The Journey (Guardians of Ga'Hoole Series #2) by Kathryn Lasky

From the Publisher

In the second book in the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series, Soren, Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger travel to the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, a mythical place where an order of owls rises each night to perform noble deeds. Soren and his group are seeking help to fight the evil they discovered in the owl world (in Guardians #1). After a harrowing journey, they arrive at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree and learn they will need to stay to receive training from the Ga'Hoolian elders. During his time at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, Soren finds (and then loses) a great mentor and he is reunited with his beloved sister.

Ann Welton - VOYA

The second book in the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series picks up where the first book, The Capture (Scholastic, 2003/VOYA December 2003), left off. Having escaped from the horrible St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls, Soren and his friend Gylfie team up with Twilight and Digger, two owls also orphaned early in life. All are determined to find the mythical Great Ga'Hoole Tree where they believe they will find a race of warrior owls who will help battle the evil that threatens the owl kingdoms. As they make their way toward the Sea of Hoolemere and their goal, they meet up with Soren's former nurse snake, Mrs. Plithiver, as well as a family of helpful puffins and a Barred Owl of age and wisdom, who with his dying breath warns the young foursome about a force worse than St. Aggie's. They carry this fear within them, even after they locate the Great Ga'Hoole tree, are taken in, and set to various courses of study in the vast school. The rescue of Soren's deeply troubled younger sister caps a book hallmarked by adventure, mystery, and some pretty terrible poetry put forward as owl songs. The world building is excellent, with a few intriguing hints that it might take place on a post-Holocaust Earth, and the characterization is solid. The owls are unique and complex, with conflicting feelings and just the right mix of seriousness and fun. Middle school readers with a taste for animal fantasy and predictable, although interesting plots will appreciate this second installment in the series, and anticipate the third volume that the ending so clearly anticipates. VOYA Codes: 3Q 3P M J (Readable without serious defects; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High,defined as grades 7 to 9). 2003, Scholastic, 244p., Trade pb. Ages 11 to 15.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-In this second book in the series, Soren and his band of owls have escaped the St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls and go in search of the mythical Great Ga'Hoole Tree. When they finally arrive at the tree, they find themselves in a Hogwarts-like school where owls are divided into "chaws," or small teams, that focus on particular skills such as navigation or search and rescue. By the end of the book, Soren has learned the fate of his lost sister, discovered that he has some unique powers, and has lost his new mentor, leaving things wide open for the next installment. The story flows nicely and has a certain appeal that carries readers along, despite the sometimes-jarring addition of unnecessary owl poetry. Lasky's fully realized world is full of traditions based on the actual habits of owls, but this is still a world in which owls can read and write. Fantasy readers will enjoy the adventure, but the book will appeal mainly to fans of the first volume in the series.-Tim Wadham, Maricopa County Library District, Phoenix, AZ Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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