Charley

By Diane Melton

A lonely young boy stumbles upon an abandoned baby crow.

Rescuing and nurturing the little bird, they will go on to share many adventures together as they become the unlikeliest of friends.

But when summer ends and the new school year begins, he must face the choice of turning loose his little friend and the risk of never seeing him again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Aug 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798886930764

Diane Melton

Diane lives in Ridgefield, W.A., but grew up in Utah. She loves collecting children’s books and always enjoys a good story. She has worked as a substitute teacher, and one of her favorite places is a library.

Book preview

About the Author

Diane lives in Ridgefield, W.A., but grew up in Utah. She loves collecting children’s books and always enjoys a good story. She has worked as a substitute teacher, and one of her favorite places is a library.

Dedication

To my three children and grandchildren who all deserve a friend like charley. 

Copyright Information ©

Diane Melton 2023

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Ordering Information

Quantity sales: Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address below.

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

Melton, Diane

Charley

ISBN 9798886930757 (Paperback)

ISBN 9798886930764 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com/us

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers LLC

40 Wall Street, 33rd Floor, Suite 3302

New York, NY 10005

USA

[e-mail]

[phone]

Chapter One

Rescued

I will always remember the day I met him. I was ten years old and enjoying those first days of summer freedom. My friend, Max, and I were playing at a park, a beautiful place filled with large cottonwood trees. We pretended to be explorers, lost in the wilderness and looking for adventure.

As we wandered, kicking at the rocks and dirt, I heard a faint cry that seemed to be coming from under a small shrub. I stopped and held my hand up to warn Max to quit walking! It was then that we both heard another cry from below. I knelt down on my knees and gently parted some branches back.

In a small patch of grass lay a cluster of shaking, black feathers. A baby crow! I instinctively looked up to the tree branches just above us for a nest, but saw none. I listened for the sound of a frantic mother or father circling and calling for a lost baby, but again, saw and heard nothing. When I looked back down at the tiny bird, I saw dark eyes looking up at me. I was just about to reach down and scoop him into my hands when Max whispered, Sam! Don’t touch it! It’s so tiny! It will probably die in a couple of hours.

Maybe, I responded, but I couldn’t stop myself. I clumsily gathered the fuzzy, delicate creature in my young hands and lifted him into the June sunlight. He protested with frail wings flailing uselessly. I held him just