Children's Books Worth Reading.

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Guardians of Ga'hoole - The Capture by Kathryn Lasky




From the product information on Kathryn Lasky's website:

When Soren, a Barn Owl, is pushed from his family's nest by his older brother, he is rescued from certain death on the forest floor by agents from St. Aggie's, a mysterious school for orphaned owls. When Soren arrives at St. Aggie's, he suspects there is more to the school than meets the eye. He and his new friend, the clever and scrappy Gylfie, find out that St. Aggie's is more sinister than they could have imagined. Soren and Gylfie devise a way to flee the dangerous school and warn owls everywhere about the dangers that lurk in the forest. Together, these owls must find their way through a difficult and perilous journey, in order to save owlkind from the evil plots being hatched at St. Aggies.

This is the first of 13 books (so far anyway - they seem to breed faster than rabbits). It's one of those amazing series that you stumble on from time to time, where the world has been reinvented according to, in this case, owls. The vocabulary is 'owlspeak,' the times of day changed to suit owls. The last time I read that kind of thing it was from the world of moles in William Horwood's Duncton series. It makes a big difference to the way the books read, it really does.

The Ga'hoole books are meant for readers aged seven to nine, but don't let that put you off. They're just as exciting and involved as any book if only you let yourself read with the innocent wonder of a child. We highly recommend these books.