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Guardians of Ga'Hoole #1-4
Guardians of Ga'hoole Boxed Set: Books 1-4
Finally, the books that started the best-selling Guardians of Ga'Hoole adventure story.
Deep in the Forest of Tyto the adventure takes wing!
Soren is born in a forest kingdom where Barn Owls have lived in peace for eons. But evil now lurks in the owl world, an evil that will shatter Tyto's peace and change Soren's life forever.
In the first four books of this popular series Soren and his band make their way to the Great Ga'Hoole Tree where they will join with like-minded owls - honest, brave, wise and true - to boldly face danger and be tested in ways they never imagined.
Deep in the Forest of Tyto the adventure takes wing!
Soren is born in a forest kingdom where Barn Owls have lived in peace for eons. But evil now lurks in the owl world, an evil that will shatter Tyto's peace and change Soren's life forever.
In the first four books of this popular series Soren and his band make their way to the Great Ga'Hoole Tree where they will join with like-minded owls - honest, brave, wise and true - to boldly face danger and be tested in ways they never imagined.
865 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
23 people are currently reading
606 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Lasky
266 books2,276 followersKathryn Lasky, also known as Kathryn Lasky Knight and E. L. Swann, is an award-winning American author of over one hundred books for children and adults. Best known for the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series, her work has been translated into 19 languages and includes historical fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
September 17, 2010
I have read all 15 main books in this series. Great for 4th - 6th graders and their parents. Can be a bit scary for younger children but the recommended reading level is 4th/5th.
Amazing stories of courage, loyalty, believing in yourself, friendship, and adventure. Shows a family member choosing the path of evil and how that affects his family. Teaches how believing in something more powerful than yourself and working together can help you achieve goals you never could have done on your own.
Amazing stories of courage, loyalty, believing in yourself, friendship, and adventure. Shows a family member choosing the path of evil and how that affects his family. Teaches how believing in something more powerful than yourself and working together can help you achieve goals you never could have done on your own.
May 7, 2016
Got this in fifth grade and quickly became obsessed with owls. The stories were great, but the facts I learned about the birds sent me to find more about them and they're still my favorite animal. The story of Soren and his friends as they must face the fact that they have fallen from the nest and been kidnapped by an evil organization that they must learn how to fly in order to escape. I've read them about five times and gone through the whole series, a must read for any middle schooler!
June 14, 2021
Ah! This was my childhood, and I have so many sweet memories of this series. It's likely going to get me to try and dive into trying to write animal fantasy myself. But yes, I adore Soren, I remember him from long ago. I remember cheering those owls on and so many of those battles. This series is one of those that sparked my joy of reading and possibly writing, too. Thank you for letting me visit this world and learn many valuable lessons. Oh yes, and this series made me ADORE owls. Especially barn owls, which are my favorite.
July 22, 2020
Soren, a barn owl who discovers a great evil in the owl kingdom which he must work to vanquish. When Soren is pushed from his family's nest by his older brother, he is rescued by representatives from a mysterious school for orphaned owls, St. Aggie's. When Soren arrives at St. Aggie's, he suspects there is more to the school than meets the eye. He and his new friend, a clever female elf owl named Gylfie, find out that St. Aggie's is actually a training camp where the school's leader is grooming young owls to help achieve her goal, which threatens the lives of owls everywhere. First Soren and Gylfie must escape. Then they embark on a long and perilous journey to find a way to save all owls from the danger that lurks at St. Aggie's.✨ The book is a nice stepping-stone between first readers and young-adult fiction in reading difficulty, as well as in plot complexity and concepts. There are some pretty serious ideas in this story, but they are introduced with minimum of fuss so I don't think kids will be disturbed. Rather, it seems like a great way for kids to start thinking about ideas like good vs. evil, overcoming fear, loyalty and even death.
January 11, 2025
one of my favorite childhood book series! amazing!!!
