Lasky, Kathryn Books

Exile (Guardians of Ga'hoole, Book 14)

Kathryn Lasky

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Striga, former dragon owl from the Middle Kingdom beyond the Unnamed Sea, has come to stay at the great tree. He has earned the trust of all by saving Bell, Soren's owlet, from Nyra, and he grows daily closer to the young king Coryn, with whom he seems to share a strange bond. The Striga senses the power of the ember hidden in Bubo's forge and draws it closer. As his power waxes, he accuses the Band of treason and produces flimsy evidence to support his abominable claim. And so the Band is exiled, strengthening the Striga's hold over Coryn.

The Band seeks refuge in distant forests and enlists the help of old friends, but every action they take is construed as further treason, and agents of the Striga - former Guardians - hunt them mercilessly, until for safety sake the band itself must separate. They devise as system of messages and alarms and so communicate despite their isolation. Old friends, loyal family and allies help devise a plan to shake the hold the Striga has on Coryn and to free the young king and the tree from this new, insidious tyranny. It will take courage, daring and wisdom, but the Band will meet the new challenge - for the sake of the king, and the Great Ga'Hoole Tree.

The Burning (Guardians of Ga'hoole, Book 6)

Kathryn Lasky

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Quit While You're Ahead, Lasky! 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Ever since the third book of the series, Kathryn Lasky has started to make up random plots in the Guardians of the Ga'Hoole books. She takes things like The Others, shattering, stone stunning, and a whole host of owl words and puts them in various books of her series. They're not well written, and its pretty obvious that she's making them up as she goes along. She never uses the ideas again, and the books don't flow.

Still, that doesn't stop tons of younger readers from devouring her books and ignoring her mistakes. I can't do that, but I still have every one of this series. No matter how badly written and random they are, the ideas are amazingly imaginative, and each story is full of action, enough to keep most reading to the end.

Now, onto The Burning itself. In my opinion, it's the best since the second book, The Journey. Lasky finally gets back on track. It's from her main character, Soren the Barn Owl's perspective, like it should be. The previous book, The Shattering, comes from his sister Eglantine's point of view, which makes no sense, and the book itself has basically no impact on the actual overall plot of the series until the last chapter, which really could have been put ito the beginning of the Burning and saved us all the trouble of struggling through The Shattering in the first place.

In this book, Lasky shows her greatest strength, creating a new kingdom for her owl charcters, the Northern Kingdoms. She introduces new owl customs and ways of fighting, which are all great and interesting. Though, as usual, her old characters appear with slightly different personalities than the book before, you can ignore that and still enjoy the story. The ending is moving and has a few surprises, even if it's predictable, simply because that's how Soren's story has to end. I enjoyed The Burning immensely, and I've read it more than once.

The series should have ended here. I don't think that Lasky has any real plan as to what she's trying to end it with anymore, because I know of four more books out or being printed after this one, and each one is more obscure than the last. I think that it's too bad that a serie that started so well ended up on such uneven ground. Quit the series while you've still got fans, Lasky!

Editorial Review:

Soren and his band are sent to the mysterious Northern Kingdoms to gather allies and learn the art of war in preparation for the coming cataclysmic battle against the sinister Pure Ones. Meanwhile, in the Southern Kingdoms, St. Aggies has fallen to the Pure Ones and they are using its resources to plan a final invasion of The Great Ga'Hoole Tree. With the future of all Owldom in the balance, the parliament of Ga'Hoole must decide whether or not to join forces with the brutal Skench and Sporn and the scattered remnants of St. Aggies who remain faithful to them. A great battle is on the

The Hatchling (Guardians of Ga'hoole, Book 7)

Kathryn Lasky

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Nyroc's Beggining 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This was a great book and i was very glad i read it. this book was a real page-turner and i would realy reccomend it.The book was at its best when Nyroc
A.Statred his 'Quest'
B.Nyroc beggan seeing scrooms
And C. When Nyroc learned about his 'Special' Ceremony.
I was at the edge of my seat through the whole book!This book is for the people out there who just wish to 'fly away' from their busy life.(if you are busy that is!)this is also for fans of Soren and Gylfie.(and Digger and Twilight!)this was a great book!

Great sequel!!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

My favourite character in this book is Nyroc, son of Kludd and Nyra, because he is not evil
and ruthless like his mother and dead father. I feel sorry for Nyroc because the other owlets
were jealous and hated him because of his flying skills. I also feel sorry for him because
other owl families were scared of him because everyone thinks he is evil.

This is my favourite book in the Ga'Hoole Series because its shows you the bad guys side of
the the story. It is better than the other books because it tells you why the Pure Ones hate
the owls of the Ga'Hoole Tree. My favorite part of the story is when Nyroc rejected the Pure
Ones because I didn't want him to be as evil as his parents.

