Promotional Information

/ Key title Introducing the newest heroes to children's fiction; the owls of Ga'Hoole. Meet Soren and his friends, the owls charged with keeping owldom safe. Based on Katherine Lasky's work with owls, this adventures series is bound to be a hit with kids. Join the heroic owls in the first of a series of mythic adventures. / Major new series for 8-12 year old boys and girls. / Funny, compelling and with a hint of danger, this series is hugely collectable. / Sell-through of the 8 book series has now reached 1 million copies in the US! / Regular UK publishing with titles in August and December 2006 and mroe to follow in 2007. / Film rights have been bought by Warner Brothers for a CGI movie. / Series will launch with retail support and a trageted consumer campaign. / Ads placed in animal and bird magazines. / The owls may have human characteristics but their behaviour, actions and culture are based on author Kathryn Lasky's study of owl species.

About the Author

Kathryn Lasky has long had a fascination with owls. This led her to research their life and behaviour, thinking that she would write a non-fiction book about owls to be illustrated with her husband's photographs. She soon realised, though, that this would be rather difficult since owls are shy and nocturnal creatures -- so she wrote a fantasy series about them instead.

Reviews

"With all the right elements -- a hero that's destined for greatness and the struggle between light and darkness -- Lasky's Guardians debut is a high-flying hoot. Soren's tale is suspenseful and riveting, and by the book's end, readers will even be impressed with how much they've learned about owls. Reminiscent of Brian Jacques's Redwall and Robin Jarvis's Deptford Mice, The Capture is bound to catch fantasy fans in its talons." Barnes and Noble Reviews "The story's fast pace, menacing bad guys, and flashes of humor make this a good choice for reluctant readers, while the underlying message about the power of legends provides a unifying element and gives strong appeal for fantasy fans." School Library Journal

"With all the right elements -- a hero that's destined for greatness and the struggle between light and darkness -- Lasky's Guardians debut is a high-flying hoot. Soren's tale is suspenseful and riveting, and by the book's end, readers will even be impressed with how much they've learned about owls. Reminiscent of Brian Jacques's Redwall and Robin Jarvis's Deptford Mice, The Capture is bound to catch fantasy fans in its talons." Barnes and Noble Reviews "The story's fast pace, menacing bad guys, and flashes of humor make this a good choice for reluctant readers, while the underlying message about the power of legends provides a unifying element and gives strong appeal for fantasy fans." School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-At the beginning of this new series, a young Barn Owl named Soren lives peacefully with his family, participating in rituals like the First Meat ceremony, and enjoying legends about the Guardians of Ga'Hoole, knightly owls "who would rise each night into the blackness and perform noble deeds." After he falls from his nest, his idyllic world transforms into one of confusion and danger, as he is captured by evil chick-snatching owls and taken to the St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls. Soren and his new friend Gylfie work to develop strategies for withstanding "moon blinking" (brainwashing), while secretly striving to learn how to fly. The legends of Ga'Hoole help them to survive, and they are able to escape to find their families and warn the world about the dangers of St. Aegolius. While the owls have human characteristics, such as Soren's determination and Gylfie's creative ideas, their actions and culture reflect Lasky's research into owl behaviors and species. The story's fast pace, menacing bad guys, and flashes of humor make this a good choice for reluctant readers, while the underlying message about the power of legends provides a unifying element and gives strong appeal for fantasy fans.-Beth L. Meister, Yeshiva of Central Queens, Flushing, NY Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.