Shelly's Book Blog

The Capture, by Kathryn Lasky, is the first book in the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series. This is a series I have been wanting to read for some time, and I'm very glad I finally did. The "About the Author" blurb says, "Kathryn Lasky has long had a fascination with owls," and this certainly comes through in the story. She includes details about the characteristics and habits of many different owl species, while weaving an exciting adventure story.

Soren is just a 3-week-old owlet when his big brother shoves him out of the nest. Soren is then owl-napped and taken to an "orphanage" where Soren and other young captured owls are forced to march for hours and where questions are forbidden. Soren makes a friend, an elf owl named Gylfie, and together they decide they must try to escape. Before they were taken from their families, these two owlets had heard their parents tell the legends of Ga'Hoole, and they use these stories to escape the terrible "moon blinking" that makes zombies of the other captured owls. I enjoyed reading about these characters and this world and look forward to reading book 2, The Journey.