisingly unlocks her hidden powers--is the only wat to avert disaster for both England and Scotland.

Ozick takes us to the outskirts of the Bronx in the 1930s, as New York fills with Europe"s ousted dreamers, turned overnight into refugees. Rose Meadows unknowingly enters this world when she answers an ambiguous want ad for an "assistant" to a Herr Mitwisser, the patriarch of a large, chaotic household. Rosie, orphaned at eighteen, has been living with her distant relative Bertram, who sparks her first erotic desires. But just as he begins to return her affection, his lover, a radical socialist named Ninel (Lenin spelled backward), turns her out.

Soul City is an urban utopia, where the local house of worship is St. Pimp's House of Baptist Rapture, and the candidates for mayor are locked in a fierce battle for DJ supremacy. Into this wonderful place comes Cadillac Jackson, a journalist who falls for the beautiful Mahogany Sunflower--whose family posesses the ability to fly. Challenged by his dazzling surroundings, Cadillac looks deep within himself and begins to understand his true character.

Fort Worth lawyer Ben Carpenter is facing an almost unwinnable case against a powerful Dallas businessman. It could shatter Ben's career. When his friends throw him a riotous 30th birthday party, at first Ben is depressed. But someone suggests they go to the Cinco de Mayo festival in Mexico. Now armed with booze and litle green pills, the party sets off for the border. What Ben doesn't know is that he is heading straight for a strange confrontation--with his opponent.

Although Louise Peppers' family is a bit eccentric and dysfunctional, they are also loving and supportive. In conventional Counterpoint, Georgia, Louise grows up to be a "normal" teen. But after the accidental death of her older brother, she can't get her life back on track. When she runs away to join the circus, and seeks comfort in alcohol and sex, her parents struggle to bring her hom. Will their love, however suffocating and complicated, be enough to help Louise come to her senses?

The Winters family seemed to have it all: a grand home, a trio of radiant daughters, and a sense that they were safe in their affluent corner of America. But when five-year-old Ellie disappears, the fault lines within the Winters family are exposed. Fifteen years later, Caroline, now a New Orleans cocktail waitress, sees a photograph of a woman in People Magazine. Convinced that it is Ellie all grown up, Caroline embarks on a search for her missing sister.

Life is pretty complicated for Elizabeth Clarry. Her best friend Celia keeps disappearing, her absent father suddenly reappears, and her communication with her mother consists entirely of wacky notes left on the fridge. On top of everything else, because her English teacher wants to rekindle the "Joy of the Envelope," a Complete and Utter Stranger knows more about Elizabeth than anyone else.

Granny Albright's time has come and relatives have gathered to say goodbye to the matriarch. Linda Kay has recently married into the family, and tries to do her part to help. But when Cousin Herman arrives, feelings of resentment and heartaches from the past come to the surface.

Following A Voice in the Wind and An Echo in the Darkness, As Sure as the Dawn continues the chronilcles of Hadassah, a Christian slave woman living during the height of the Roman Empire.