Some of the adverbs in this book that I like are cryptically, disdainfully, sickeningly and
grimly because they help me understand how someone is feeling. I like some of the phrases in
the book, including "He lowered his mottled coloured head and spread his feathery wings,
tipping them slightly forward so that the upper surfaces faced the night-black crows." and
"His gizzard squirmed uncomfortably as he felt the mask of dark red blood drying, tightening
on his normally white face." because they tell me how the owl looks like.

A fantastic and well-written novel. It deserves a 5 out of 5.

Editorial Review:

Kludd is dead. Nyra, his mate, is determined that her hatchling, Nyroc, will fulfill his father's destiny: the vicious oppression of all the owl kingdoms. But Nyroc is a poor student of evil. A light grows in his heart, fed by scraps of forbidden legend and strange news of a place where goodness and nobility reign. He must summon all his courage to defy his destiny -- and the embodiment of evil that is his mother.

Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor, England, 1544 (The Royal Diaries)

Kathryn Lasky

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 137 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"Do you know who I am? I shall tell you. I am Elizabeth, Princess of England, daughter of Henry VIII and his wife Anne Boleyn. I am eleven years old. My mother, once Queen, is now dead. Almost eight years ago, when I was not yet three, Father chopped off her head."

Daughter of a fallen queen, young Princess Elizabeth lives a complicated and dangerous life. She fears her father's famous temper but loves him dearly, noting that she would trade all her jewels just to be noticed by him. She also loves her brother Edward, heir to the English throne, but doesn't like her older sister Mary, who torments her and conspires against her. Kat, her governess, is so worried for Elizabeth's life that she spends hours checking their room for poison whenever they move to a new palace. Court intrigues swirl around her, the French are threatening an invasion, and Kat is clamoring for her to have another bath--that makes nearly six in three months! Through Elizabeth's diary, author Kathryn Lasky brings the Tudor world to life: glittering banquets of peacock, eel, and swan; palaces so stinky that "everyone goes about with their noses buried in pomander balls to hide the stench"; archery contests, where Elizabeth excels; and Latin and logic lessons... where she needs a little work. Some of the history is slightly flawed (a misplaced date or two), but readers will enjoy the great detail as they learn about the childhood of one of England's greatest monarchs. An epilogue, with Tudor family trees, paintings, and background information enhances this already excellent and entertaining book. (Ages 10 and older) --Sunny Delaney

The Outcast (Guardians of Ga'hoole, Book 8)

Kathryn Lasky

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 27 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

AMAZING book! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is an awesome book, and in the week I had it I think I read it 5 times! (uber-fast reader) It's an awesome book!!!!!!

Wonderfully written series! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I fell in love w/ owls after reading the 1st book that I had borrowed from the library for my 11 yr old son to read!!
Especially Barn Owls! I am a fan!

Going Downhill 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Kathryn Lasky is starting to disappoint me. The first five or six books were great, but once they started to bring in Coryn and Nyra? The series started to go downhill. As with most series, if the author starts to write too many books, the writing gets sloppy. What happened to the action of the first book? Why bring in weird characters in weird ways? For instance, the wolfish creatures in the Beyond the Beyond. I'm saddened that Lasky can't make her old characters more interesting! I loved the Band, but now there's only Coryn. Please Kathryn, do something!

Editorial Review:

Nyroc has exiled himself from the Pure Ones. He flies alone, feared and despised by those who know him as Kludd's son, hunted by those whose despotism he has rejected, and haunted by ghostly creatures conjured by Nyra to lure him back to the Pure Ones. He yearns for a place he only half believes in -- the great tree -- and an uncle -- the near-mythic Soren -- who might be a true father to him. Yet he cannot approach the tree while the rumor of evil clings to him. To prove his worth, Nyroc will fly to The Beyond the Beyond seeking the legendary Relic and bring it, a talisman of his own

The Shattering (Guardians of Ga'hoole, Book 5)

Kathryn Lasky

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

3 words, Shattering is awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

The Shattering was my 4th favorite book in the whole seris. Kathryn Lasky is my favorite writer. After reading the shattering, Eglantine became one of my favorite charactors.

A great book. 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This was an amazing book. A new owl named Ginger (who really works for the pure ones) who is in Eglantine's hollow puts flecks (dangerous bits of iron that can destroy an owls mind and still there gizzard)in Eglantines bed, shattering her mind and stopping her gizzard. Many things happen because of this, including Eglantine slipping away regularly to mirror lakes.But Eglantine soon relizes what is happening, and tries to fix it. And Eglantines friend Primrose also relizes what is going on. All these events lead to a fight with Nyra, Metalbeak's(Kludd's) evil mate, followed by a full fledged battle between those who went looking when Eglantine and Primrose went missing, and a large Battallion Headed by Nyra's Elite forces.An amazing book, with really shows you to be careful who your friends are.

P.S.wether or not youv'e read the other books, if you don't understand what I said, reread.

