The Rescue (Guardians of Ga' Hoole Series #3) FROM THE PUBLISHER
Now that Soren has been reunited with his sister, Eglantine, he must face his next challenge: making sense of the mysterious disappearance of his mentor, Ezylryb. When Soren discovers Ezylryb is in danger, he and his friends Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger devise a plan to save their teacher. In this process, Soren fights a ferocious foe who wears a terrifying metal beak, sharpened for battle. It's not until the confrontation is over that Soren discovers the true - and shocking - identity of his opponent.
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature - Jennifer Jaynes
This book, the third in the series called "Guardians of Ga' Hoole," begins with the owls learning from their leader, Ezlyryb, how to navigate through weather. Each group of owls in the kingdom of Ga' Hoole performs a different task to keep the community running. The group that this book focuses on performs reconnaissance missions related to weather and also does rescues when an owl is lost or hurt. Suddenly, the group's leader, Ezylryb, goes missing, leaving the young owls alone to find him. While looking for his mentor, Soren, the narrator, must also try to understand an ominous warning from the scrooms (ghosts) of his parents. In this work of animal fantasy, Lasky develops her characters well, although, because of the number characters, readers may have difficulty following the plot. The plot also moves swiftly. To stay engaged, readers must think. For the reader who loves fantasy and action, this book is a must. 2004, Scholastic Inc, Ages 9 to 12.
VOYA - Ann Welton
In the third installment of the Guardians of Ga'hoole series, barn owl protagonist Soren and his friends Gylfie, Digger, and Twilight, along with new comrades Martin and Otulissa, decide to save Ezylryb, a beloved teacher who has gone missing. In the process, the young owls' investigations yield information on owl history. They discover the truth about the northern owl wars, the past of both Ezylryb and a rogue smith that they meet in an obscure area of nearby woods, and finally the identity of the evil owl who is behind both the mysterious death of another owl smith and the suffering of Soren's sister, Eglantine. The open end leaves the story set for a fourth volume. Sound characterization, a well-developed setting, and fast pacing compensate for the predictable plot. Fans of the series will be standing in line for the next installment, and readers with a penchant for animal fantasies will be engaged by this nice lead-in to the more complex tomes of Brian Jaques's Redwall series and Avi's Poppy books. VOYA Codes 3Q 3P M (Readable without serious defects; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8). 2003, Scholastic, 198p., Trade pb. Ages 11 to 14.
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