Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Capture

Lasky, Katherine. Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Capture. New York : Scholastic, 2003.

Plot: Soren's joy at his sister's hatching quickly fades when his older brother pushes him out of the nest. Alone and unable to fly, the little barn owl fears for his life. Death, he quickly finds, is not the worst fate. He finds himself in the claws of a larger owl determined to make him and other kidnapped "orphans" loyal minions of St. Aggie's, a bizarre institution with a dubious intentions. With the help of a eloquent elf owl, Soren manages to keep his name and his sanity despite multiple brainwashing attempts. The two escape and gain two new companions orphaned by the St. Aggie owls. Determined to stop the group for good, the team seeks the legendary Great Ga'Hoole Tree, home to heroes sworn to fight evil.

Genre: Fantasy, Animals

Reading Level: Grades 4-8

Similar Titles: Swordbird, Silverwing

Personal Thoughts: A solid animal fantasy with varied characters and adventurous plots. However, I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Perhaps the issue comes from the fact that the villains are fanatic-religious-extremists-communists-kidnappers-revolutionists-sexists-malcontents. The antagonist institution appears to encompass every single negative aspect present in modern politics and meadia. Another issue comes from the fact that, while the author could look up the scientific names for the owls, she failed to note other basic aspects of biology, such as natural diet, dimorphism, and breeding. Some of the fault can be ascribed to poetic license, but it remains irksome. However, the most frustrating aspect of the novel stems from the fact that it is the first in a series. A fifteen part series. Meaning finding out what happens to the heroes will require the reader to find and read fourteen more books.

Arrgg.