Preparing for The Legend of the Guardians

I am a big advocate for reading any books that are the basis for a movie, before I actually see the movie. I have been reading the first three books of the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series, which are the basis for the new animated film.

I have always loved fantasy fiction, but it seems only too perfect for me to thoroughly enjoy books that are of the fantasy genre and about owls at the same time. (For those of you who dont' know I LOVE owls!)

I started out reading the first book in the series by Kathryn Lasky, The Capture. I also had my first experience with Audible. Audible is an audiobook website and since I spend quite a bit of time driving each day, I decided to take advantage of their $7.49/month deal they have going now. For the low price of $7.49 I was able to get not one but three audiobooks....consequently the first three books in this series.

A good audiobook can really add to the reading expe

rience and in this case it does. The narrator does voices for the different characters and sings the songs present in the text. The story itself has really drawn me in and I find myself not wanting to get out of my car when listening!

Check 'em out!

Soren, a barn owl that is captured and taken to a special school for orphaned owls, is befriended by elf owl Gylfie and together the two set out to discover what is really going on at St. Aegolius Academy.

Young owls Soren, Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger travel to the Ga'Hoole Tree hoping to learn to fight the evil in the owl kingdom and find themselves facing challenges they never expected, training to become part of a noble order.

Soren goes on a perilous quest in order to rescue his mentor, a journey which leads him to a truth that threatens to destroy the owl kingdom.

Do You Know the Monkey Man & Yes, I Know the Monkey Man

Dori Butler is a local Coralville author, that I have recently become familiar with. After becoming an elementary librarian last year, I came into contact with my first set of the Iowa Children's Choice books. Butler's first book Do You Know the Monkey Man? was on the ICCA list prior to my becoming a librarian, since her second book Yes I Know the Monkey Man is on this year's list I decided to read the first one.

This was a wonderful book that is actually set in Iowa. A young girl, Sam is searching for her father, who left when she was only three years old. She goes to see a clairvoyant and is told that her twin sister, who drowned when she was three is still alive. This statement leads Sam on the search of her life to find not only her dad, but her twin sister as well.

I can't really talk about the second book without giving away a lot in the first, but I can tell you that both of these books are fantastic reads for adults and children. The fact that it is set in Iowa, makes a lot of the places hit home for any Iowa reader.

Give them a look and also check out Dori Butler's website and see her other books as well!