In keeping with my New Year’s Resolution, I
have ventured into new reading lands. In the past, the idea of reading a
fantasy novel would have left me feeling a bit uninspired. I tend to be a
realist in most areas of my life, including my reading selections so fantasy
has never been my genre of choice. Never a quitter though, I decided to read a
book popular among my older students. I recently finished The Familiars by
screenwriters Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson.
The first in a trilogy, The Familiars,
was released in 2010 with HarperCollins Publishers. The story is cleverly
written with a great mix of humor and excitement, perfect for younger
readers. In many ways, I was reminded of
the Warrior Series and the Harry Potter blending together.
The main characters are three animals with
magical powers that embark on the journey of their lives in a quest to save
their human companions. Aldwyn, a young alley cat, does not know he possess
magical powers but has keen survival skills. The other two animals Skylar, a
rather bossy blue-jay, and Gilbert, a fun-loving but bumbling tree-frog, have
been with their humans for many years.
The humans play a relatively small role in the story, leaving the major
action to the unique animals that each bring their own special flare to the
story.
Even though
I knew many of my students enjoyed the story, I was still hesitant. I am
excited to say that I enjoyed the story very much and am eager to read the
other two books in the trilogy. I found The Familiars easy to read, as
the action kept moving. The characters were playful and fun and I think many
young readers would relate them.
So while I am early in the year, book one
of the New Year’s Resolution has gone well. Here’s to book two!
There is a
downloadable teacher’s guide for The Familiars available at: http://www.thefamiliars.com/
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