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The Capture (Guardians of Ga'Hoole #1)

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 · rating details · 8,233 ratings · 821 reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
Author Kathryn Lasky lays the groundwork for an owlish tale of good versus evil in this first adventurous installment of Guardians of Ga'Hoole.

After little Soren, a barn owl, finds himself pushed out of Mum and Da's nest, he's captured by two ruthless hench-birds and taken to the St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls. Now a mere owl slave to r

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ebook, 152 pages

Published May 1st 2010 by Scholastic, Inc. (first published June 1st 2003)

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Nov 04, 2011 Lego Robot Ninja rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: my best friend Luke

Shelves: middle-grade, fantasy, owls, five-star-books, fiction

Mum: How many stars would you give this?

LRN: I think a solid five. It was very good; better than the movie even.

Mum: So what happens in this book?

LRN: Soren is pushed out of his hollow by his brother, Kludd.

Mum: Ugh, that's an ugly name.

LRN: I know. It's a bad name. No, two ds.

Mum: So what else?

LRN: Then he's taken off to St Aegolios, academy for orphaned owls. And there are six rooms. One of them is Pelletireum, which is disgusting, actually.

Mum: Why is it disgusting?

LRN: They have to pick o...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Joan Stradling for TeensReadToo.com

Born in the peaceful forest of Tyto, Soren the barn owl looks forward to a life of eating bugs and learning to fly, but evil forces have another plan for the owls.

When Soren is captured and taken to a mysterious place known as St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls, he discovers the orphanage has a darker purpose. With the help of his friend, Gylfie, they set out to uncover the truth and find a way to escape.

Unfortunately, the only way out is up, an...more

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Oct 31, 2010 Truly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Waspadalah...! Ada Penenculikan Anak-anak di Dunia Burung Hantu

Upacara Tulang Pertama
Upacara Bulu Pertama
Upacara Daging Pertama
Upacara Terbang Pertama
Upacara Ular Pertama
Sebagian jenis upacara yang harus dilalui oleh para burung hantu dalam kehidupannya

Ternyata tidak hanya manusia yang perlu mewaspadai penculikan. Burung hantu juga! Tengok saja nasib Soren. Soren diculik dan dibawa ke tempat yang bernama Sekolah untuk Burung Hantu Yatim Piatu. Padahal ia masih memiliki orang dua dan dua saudar...more

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Aug 10, 2008 ▀▄♫₪♦♥♣I lEaRnT FiRsT AiDs ♫₪♦ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: EVERYONE

Recommended to ▀▄♫₪♦♥♣I lEaRnT FiRsT AiDs ♫₪♦ by: FLEUR

OH MY GOSH!. This book is so cool. If you like owls you have to read this!!.

Its about a barn owl called SOREN who gets kidnapped and gets taken to an orphanage.Then he meets a friend called GYLFIE. In their memories they meet a fully mature owl who has pretended to be kidnapped to save baby egg owls. HORTENSE, the mature owl sits at the highest point of the orphanage and rolls owl eggs to eagles. The eagles take the eggs back to the owl kingdom where they will hatch and be safe. But when HORTEN...more

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Jan 24, 2011 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is series is one instance when I have no problem being a gushing lolly-daydream. It might also just be the root of my love affair with the avian section in the bloom of my youth. Blood-letting beaks and flesh-lacerating talons.

Yes, it's scandalous. But the honest thing to do.

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Apr 21, 2008 Caitlin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who loves owls or has read the warrior cat books

Recommended to Caitlin by: Mom and dad

Summary: Soren, a young barn owl, is thrust from his nest by his evil brother, Kludd. Things couldn’t get worse, but they do: he is picked up by another owl and flown to St Aegolius’ Academy for Orphaned Owls. Many owlets are at this strange place, but why? Thus begins a quest to learn how to escape his prison. He meets Gylfie, Twilight and Digger along the way. Together the four owls determine to fight the evil of St Aggies. They must find help at from the guardians of Ga’Hoole at the Great Ga’...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Anthony rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A very enjoyable read. It's cute, sad, funny, and scary, and it's told in a way that places you right in the action, allowing you to empathize with the characters' experiences.