February 9, 2020
I found these at a yard sale and remembered that the movie had looked pretty cool. Something about warrior owls seemed perfectly suited to my 4th-grader, who loves animals but also superheroes. This series got him to finally jump from 1- and 2-AR-point books (AR-wise) to these 6-8-pointers. We've finally got him past Captain Underpants! I bought the rest of the series for him for Christmas. Now he can't wait for reading time at school, and he (sometimes we) falls asleep listening to the audiobooks. (Speaking of, the English narrator is great--until she does character voices, and then she's ear-splittingly high pitched or ridiculously low in voices better suited for copycatting or playground mocking.)
Lansky does so well at world building. Ga'hoole is Camelot for owls, with legends, traditions, theology, and etiquette. It's a world you don't quite leave when the book is closed. We have incorporated owl swears into our daily life. My son says his dream now is to build a Great Ga'hoole Tree playground. And owls have moved up just behind penguins in his favorite animal rankings.
One word of caution: It's violent and often dark (think Watership Down, not Velveteen Rabbit), with sociopath owls, cannibalism, violent deaths, and disturbing little details like a tongue being ripped out. It's like the Hogwarts familiars dividing into Axis and Allies. But good always defeats evil, and there's no shortage of good owls.
I would've been so into these books if they'd come out 15 years earlier. As it is, I'm pretty into them anyway.
Lansky does so well at world building. Ga'hoole is Camelot for owls, with legends, traditions, theology, and etiquette. It's a world you don't quite leave when the book is closed. We have incorporated owl swears into our daily life. My son says his dream now is to build a Great Ga'hoole Tree playground. And owls have moved up just behind penguins in his favorite animal rankings.
One word of caution: It's violent and often dark (think Watership Down, not Velveteen Rabbit), with sociopath owls, cannibalism, violent deaths, and disturbing little details like a tongue being ripped out. It's like the Hogwarts familiars dividing into Axis and Allies. But good always defeats evil, and there's no shortage of good owls.
I would've been so into these books if they'd come out 15 years earlier. As it is, I'm pretty into them anyway.
July 19, 2019
Oh dear. I do not wish to hurt the author's feelings... but these are oddly without charm. Richard Adam's Watership Down delighted me as a child even though I did not understand the political overtones--rich with accurate details of natural history from R.M. Lockley's work--the rabbits did things no rabbit would do, and yet it hung together. The talking animals in Narnia are charming and work well--they are people, with occasional critter traits woven in to amuse.
But *these* books... Oh dear. The writing needs a good edit. The natural history details do not work to make the world "real" because the mix of natural and unnatural is so utterly inconsistent. Clumsy, ugly words are invented for no reason. The owls' motivation and behavior is bizarre. The situations that arise are simply unpleasant to read about. I suppose they might be a
ppealing if someone had a sort of sado-masochistic owl fetish. The books are very hard to get through... "suspense" is created not by a carefully crafted plot, but simply by failing to develop the plot in a logical manner. My son, who is six, seems to tolerate them as bedtime reading. But they did not charm him as the Narnia books and "The Hobbit" did. I do not understand why any writer would choose to torment owls in this way.
But *these* books... Oh dear. The writing needs a good edit. The natural history details do not work to make the world "real" because the mix of natural and unnatural is so utterly inconsistent. Clumsy, ugly words are invented for no reason. The owls' motivation and behavior is bizarre. The situations that arise are simply unpleasant to read about. I suppose they might be a
ppealing if someone had a sort of sado-masochistic owl fetish. The books are very hard to get through... "suspense" is created not by a carefully crafted plot, but simply by failing to develop the plot in a logical manner. My son, who is six, seems to tolerate them as bedtime reading. But they did not charm him as the Narnia books and "The Hobbit" did. I do not understand why any writer would choose to torment owls in this way.
October 14, 2016
This was a hard book to rate. On one hand it has a very unique idea, and upon finishing this book my knowledge of owls has greatly increased. On the other hand the story just wasn't that interesting. I feel this tale is too dark for the age group it is recommended for. It paints a perfect picture of communism. Think 1984, then add owls and cannibalism.
December 17, 2025
2.5 stars.
I only listened to books 1-3, and that was enough.
While the idea of fighting, tribal owls is incredibly interesting, it is not on par with other similar series, such as The Warrior Cats, Podkin One-Ear, or The Green Ember. Why?
