The First Collier (Guardians of Ga'hoole, Book 9) [Paperback]

Kathryn Lasky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2006 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

The fantastic prequel trilogy to the bestselling series GUARDIANS OF GA'HOOLE begins!

It is a time of Legends and a time of chaos. Warlords vie for power and marauding outlaws roam the land. Good King Hrath and his queen, Siv, noble Spotted Owls struggle to keep peace in their kingdom. Grank, noble Spotted Owl, friend and supporter of King Hrath, has exiled himself to Beyond the Beyond, where he has developed his firesight and learns how to work with embers, fire and how to forge metals. He is the First Collier. Deep in a volcano in the farthest reaches of Beyond the Beyond, he discovers a magical Ember but fears its awful powers will be misused and hides it again. (continued)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series:
''The fantasy's strong believability and fascinating plot make this series a must-read for fantasy-lovers.'' -- Children's Literature
''Lasky has combined fascinating details of how real owls live with her imaginary civilization.'' --School Library Journal --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

About the Author

KATHRYN LASKY has written many books. Among her works of fiction are The Night Journey, winner of the National Jewish Book Award, and Beyond the Burning Time, an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults. Her nonfiction has won the Newbery Honor, among other awards. She and her husband (and frequent nonfiction collaborator), photographer Christopher Knight, live in Cambridge, Massachusetts. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 179 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic; Reprint edition (April 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439795680
• ISBN-13: 978-0439795685
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( L ) > Lasky, Kathryn
  • #65 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > General
  • #91 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Mythology > Children's Books

More About the Author

Hi Readers! Thanks for coming by my author page. I've written all sorts of books - from fantasy about animals to books about science. One of my favorite animal fantasy series, Guardians of Ga'Hoole, is a major motion picture. I liked writing about Ga'Hoole so much that I decided to revisit that world in a new series, Wolves of the Beyond. Visit my website, www.kathrynlasky.com to see a slide show about the real wolves I researched for the series and for the latest update on the Guardians of Ga'Hoole movie. All my best, Kathryn

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it, May 20, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The First Collier (Guardians of Ga'hoole, Book 9) (Paperback)

From his death bed, the old owl Ezylryb warns Soren and the great tree's new king, Coryn, of a coming danger, and instructs them to read the Legends of Ga'Hoole so they will know the identity of this mysterious rising threat.

The first of these three ancient volumes is entitled "The First Collier." In it, Soren and Coryn find a world of chaos, warring kingdoms, and nachtmagen, the dark magic of the evil half-crow, half-owl creatures known as hagsfiends.

When good King H'rath is murdered by the foul hagsfiends, his mate Queen Siv knows she must give up her egg if it is to survive. The hagsfiend Ygryk knows that within the egg is a very special owl, and she wants nothing more than to steal it and turn the chick within to evil. To rescue her chick, Siv gives the egg to noble Grank, the first collier, so he can raise it far from the hagsfiends' harm.

The First Collier is an excellent read for fans of the series, and Coryn's startling revelation at the end will leave readers hanging and anxious for Book Ten: The Coming of Hoole, which arrives in bookstores this summer. Keep up the great writing, Mrs. Lasky!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great Ga'hoole book, May 28, 2006

By 

K. Heumann (St Louis, Mo United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The First Collier (Guardians of Ga'hoole, Book 9) (Paperback)

My son and I have really enjoyed the whole Guardians of Ga'hoole series. This book is no exception. The story is well written and holds your attention quite well. We have read all of the series at bedtime and 3-4 chapters a night never seems like enough. We both always want more.

This story explains a lot of things mentioned in the other books. It was nice to see the background behind those books. Now we are anxiously awaiting the next addition to this wonderful series.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book!, August 2, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The First Collier (Guardians of Ga'hoole, Book 9) (Paperback)

This book is AWESOME! It's exciting and detailed to the point where you are swept away in it. It's really easy to imagine the scene which you are reading. It's AWESOME!