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

by Kathryn Lasky (Author)
Key Phrases: fire cycle, spotted owl, other young owls, Pure Ones, Barn Owl, Strix Struma (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6–The fascistic Pure Ones, a tribe of barn owls who believe that they alone are fit to rule, lost their king, the evil Kludd, during a great battle in The Burning (Scholastic, 2004). In this seventh book in the series, Kludd's sinister widow Nyra continues to plot to conquer all of the owl kingdoms, especially the heroic, egalitarian owls who dwell in the great tree of Ga'Hoole. She raises her hatchling son Nyroc to one day take his father's place and teaches him to believe in the power of hate. But the older he grows, the more he disagrees with his mother's ways, and after he learns the horrible truth about a deadly ceremony the Pure Ones have planned for him, he realizes that he must leave his home and his mother. While Lasky has combined fascinating details of how real owls live with her imaginary civilization, the story lacks any humor that might relieve its dreariness. The Hatchling often lumbers rather than soars.–Walter Minkel, New York Public Library
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Product Description
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.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (June 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439739500
• ISBN-13: 978-0439739504
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #147,130 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 7 in The Guardians of Ga'hoole Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Hatchling" is a must-read!!, September 14, 2005

A Kid's Review

Soren and the Great Ga'Hoole tree won the Battle of the Burning. The evil, vicious Kludd is dead. Nyra, Kludd's equally evil mate, has given birth to a son -- Nyroc. He sees everything in light of his mother: Soren killed Kludd, the Pure Ones are supreme, the Great Ga'Hoole Tree is the enemy etc. But everything changes when Kludd's body and bones are burned. No, Kludd try to kill Soren. So Nyroc and Phillip, Nyroc's friend, search for answers to the acts of the evil couple. Nyra wants Nyroc to be the heir to the Pure Ones, so she sends her henchmen to retreive her son. What will happen next?? Read the book to find out!!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most powerful book in the series, June 24, 2005

By	Kidsreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Nyroc is all that his ambitious mother could want. A terrific flyer for one so young, obedient and very promising, Nyroc is going to be his evil father's heir. He believes all that his mother Nyra has told him. He believes that his uncle Soren murdered his father Kludd. He believes that the owls who live in the Ga'Hoole tree are the enemy. He believes that it is his destiny to help overthrow these owls and pay them back for the defeat that the Pure Ones suffered at their hands.

And then things start to change. Nyroc sees images in fire, images that show a very different story. The images show that his father Kludd was the one who tried to kill Soren and not the other way around. In the flames Nyroc sees his mother and father committing murder and he is greatly disturbed. Bit by bit he starts to put together the true story of what happened to the Pure Ones, and the truth horrifies him. There is only one thing he can do: Nyroc has to leave his home to try to find out the truth about his parents.

Nyroc and his best friend Phillip flee the lands where the Pure Ones live only to be pursued by Nyra and her henchmen. Nyra is determined to make her son accept his birthright, and she doesn't care what she has to do to achieve her goal. Her ruthless cruelty finally helps Nyroc see that he no longer can be one of the Pure Ones. He has to find his own way in the world.

Kathryn Lasky has made this one of her most powerful books in the Ga'Hoole series. The reader is shown how easy it is to influence others and control what they think and how they behave. At the same time, she shows us how a strong character can turn away from a life that is unacceptable, even if the price to do so is very high. Despite his fears and the dangers he faces, Nyroc accepts that he has to leave his mother's cruel world. He learns by listening and watching that there is another kind of world out there, one that is full of love, kindness, truth and courage.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Something old and something new, June 24, 2005

By	Madisen (Fruita, CO United States) - See all my reviews

Yes, this seventh book represents a new direction for the series. It seems that Soren's story reached its closure at the end of The Burning, so now we step into the shoes (er, talons) of young Nyroc.

Now, don't go running and screaming. This is not that MISTAKE of a book, The Shattering. Fortuneately, Nyroc is far more fleshed out and rounded than Eglantine was. The narration manages to capture all the magic of the previous books, but the new storyline is a great breath of fresh air. This new character provides a whole new set of plot hooks, mysteries, and legends, all of which I found very enjoyable.

I was also pleased to see that, near the end of the book, Otulissa really comes into the spotlight. She had become one of my favorite characters, and she's obviously going to play a big role in the books to come.

In short, this is a new beginning for the Guardians of Ga'hoole, but the epic themes remain strong. This, combined with liberal references to the rest of the series, make The Hatchling an obvious choice for fans.