Kathryn Lasky and her owls... absolutely loved the idea. I now love owls, and I really want to get my hands on some wet poop jokes. Unfortunately, Lasky writes in a way that leaves gaping gultches and plot holes in her story.
I can't give any specific examples at the moment, but the passage of time is absurd. There is no indication that, say, a whole year has passed in the Ga'hoole tree, leaving the reader confused and flipping back a couple of pages to see what they missed.
Additionally, characters seem to come to realizations that the author didn't explain to the reader, and the author didn't even explain to the characters themselves. E.g., the commet. It just 'appears' with no explanation, and it seems to 'appear' several different times. It's weird. I apologize for my inability to explain, but if you read it for yourself, you'll understand.
So, eh, this series was interesting, but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it.
#TwilightIsTheBest
I only listened to books 1-3, and that was enough.
While the idea of fighting, tribal owls is incredibly interesting, it is not on par with other similar series, such as The Warrior Cats, Podkin One-Ear, or The Green Ember. Why?
Kathryn Lasky and her owls... absolutely loved the idea. I now love owls, and I really want to get my hands on some wet poop jokes. Unfortunately, Lasky writes in a way that leaves gaping gultches and plot holes in her story.
I can't give any specific examples at the moment, but the passage of time is absurd. There is no indication that, say, a whole year has passed in the Ga'hoole tree, leaving the reader confused and flipping back a couple of pages to see what they missed.
Additionally, characters seem to come to realizations that the author didn't explain to the reader, and the author didn't even explain to the characters themselves. E.g., the commet. It just 'appears' with no explanation, and it seems to 'appear' several different times. It's weird. I apologize for my inability to explain, but if you read it for yourself, you'll understand.
So, eh, this series was interesting, but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it.
#TwilightIsTheBest
April 29, 2018
„Легенда за Пазителите: Совите от Га`хуул” (изд. „Пергамент прес”) на Катрин Ласки е очарователна поредица за деца и младежи, чиито пернати герои бързо се превърнаха в мои любимци. Легендарно тайно общество от сови-рицари, шепа отдадени млади герои, твърдо решени да защитават мира, справедливостта и свободата с цената на всичко... Епичен сблъсък между добро и зло, в който грабливите нощни птици ще ви убедят, че съвсем не е нужно да яздиш кон и да размахваш меч, за да бъдеш главен герой във фентъзи роман. Поредицата „Легенда за Пазителите” е далечен наследник на приказките за животни и достоен съперник на множество от съвременните детско-юношески фентъзи саги. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле":
https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
August 29, 2021
I loved reading these books throughout late elementary and middle school! I loved owls so reading about them in a fictional sense was great! The main character learns to overcome any issue he faces accompanied by a group of companions. It has a lot of action which I really like.
December 20, 2021
Wonderful series allowing the reader to enter the world and order of owls. My kiddo read 9 books over the course of a year. I would call it fantasy, but on the lighter side. Ms. Lasky is a wonderful writer. Great for later elementary age groups.
September 26, 2017
it took me three days o complete this book
this is about Soren and his friends. when he was a hatchling he fell out of his hollow. he then get captured by a group of owls that work at a school for orphaned owls called saint Aegeliouse, but is usually called saint aggies. he finds this elf owl named gylfie who lives in the dessert of kuneer. the owls who work at saint aggeis try to moonblink them, which is to to make whoever was moonblinked foreget who they are. so gylfie and soren try their hardest not to get moonbliked and to fly.
the main character in this story is soren. soren is a barn owl that lives in the forest of tyto. in this story he changes from a helpless little hatchling into a fearless leader. he tries everything to help his friends and lead them the right way.
this is about Soren and his friends. when he was a hatchling he fell out of his hollow. he then get captured by a group of owls that work at a school for orphaned owls called saint Aegeliouse, but is usually called saint aggies. he finds this elf owl named gylfie who lives in the dessert of kuneer. the owls who work at saint aggeis try to moonblink them, which is to to make whoever was moonblinked foreget who they are. so gylfie and soren try their hardest not to get moonbliked and to fly.
the main character in this story is soren. soren is a barn owl that lives in the forest of tyto. in this story he changes from a helpless little hatchling into a fearless leader. he tries everything to help his friends and lead them the right way.