I was looking for religious allegory in this, whether it was heavy religious (Like Narnia), or anti religious (like Golden Compass) and found that a case could be made for either or both. In so doing, it lands right in the middle, so there's no need to worry about it getting preachy.

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Apr 13, 2012 Mery rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: punya

Covernya lucu...
Ceritanya bagus...
Sukaaa....

Biasanya burung hantu itu kan kisahnya selalu seram-seram, tapi di sini petualangan Soren dan Gylfie seru banget. Gak seram sama sekali.

Ternyata jadi burung hantu pun banyak banget yah peraturannya. Pake upacara segala. Upacara Tulang, Daging. Belajar terbang. Dan lain-lain. Kocak.

Aku suka banget sama tokoh Soren huehehe... Soren layaknya anak kecil biasa yang kepingin tahu lebih banyak tentang segala hal.
Nanya mulu gitu...

Jadi pengen nonton filmnya =_...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Connor Stubbe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, action-adventure

The book that I am finished reading is called The Capture. The author is Kathryn Lasky. This book is a fiction book and an adventure book. I will tell you more but you have to keep on reading this review. Trust me this gets better.
The beginning of this book starts when Soren is a little bird. He goes out to play with his brother and when he comes back he sees that his parents are dead. Then they see these birds fly in and they take Soren but leave his brother to die. Soren is captured and taken...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Peter Will rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

THE GUARDIANS OF Ga’Hoole
The Guardians of Ga’Hoole book one, the chapter is all about an owls that was kidnapped and brought to train about truth, but to find the truth one should not ask question. “We discourage questions here as we feel they often distract from the Truth”(Ga’Hoole # 31). This book was written by Kathryn Lasky she has been doing extensive research about owls and their behaviors .One day she decided to write a fantasy about a world of owls but you know owls are shy, nocturnal c...more THE GUARDIANS OF Ga’Hoole
The Guardians of Ga’Hoole book one, the chapter is all about an owls that was kidnapped and brought to train about truth, but to find the truth one should not ask question. “We discourage questions here as we feel they often distract from the Truth”(Ga’Hoole # 31). This book was written by Kathryn Lasky she has been doing extensive research about owls and their behaviors .One day she decided to write a fantasy about a world of owls but you know owls are shy, nocturnal creatures. The setting of this story is full of imaginary world in which owls can speak, thinks, and dream. She wants people to know about owl’s natural history.
In this book Kathryn Lasky explain how soren a three week old owl who was living in the forest of Tyto, with his mother, father, brother and his lovely sister eglantine. Soren was standing on the tall tree when his evil brother pushed him down the tall tree “Kludd’s had pushed him!” (Ga’Hoole #53). He was capture and brought to the orphanage place for owls. Sore was the main character of this book and a boy who like asking a lot of question about the nature that he was living on. He and his friend Gylfie the elf owl from the desert kingdom of Kuneer; snatched when she was three weeks old, Twilight the Great Gray Owl, and Digger the burrowing owl, from the desert kingdom of Kuneer, this band together to seek the truth and protect the owl world from unimaginable danger.
This book is fantastic and fabulous foday because this book can educate you and other people about owls how they live and their pellet that they puck out of their mouth. In my biology class we do a lab project about owls pellet. Do you know what I remember? The book that I was reading The Guardians of Ga’Hoole, it explain about it pellet too. Foday if you start reading this book, believe me. You would come to a fully understanding about owls’ history. This book is written in a completely realistic ways, it is easy to read and understand and it offers an extensive vocabulary work and a variety of sentence structure.
Guardians of Ga’Hoole would help you to understand about the different type of pellet: “Third degree picker on pebbles, bone, and teeth mostly, second degree pickers pick for feathers and fur and the first degree pickers pick for flecks” (Ga’Hoole # 64). Foday the only thing I can convince you to read this book is that many people from different country had read the book and have written good commit about the book. The author that wrote this is an educated person who written many books both fiction and nonfiction, including Sugaring Time the book that you like very much, this lady was the author of that book.

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Jan 17, 2013 Ryan Sanders rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Capture: Kathryn Lasky
Book Review By Ryan Sanders

Everyday all over the world kids are taken from their home by complete strangers. They are taken to a place completely unfamiliar. Also they are forced to do things they necessarily want to do. When that happens to a person they have a choice to make. They can just go along with it and wait fir someone to come help then. Or they can take maters into there own hands and try every possible way to escape. If I were in their position I think I wo...more The Capture: Kathryn Lasky
Book Review By Ryan Sanders

Everyday all over the world kids are taken from their home by complete strangers. They are taken to a place completely unfamiliar. Also they are forced to do things they necessarily want to do. When that happens to a person they have a choice to make. They can just go along with it and wait fir someone to come help then. Or they can take maters into there own hands and try every possible way to escape. If I were in their position I think I would try to escape.

The novel ‘The Capture’ is about just that, Its about a young barn owl Soren who falls from his nest. He is picked up by another owl and taken to a “St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls” which is a place where they take young owls and turn them into warriors. They do this by hypnotizing and brainwashing them. Soren and another elf owl Gylfie find a way beat the hypnosis and stay sain, and then start plotting their escape. After a long time of preparing and planning they make their escape but their journey only starts there.

Soren starts out as a lost and confused young owl that doesn’t know what to do. Through out the story Soren grows both physically and emotionally. He learns to handle himself in dangerous situations. He learns all about the history of his kind and all about the untold problems that they go through. One of the most important things he learns is how to fly. He becomes a strong, smart, and independent Owl.

This was shown during his escape had to fight through two other owl who were much bigger then him. Then he had to jump of a cliff before he even knew how to fly. No confused weak owl could do that he had to be brave and strong which he was.

Soren did one of the hardest things anyone has to do in life; he stood up for what he believed in. He did not think it was right that he was forced to live in the camp so he left. No matter how hard it was going to be he was determined to leave, and he did. That is something everybody needs to do, stand up for what they believe in.
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Jan 14, 2013 Kayla Odom rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The capture is the beginning to a series of 15 books by Kathryn Lasky. The first page introduces one of the main characters, Soren. Soren is a young Barn owl living in the forest of Tyto. One night, Soren is pushed out of the nest by Kludd. Soon after, a St. Aggie’s patrol picks him up. St. Aggie’s is a hellish place one where they shatter the minds of young owls that become no better than slaves. This is also where he meets Gylfie, the second main character. Much of the book revolves around the...more The capture is the beginning to a series of 15 books by Kathryn Lasky. The first page introduces one of the main characters, Soren. Soren is a young Barn owl living in the forest of Tyto. One night, Soren is pushed out of the nest by Kludd. Soon after, a St. Aggie’s patrol picks him up. St. Aggie’s is a hellish place one where they shatter the minds of young owls that become no better than slaves. This is also where he meets Gylfie, the second main character. Much of the book revolves around their time in St. Aggie’s as they plot to escape. Eventually, they do by learning to fly. Soaring in their newfound freedom, they meet Twilight and Digger, the third and fourth main characters. At the end of the book they plan to go to the Great Ga’Hoole tree.

There are two themes in this book. One applies to the middle, in St. Aggie’s. The theme in this section is “Never lose your individualality.” Soren and Gylfie try very hard to resist the moon blinking, and the fear of becoming no better than an automaton is always looming. They want to remain free-thinking owls and eventually escape from St. Aggie’s. Through their perseverance, they are free, mentally and physically. The other theme applies to the whole book. The theme of this book is “never stop believing.” In the beginning, Soren’s father told them of legends, and to believe in those legends. Later in St. Aggie’s the duo are subjected to a much stronger form of moon blinking. It was the belief of the legends of Ga’Hoole that saved them from the process. When Grimble teaches them how to fly, he says they must believe or they won’t be going anywhere. Even finding the great tree is based on a belief.

As for character development, Soren starts out as a nestling who knows practically nothing of the outside world. He is shown to be on the bright side, and a quick thinker. When he meets Gylfie, she is shown to be a smart little owlet. Later, she is portrayed at stubborn and determined in what she does, including her and Soren’s escape from St. Aggie’s. As the book progresses, the duo’s friendship grow stronger. In the end they are owls of noble gizzard and pure heart.

All in all, I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
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Dec 23, 2012 Leselurch rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*Worum geht's?*
Drei Wochen, nachdem die Schleiereule Soren im Wald von Tyto aus dem Ei geschlüpft ist, wird er aus dem warmen Nest seiner Eltern gestoßen. Er ist sich seines Todes bereits sicher, als plötzlich eine riesige Eule Soren in das Sankt-Ägolius-Internat für verwaiste Eulen verschleppt. Dort werden die Eulenkinder mittels Mondmagie willenlos gemacht, damit sie den tyrannischen Aufsehern gehorchen. Soren und seine neue Freundin, die Elfenkäuzin Gylfie, finden einen Weg, sich der Mondwirr...more *Worum geht's?*
Drei Wochen, nachdem die Schleiereule Soren im Wald von Tyto aus dem Ei geschlüpft ist, wird er aus dem warmen Nest seiner Eltern gestoßen. Er ist sich seines Todes bereits sicher, als plötzlich eine riesige Eule Soren in das Sankt-Ägolius-Internat für verwaiste Eulen verschleppt. Dort werden die Eulenkinder mittels Mondmagie willenlos gemacht, damit sie den tyrannischen Aufsehern gehorchen. Soren und seine neue Freundin, die Elfenkäuzin Gylfie, finden einen Weg, sich der Mondwirrnis zu entziehen: Ihr Glaube an die mutigen Eulenritter von Ga'Hoole. Gemeinsam schmieden sie einen Plan, um aus dem Internat zu entkommen...

*Kaufgrund:*
Durch die Verfilmung, die ich mir wohlgemerkt nicht angesehen habe, bin ich auf die Buchreihe neugierig geworden. Ich bin kein großer Fan von Buchverfilmungen, deswegen lasse ich meistens die Finger vom Kino und schnappe mir das Buch.

*Meine Meinung:*
Das Buch beginnt als süße, knuffige Beschreibung eines Eulenlebens. Ich war verblüfft, wie realistisch Lasky die Entwicklung eines Kükens geschildert hat, besonders bei der Ernährung: von dem leicht-verdaulichen Insekt zum zähen Mäusekadaver. Aber auch der Werdegang vom Nestling zum Ästling und schließlich zum Flieger wurde sehr bildlich dargestellt. Da Soren durch ein Unglück leider viel zu früh das Nest verlässt, erfährt man als Leser von diesen Schritten größtenteils durch seinen älteren, bösartigen Bruder, Kludd. Einerseits fand ich es ziemlich schade, dass man die kleinen und doch bedeutsamen Erfolge nicht mit Soren feiern konnte, andererseits fiel es auf diese Weise leichter, die Entwicklungen nachvollziehen zu können.

Sobald Sorens Zeit im Internat beginnt, verliert die Geschichte diesen realistischen Aspekt. Allerdings ist dies nicht als Kritikpunkt zu verstehen. Die Autorin hat viele neue Ideen entwickelt, um ihre Buchreihe mystisch und phantastisch zu gestalten. Sie greift dabei nicht am Thema vorbei, alles passt zu Eulen und ihren Lebensstilen (wie z.B. die Mondmagie).

Ich habe bei der Handlung trotzdem einen ganz großen Kritikpunkt: Die Altersempfehlung. Laut Verlag liegt diese bei 10 bis 11 Jahren. Ohne zu viel vom Handlungsverlauf zu verraten, möchte ich nicht unerwähnt lassen, dass die Flucht aus der Internat nicht reibungslos verläuft. Neben der Massenmanipulation, die ich für dieses Alter schon als extremes Thema erachte, wird es auch brutal und blutig. Mein Tipp an Eltern: Erstmal selbst lesen!

Soren ist ein liebenswerter Hauptcharakter, der anfänglich sehr naiv erscheint. Im Laufe des Buches vollzieht er jedoch einen ansehnlichen Wandel. Aus dem feigen Küken, das sich gerne das Gefieder von seinen Eltern putzen lässt, wird eine verantwortungsbewusste Schleiereule. Zusammen mit der Elfenkäuzin Gylfie bildet er ein super-sympathisches Protagonisten-Duo mit einer klaren Aufteilung: Während Soren das Praktische übernimmt, ist Gylfie die Denkerin. Gemeinsam übermitteln die Beiden wie wichtig Freundschaft, Zusammenhalt und Selbstvertrauen sind.

Insgesamt erfährt man sowohl von den noch blassen Charakteren, als auch von der Welt sehr wenig, aber ich bin mir sicher, dass sich das in den Fortsetzungen ändern wird. Der Roman dient im Gesamten als Prolog und lässt den Leser nach der letzten Seite mit vielen offenen Fragen zurück, die einen neugierig auf die folgenden Teile machen. In diesem Moment war ich sehr glücklich darüber, dass ich Band 1 bis 3 im Komplettpaket gekauft habe.

Im Buch befinden sich zudem großartige Extras: Eine Karte von Sorens Welt und Bilder der wichtigsten Eulen. Normalerweise mag ich es nicht, wenn Bilder der Charaktere mir ihr Aussehen vorschreiben. Ich mache mir gerne meine eigenen Vorstellungen. Bei den Eulen ist es etwas anders: Ich war sehr froh über die Porträts, da ich mir sonst überhaupt nichts unter den verschiedenen Arten hätte vorstellen können.

*Cover:*
Von der Aufmachung her erinnert mich das Cover sehr an das der "Warrior Cats"-Reihe. Es ist sehr schön gestaltet und zeigt außerdem die entscheidende Szene des Buches: Sorens Entführung, die ebenfalls für die Titelgebung verantwortlich ist.

*Fazit:*
Ein klasse Buch, das ich gerne gelesen habe, obwohl ich schon lange aus der Altersempfehlung herausgewachsen bin. Leider war es mir viel zu kurz und für den Preis hätte ich gerne mehr Seiten, vor allem mehr Antworten auf die offenen Fragen, in den Händen gehabt! Außerdem haben mich die brutalen Szenen doch etwas schockiert. Deswegen vergebe ich insgesamt 4 Sterne! Ich werde die Fortsetzungen auf jeden Fall verfolgen und hoffe, dass diese mich genauso überzeugen werden.(less)

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Oct 09, 2012 Angel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Harry Potter fans, or young adventure fans

Recommended to Angel by: No one

Shelves: adventure-stuff, teen-fiction

If you've seen the "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" movie, or pretty much any book-turned movie, you know straight off that the movie is missing a lot. The first of the "Guardian" series is no exception. There is *so* much plot missing from the books that it's really kind of crazy how they kept everything so intact.

The books provide a lot of depth into the world of the owls and provides a better, deeper understanding of all the subtleties of owl life. Gylfie, in particular, seems...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Danielle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: andrew-s-book-list

Danielle: I enjoyed this book, but I thought the subject matter was a little advanced for Andrew. There is disturbing imagery that includes a brother attempting to murder the main character and bats that attack the owls and pull out all of their feathers. There are several heroes who die for the cause. However, Andrew was not bothered (or maybe get the full meaning) and fell in love with this series! He is now on the 7th in the series.

Andrew: I like the whole thing. I would give it 5 stars, but...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Ahfie Rofi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Di sebuah pohon besar, terdapat keluarga burung hantu Barn yang sedang menantikan penetasan telur ketiga. Hingga akhirnya telur itu pun menetas dan muncul bayi burung hantu betina. Soren, anak kedua dari keluarga itu belum bisa terbang sedangkan Kludd kakaknya akan belajar terbang.

Beberapa hari setelah penetasan, sarang itu pun menjadi sepi karena ayah dan ibu mereka pergi mencari makanan. Sedangkan sarang itu dijaga oleh seekor seekor ular buta yang sudah bertahun-tahun hidup bersama keluarga...more Di sebuah pohon besar, terdapat keluarga burung hantu Barn yang sedang menantikan penetasan telur ketiga. Hingga akhirnya telur itu pun menetas dan muncul bayi burung hantu betina. Soren, anak kedua dari keluarga itu belum bisa terbang sedangkan Kludd kakaknya akan belajar terbang.

Beberapa hari setelah penetasan, sarang itu pun menjadi sepi karena ayah dan ibu mereka pergi mencari makanan. Sedangkan sarang itu dijaga oleh seekor seekor ular buta yang sudah bertahun-tahun hidup bersama keluarga burung hantu Barn itu. Ketika Soren berada di sebuah dahan untuk melihat bintang, tiba-tiab dia merasa ada yang mendorongnya hingga ia jatuh ke bawah.

Tidak ada yang bisa dilakukan oleh burung hantu kecil itu. Beberapa saat kemudian dia langsung pingsan setelah merasa ada cengkeraman kuat di sayapnya yang masih sedikit. Ketika dia terbangun dia sudah ada di langit yang cerah. Akhirnya dia dijatuhkan di sebuah gua. Di situ terdapat banyak sekali burung hantu yang masih muda yang juga diculik. Lalu dia berkenalan dengan seekor burung hantu Peri, Gylfie namanya.

Setelah mereka mengetahui rahasia-rahasia yang ada di dalam gua itu mereka mencoba untuk melarikan diri setelah mereka belajar terbang. Akhirnya mereka dapat lolos dari gua itu. Ketika Gylfie akan mendarat kakinya tersangkut sehingga ia mendarat dengan tubuh terbalik. Lalu muncul seekor burung hantu yang badannya besar, Twilight, sehingga mereka pun menjadi tiga sahabat yang tujuannya sama, menuju Pohon Ga’Hoole Agung. Ketika mereka ke Gurun Kunner untuk bertemu dengan ibu Gylfie, ternyata di sana tidak ada siapa-siapa. Lalu mereka bertemu dengan Plithiver, si ular buta yang akhirnya ikut juga. Setelah itu mereka bertemu dengan Digger, burung hantu liang yang juga bergabung dengan mereka.

Mereka pun akhirnya terbang menuju ke Pohon Ga’Hoole Agung.

Kesan saya setelah membaca buku ini sangat membuat saya jadi terinspirasi. Fantastik sekali. Ternyata burung hantu juga dapat bingung. Kerajaan-kerajaan dan jenis-jenis burung hantu yang ada dalam cerita ini membuat kerita ini semakin menarik. saya akan menantikan cerita-cerita berikutnya dan saya berharap semakin banyak pembaca buku ini. Semoga cerita-cerita berikutnya lebih menarik lagi.(less)

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May 03, 2012 Steven R. McEvoy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-best-of, read-2011

I loved the movie when I saw it, but the books had been on my to-be-read list for a long time. Now that I have read the first one, I know I will need to read them all in short order, as these books are so much better than the movie. The depth of character and the progress in the book is amazing. There is so much detail and specifics that it was wonderful to read. I am usually leery of reading books about films I liked, in part because the books are often different and you get comfortable with wh...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Harold Smithson rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another animal-themed serial. Hooray.

As if Erin Hunter's attempt at cat warriors wasn't a sign that animal fiction is not for the weak of pen, Kathryn Lasky's Guardians of Ga'hoole cements that theory. Granted, whereas the warrior series was just all around bad, this one is slightly better. And I do mean "slightly". Not nearly enough to justify 15 books and certainly not enough to suggest to anyone to read this series.

Why, then, can I look at my bookshelf and know with absolute certainty there a...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Christy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, oh-no-moments, page-turner, popular

GUARDIANS OF GA'HOOLE is a classic hero mythology about the fight between good and evil. This series is filled with adventure, suspense, and heart.

In the first book in the GUARDIANS... series, the reader is introduced to Soren, a barn owl and the centerpiece of the series. When Soren is pushed from his family's nest by his older brother, he is rescued from certain death on...moreGUARDIANS OF GA'HOOLE is a classic hero mythology about the fight between good and evil. This series is filled with ad...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Sher A. Hart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-reviews

I was disappointed that the book didn't really complete the story, but that's the only real fault I found. I had trouble at first with the amount of anthropomorphism in the owl characters, but they were well developed and I was quickly caught up in the story of Soren, a young owl orphaned and then kidnapped. The author made Soren's struggle to keep his identity and escape into an engaging plot that any child who has ever felt helpless and unloved will relate to.

The message of facing fears with c...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Kathy added it · review of another edition

The Capture
Critique by Eva Fenningdorf

In the beginning of the story Soren the barn owl is pushed out of his family’s nest by his big brother Kludd when his parents are not home. He cannot fly so he plummets to the ground. While he is lying on the ground an adult owl captures Soren and takes him to a place called St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls. Right after he arrives the general, Skench, gives a speech to the new owls saying: “You are orphans now.” (Page 31) At St. Aegolius Soren meets an...more The Capture
Critique by Eva Fenningdorf

In the beginning of the story Soren the barn owl is pushed out of his family’s nest by his big brother Kludd when his parents are not home. He cannot fly so he plummets to the ground. While he is lying on the ground an adult owl captures Soren and takes him to a place called St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls. Right after he arrives the general, Skench, gives a speech to the new owls saying: “You are orphans now.” (Page 31) At St. Aegolius Soren meets an elf owl named Gylfie who becomes his friend. Gylfie is also taken away. Soren and Gylfie are given numbers instead of names. Then Gylfie realizes that they are being “moon blinked” and Soren comes up with a way to resist moon blinking. Gylfie and Soren are working in the Pelletorium. In the Pelletorium, Soren and Gylfie pick through pellets to find little things called flecks. Gylfie thinks the library will have some information about the flecks. While going up to the library, Soren and Gylfie meet an owl named Hortense. Hortense resists moon blinking too. Hortense is a hero and she takes owl eggs from the Eggorium and gives them to eagles. Then the eagles take them to owls that raise them. One day while Hortense is giving an egg to an eagle, she gets caught by Skench, Spoorn, Jatt, Jutt, and Auntie. They kill Hortense but Soren and Gylfie who were with her survive. Soren and Gylfie want to escape but they know the only way out is to fly. They ask an adult owl named Grimble to teach them how to fly. Grimble teaches them all about flying. Then Grimble is murdered. Soren and Gylfie fly away to search for their families. On the way, they meet an owl named Twilight who helps them. They cannot find Soren’s family so they start looking for Gylfie’s family. While on the way to the Desert of Kuneer to look for Gylfie’s family they find Soren’s blind snake nanny Mrs. Plithiver. Mrs. Plithiver rides on Soren’s back to the Desert of Kuneer. In the desert they find an owl named Digger, but not Gylfie’s family. They realize that if they want to find their families they will have to fly to The Great Ga’Hoole Tree.

Soren and Gylfie are the two main characters. Soren is from the Forests of Tyto. Soren is a rare breed of barn owl, Tyto Alba. He is a young owl. He has an older brother named Kludd, a younger sister named Eglantine, a father named Noctus, a mother named Marella, and a blind snake nanny named Mrs. Plithiver. Gylfie is an elf owl from the Desert of Kuneer. She has a mother and a father. Gylfie is a clever owl. She realizes that they are being moon blinked and that there is something very wrong going on at St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls. “Soren and Gylfie both stared in disbelief as hundreds of owls flung themselves flat onto their backs with their breasts exposed to the sky.” (Page 135) Bats come to take away the urge of flying. “With gleaming sharp teeth they made a quick tiny cut. The bats’ tongues, narrow and grooved slipped into the nicks.” (Pages 136 and 137)

The main conflict or problem of the story is that Soren and Gylfie are captured and sent to St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls. The problem is resolved when Soren and Gylfie learn how to fly with the help of Grimble. They fly out of St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls and find two owls who agree to help them find their families. There is another large problem in the story which is that owl eggs and baby owls are being stolen from their families. This problem is not solved in this book but I predict that it will be solved in a later book of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series.

My opinion of the book is that it is very good. It is full of action, adventure, emotion, and suspense. In some parts the book has you sitting on the edge of your seat. The beginning and end of the book are great! I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!
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Nov 08, 2011 Allan Whitlaw rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I picked up this book around 7 or 8 years ago, I was 10 years old. I just read it again. Diagnosis.

First off, right from the prologue, you know this isn't some cheap "friendship overcomes everything" book. You know from the start, that this is gonna be darker than you thought. The first sentence is "I am dead." Jeez.