Editorial Review:

In the midst of war, Eglantine unwittingly becomes a spy for Kludd, leader of the Pure Ones (a group of evil owls). She is brainwashed by an owl sent by the Pure Ones to infiltrate the Great Ga'Hoole Tree. Her odd behavior eventually attracts attention, and Soren and his friends vow to find out what's wrong with Eglantine. They ultimately learn what happened and help her reverse the effects of the brainwashing. Kludd continues to battle against the Guardians of Ga'Hoole for control of their tree. In the end, Kludd and his forces are defeated. But his conflict with Soren is not yet over.

Guardians of Ga'hoole Boxed Set, Books 1-4

Kathryn Lasky

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

a fun way to learn 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

My kids have enjoyed reading these books and have learned a great deal about owls and consequently about birds in general from them. The author seems to have done a great deal of research and works in much detail.

My son can't stop reading these! 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I can't thank the author enough for writing these adventure books that appeal to boys. I was struggling to find books that my 4th grade son would enjoy. The reading selections he was offered at school took away his joy of reading. Thanks to this series, his joy has returned. He has learned many interesting facts about owls along the way. In fact, he's crazy about those birds now.

Editorial Review:

Deep in the Forest of Tyto the adventure takes wing! Soren is born in a forest kingdom where Barn Owls have lived in peace for eons. But evil now lurks in the owl world, an evil that will shatter Tyto's peace and change Soren's life forever. In the first four books of this popular series Soren and his band make their way to the Great Ga'Hoole Tree where they will join with like-minded owls - honest, brave, wise and true - to boldly face danger and be tested in ways they never imagined.

The River of Wind (Guardians of Ga'hoole, Book 13)

Kathryn Lasky

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Best Yet 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 9 people found this review helpful.

This book is excellent! Exhilarating, exciting, and full of adventure. I recommend this book to anyone who likes owls, adventure, and exciting stories.

This series is the best I have ever read.

a wonderful series! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 5 people found this review helpful.

My son and I have read this series together. Each book has held both of our attention. We started before he could read, now he is reading the series on his own.

Editorial Review:

Coryn and the Band have returned to the Great Ga'Hoole Tree and restored order. With the Ember safely hidden away, the tree shakes off its gaudy golden glow and recovers its natural majesty. Meanwhile, deep in the Palace of Mists, Bess finds an ancient map fragment that reveals that there are not 5 owl kingdoms -- as has been thought since time immemorial -- but 6. Coryn and the chaw of chaws set off to find this unknown land. In a landscape of perpetual winter, they discover a monastery of serene, learned owls, the likes of which no one has ever seen before.

A Journey to the New World: The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple, Mayflower, 1620 (Dear America Series)

Kathryn Lasky

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 75 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Remember Patience Whipple 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a very good look at early pilgrim life, or at least as good a one as is likely to make its way into popular children's literature. The pilgrims' penchant for grave robbing is toned down (a 'mound' of earth is dug up, with no mention that the mound is a freshly dug grave) and the Native Americans are treated as fairly as could be hoped for in a book that attempts to see them through a little English girl's eyes (she envies their ability to swim and admires their herbal remedies which end up saving several pilgrim lives).

This is a good addition to the Dear America series, though I found it to be slightly less compelling than the Oregon Trail diary. The crossing over is described fairly blandly, though to be fair is probably accurate - the passengers weren't often allowed to be ondeck and underfoot. Similarly, the construction of the colony seems to move as a blur, but the author is handicapped (as so many of the Dear America books are) by the fact that the girl in question would not have been allowed to participate in a meaningful manner in these activities simply because she is a girl. None of this makes the book less worthy of reading, and is just mentioned here as a caution to not set expectations too high for action/adventure.

It is worth noting to parents: Something like 17+ pilgrims die in this book, including one baby who dies almost immediately after childbirth, and a close member of the diary writer's family. The diary accurately reflects the growing numbness of the author, with entries like "Dear [diary], Four more people died today. Yours, Mem." While I felt this made for a realistic portrayal, it is possible that a very small child may find this distressing.

Editorial Review:

The diary of a young Pilgrim girl who makes the dangerous journey on the Mayflower to America is filled with her thoughts about her new friends, her contact with Native Americans, and her love for her new land.

Mary, Queen of Scots: Queen Without a Country, France, 1553 (The Royal Diaries)

Kathryn Lasky

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Sent from her native Scotland to live in the court of her future father-in-law, King Henry II of France, young Mary, Queen of Scots, spends her time attending balls, hunting and hawking, learning Latin and fractions and music, and playing with her future husband, Francis. In Kathryn Lasky's fictionalized diary of the 11-year-old queen, readers will get a piquant taste of 16th-century life in Europe. Mary is quite aware of her role as the betrothed to France's royal family. Playing chess together one day, Francis comments to Mary, "Did it ever strike you, Mary, that we are not so much children and sons and daughters of parents as we are pieces on a gigantic chessboard called Europe? You are given to me to help checkmate England." As with the other titles in the Royal Diaries series (Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor, etc.), a fact-packed historical note, epilogue, paintings, and family tree provide just enough additional information to whet the appetites of readers for more about the ill-fated queen of Scotland and France. (Ages 9 to 14) --Emilie Coulter