May 20, 2019
A great book. Had me on my toes the whole time. I cannot wait to continue the series.
April 22, 2022
I love owls and this amazing book
December 22, 2022
Fun read as a kid, definitely learned more about owls and their biology (gizzards were a novel concept). Don’t think I finished the series, but I read the first few books and enjoyed them.
June 5, 2024
Highlights owl-combat like no other
October 7, 2024
5 stars for the nostalgia 10 year old me was eating these upppppp
July 4, 2025
childhood favorite, I can still remember how elaborate the writing and world building was!!
October 19, 2025
Another book where they describe torture, kidnapping, and slavery and parade it as a kids’ book because the characters are animals. 🤢
June 11, 2019
There is a little owl named soren. He lives with his parents names Noctus and Mrs. Plithiver. The plot changes when soren is captured and taken to a creepy owl orphanage. Then the plot changes again when he meets a friend called gylfie and gylfie and soren help each other escape the evil orphanage. They need to travel through swamps deserts forests and other terrain. Soren also learns how to fly because of getting powers from the great tree of ga'hoole. I think that soren and gylfie are brave and strong. This book had a lot going on and it was suspenseful. I recommend this book to people who like exciting books. I loved this book so much. Definately in my top 3 favorite books.
February 29, 2020
This was my obsession in fourth grade. seven years later, I still know more than I'm comfortable admitting about owls. The story is a little hazy in my mind, but these books hold a special place in my heart. They took me from the casual reader to the taking-a-book-home-every-day-and-reading-it-under-the-blanket-till-the-wee-hours-of-the-morning-and-talking-nonstop-about-books person I am today. I shared them with my brother when he was in fourth grade, and it became our thing. We talked about battle claws and named our chickens after the villains and called people wet-poopers (we thought we were hilarious). I read the Ezylryb story, too, and it was the cherry on top (although it was a very emotionally heavy cherry). These books are so meticulously planned and thought-out. They are the kind of book you should have on your home shelf if you have developing readers--also make sure you buy all of them, not just the first couple. They are worth following through to the end. They are not lighthearted kid-ish children's literature, but they inspire the warrior every nine-year-old thinks he/she is. Also, don't bother watching the movie; it's not at all faithful to the books.
Great books for developing readers.
Great books for developing readers.
December 14, 2016
A young barn owl who lives with his parents. He lives in the Tyto forest. His parents go hurting and his jealous brother pushes him off the tree. He is not hurt but is helpless.
The young bird thinks his parents are dead. He doesn't know what to do with his parents dead. It's in a forest that the story takes place. It's a big forest and takes him a while to find his parents.
I liked the book but it could of been better. It was really interesting. It was overall a really good book. It had a lot of action in the story.
The young bird thinks his parents are dead. He doesn't know what to do with his parents dead. It's in a forest that the story takes place. It's a big forest and takes him a while to find his parents.
I liked the book but it could of been better. It was really interesting. It was overall a really good book. It had a lot of action in the story.
August 18, 2009
So far I've only read 4 books in the series, but I will definitely read the next one and the next one and the next one and the next one.... (well you got my point). The adventure is exciting without being too complicated. Who would have ever thought eating a vole or rat can be described in most delicious way. I love Soren, he is the perfect hero.
January 17, 2023
Read this book when I was younger (maybe third grade) and loved it, I read it as a whole book rather than individual separate books but the whole story was still together and I loved it. It definitely intrigued me to befriend owls and look more into them but overall I loved the story and character relationships
February 10, 2011
A present from my son :) I read it on holiday, was a nice light read, targeted at young adults, but was nice enough... I won't be reading any more in the series - but as always, the book was far better than the movie!
January 7, 2008
My children love this series. They are really into the detailed accounts of owl culture. Can't wait for the rest of the books to come out on CD.
June 22, 2008
these books are amazing. the story is really orginal and read like all of them :)
September 1, 2008
My 8 year old really likes this series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews