A Bird in the Book Trivia Quiz

Answer: Agatha Christie

'Cat Among the Pigeons' was published in 1959. The story takes place at a fictional English prep school called the Meadowbank School for Girls. Christie's Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, does not make his appearance until the final third of the book.

Answer: The Hunger Games

'The Hunger Games' is a trilogy of novels for young adults written by Suzanne Collins. 'Mockingjay' is the final book in the series and continues the story of Katniss Everdeen and her struggle against the despotic rulers of the nation of Panem. In the second novel in the series, 'Catching Fire', we are told that the mockingjay is a cross between a mockingbird and a "jabberjay", another fictional bird from the 'Hunger Games' universe.

Answer: World War I

'Birdsong' was first published in 1993. It follows the story of Stephen Wraysford, an officer in the British Army during World War I. Although much of the novel is set during World War I some parts are set at other times with the first part being set in 1910 and two later parts set in the 1970s.

The earlier section tells Stephen's story before the war began and the later parts feature his granddaughter conducting research about his war service.

Answer: Phoenix

'The Phoenix and the Carpet' is the second novel of a fantasy trilogy for children written in the 1900s. The first and final parts are 'Five Children and It' and 'The Story of the Amulet'. The trilogy centres around the lives of five children from the same family called Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane and their baby brother who is nicknamed "the Lamb".

In 'The Phoenix and the Carpet' the children's mother buys a carpet which turns out to be magical, as well as containing a phoenix egg; the children and the phoenix have many adventures with the magical carpet.

Answer: Sharpe's Eagle

'Sharpe's Eagle' is the eighth novel in Bernard Cornwell's series featuring the soldier Richard Sharpe. 'Sharpe's Eagle' is set around the battle of Talavera, a battle which took place as part of the Peninsular campaign of the Napoleonic Wars in Spain in July 1809.

In the novel Richard Sharpe decides that to keep his promotion to Captain he must achieve something special during the battle and so he decides to capture one of the Imperial Eagle standards carried by the French regiments, hence the novel's title.

Answer: Louis de Bernieres

'Birds Without Wings' is a novel by the British author Louis de Bernieres published in 2004. It is set in a fictional village in Anatolia during the first half of the 20th Century. The novel focuses on the love story of two characters called Philothei and Ibrahim as well as the rise of Turkish nationalism during this time.

The novel also features an account of the World War I battle of Gallipoli.

Answer: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Published in 1969, 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' is the first book in a seven book series of autobiographical novels by the American author Maya Angelou. The title is taken from the poem 'Sympathy' by the African-American poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar.

Answer: Harry Potter

'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' is the fifth book in the 'Harry Potter' series by JK Rowling. The book tells of Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts and the events surrounding the return of Lord Voldemort. The novel was published on June 21st 2003 and five million copies were sold within the first 24 hours of it being on sale!

Answer: Pulitzer Prize

'To Kill a Mockingbird' is the first novel by the American author Harper Lee, and the only one published during the 20th century. It was published in 1960 and won the Pulitzer Prize the following year. At the time the prize was awarded, 'To Kill a Mockingbird' was in its 41st week on the bestseller list.

Answer: Daphne du Maurier

Daphne du Maurier's 'The Birds' first appeared in a collection called 'The Apple Tree' in 1952 but has subsequently been reprinted as 'The Birds and Other Stories'. In the novella the action takes place in the English county of Cornwall in the late 1940s.

As well as the 1963 Hitchcock film adaptation there is also a stage version which was adapted by the Irish playwright Conor McPherson in 2009.