The Lark, The Rook, The Pike, The Badger - Brothers Series. Set of 4 Books

"The Lark" is the concluding, fourth story in the cycle about brothers Nicky and Kenny ("The Badger", "The Pike", "The Rook", "The Lark") by English author Anthony McGowan. For this tale of brotherly love, self-sacrifice, and true friendship, the author... was awarded the Carnegie Medal, the oldest and most prestigious British award in children's literature.Brothers Nicky and Kenny are about to experience a serious event in their lives. Their mother, whom they haven't seen for many years, is flying in from Canada! Kenny is nervous, and on top of that, Nicky has a broken heart - his girlfriend Sarah just left him... To momentarily forget their problems and distract themselves, Nicky and Kenny, along with their terrier Tina, set off on a one-day hike through the heather hills. To the place where larks used to sing. Hoping to cut through, the brothers stray from the path and get lost. A pleasant walk in the snowfall turns into a deadly trap for the boys and their dog as darkness falls... "The Rook" is the third story in the cycle about brothers Nicky and Kenny by English author Anthony McGowan.Nicky doesn't tell anyone about Sarah Stanhope, not even his brother Kenny. How can you express in words the feelings that boil inside when you see this smart, determined, and beautiful girl? How do you explain why you run several blocks in the rain after the bus she just left on? Only Sarah is super popular, lives in a prestigious part of town, and her older brother is your main tormentor.
Nicky is not himself because of all this and commits an act that could ruin his future, and the chances of fixing everything are as slim as the chances of survival for the rook found by the brothers in a field behind an old church. "The Pike" is the second story in the cycle about brothers Nicky and Kenny.While fishing, Nicky accidentally finds something in the water of Bacon Pond that could change his family's life for the better, but it could also ruin the boy if everything doesn't go as planned. There are all sorts of rumors about Bacon Pond, and the huge pikes rumored to lurk in its depths are far from the scariest part. Nicky intends to handle it alone to protect his brother, but Kenny senses something is wrong. "The Badger" is a poignant little story about brotherly love and selflessness - the first tale in the cycle about brothers Nicky and Kenny.Nicky hates getting into trouble, he has enough of it already. Their mother is gone, their father is out of work, and people mock older brother Kenny, considering him dimwitted. One day, Kenny pulls sleepy Nicky out of bed and takes him hunting with the local teens; what seems like harmless fun to trusting Kenny threatens to turn into tragedy for both the animals and the brothers...
For older school-aged children.