Blog - Around the Spinney

Robber, Brown Rat

Find out why Thornton W. Burgess doesn’t have a lot of good to say about Robber. Check out the information below to find out more: Here are some answers, but there is even more to discover about each question so don’t let your discussion stop with these answers! Here’s a few more facts about them:…
Cuckoo, the Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Sometimes we are so disconnected from the natural world that we need good reminders of how helpful animals can be when they live around us. We are always concerned about getting rid of pests, so I love to use the Burgess Books to help bridge the gap and give us a better insight to how…
Jerry, Muskrat

How do you tell the difference between a muskrat and a beaver? Check out the information below to find out more about this amazing animal. Here are some answers, but there is even more to discover about each question so don’t let your discussion stop with these answers! Here’s a few more facts about them:…
Mourner, the Mourning Dove

We have the tendency to overlook animals that we see often, and that includes Mourning Doves. I’ve heard people confuse them for Pigeons, and that’s okay! Let’s get a few things right about them. Thornton W. Burgess actually clears up some things about Mourner in Chapter 34 of The Burgess Bird Book for Children. Peter…
Paddy, North American Beaver

What’s with Paddy’s big tail? Check out the information below to find out more about this amazing animal. Here are some answers, but there is even more to discover about each question so don’t let your discussion stop with these answers! Here’s a few more facts about them: Until next time, keep engineering! <3 Kate…
Penderwicks Book Club

Suggested Age: 8-12 years old (However, our family enjoyed this book for the first time when my kids were spanning the ages: 7, 5, 3, and 1- the 3 and 1 year old were mostly playing as I read it aloud). The Book The first ever Around the Spinney Book Club Companion is for “The…