We are introduced to our main character, Soren, a barn owl. Soren is a very likable character. Because he's ADORABLE. Soren is the character that dreams of being a hero (like most ma...more I picked up this book around 7 or 8 years ago, I was 10 years old. I just read it again. Diagnosis.

First off, right from the prologue, you know this isn't some cheap "friendship overcomes everything" book. You know from the start, that this is gonna be darker than you thought. The first sentence is "I am dead." Jeez.

We are introduced to our main character, Soren, a barn owl. Soren is a very likable character. Because he's ADORABLE. Soren is the character that dreams of being a hero (like most main characters of anything ever). But not just any hero, a guardian of ga'hoole. But Soren's asshole brother Kludd is like "dreams are stupid" or something like that. Soren's sister is born, and immediately they share an everlasting bond.

However, Soren falls out of his nest, OH NOES. He asks his brother Kludd for help. But Kludd decides to be an asshole. Suddenly, this huge owl takes Soren to this canyon called St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls. Soren is all confuzzled, "WTF, I'm not an orphan." Soren meets Gylfie, and they decide that they have to escape.

After they escape, they meet up with Twilight and Digger. Once together, the four decide to find the Great Ga'Hoole tree and become guardians.

Many consider The Capture to be boring, however one must understand that this and the 2nd volume are exposition for the absolute epicness that is the 3rd volume.

Most of the book takes place in the St. Aegolius canyons. This is definitely the best part of the book. As the story progresses, we learn more and more about this mysterious orphanage. And by the time Soren and Gylfie escape, we STILL don't know everything.

The last parts are when the book starts to dwindle. The biggest problem is that we don't have all four main characters until the second to last chapter. At the end we have Soren, the dreamer; Gylfie, the smart one; Twilight, the cocky tough one; and Digger, um, uh, the fourth one.

If you were turned off by lack of action in this book, try to read up through the third volume at least. Not the best in the series, but still worth it for the mystery aspect.(less)

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Mar 27, 2011 Jeff rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

We had watched The Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole and found it to be a terrible movie. So out of morbid curiosity I decided to pick up the first book and see if there was anything at all redeeming in the series. Well for a plus I can say that the movie completely diverges from the book. But that is about the only plus I can give it. The writing style is horrible, and I will not cut it any slack for being a kid's book. The speech that is coming from the owl does not match with what adjective is...more

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Feb 15, 2011 Mr. Graham rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens, fantasy, saw-the-movie

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Capture is the story of a young owl who grows into himself as a leader. In this, the first book in the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series, the main character, Soren, learns many things in a short time of treachery, captivity, and violence. Along the way he makes some true friends, and together they start a noble journey for the good of Owlkind.
The title of the book is slightly misleading, as the capture of the young owls is a brief part of a story that includes youth, captivity, escape, and the...more The Capture is the story of a young owl who grows into himself as a leader. In this, the first book in the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series, the main character, Soren, learns many things in a short time of treachery, captivity, and violence. Along the way he makes some true friends, and together they start a noble journey for the good of Owlkind.
The title of the book is slightly misleading, as the capture of the young owls is a brief part of a story that includes youth, captivity, escape, and the beginning of the journey. The title really only applies to chapter three. The story is a bit disappointing in that there's a lack of a main thread of plot with a climax and resolution. There is a short fight near the end of the story, which I guess counts for the climax, but not enough. In fact, there is very little real action in the story at all. I'm sad that the first book of a 15-book series does not have more to make a reader keep going.
There are some worthwhile tidbits to be picked from various scenes. In chapter four the leader of the “academy” where the kidnapped owls were taken said in her introduction, “We discourage questions here, as we feel they often distract from the Truth.” From there they “moonblinked” the captured owls. In chapter five Gylphie gives a great description of moonblinking: “You no longer know what is for sure and what is not. What is truth and what are lies. What is real and what is false. That is being moonblinked.” It brings to my mind all the ways our society tries to moonblink us and discourage us from asking questions. They now live in a society where they are stripped of their identities and everything that makes them individuals. Sound familiar. But like Soren, Gylphie, Hortense and Grimble, we can do something about it. We can refuse to be moonblinked and devote our lives to doing good.
This brings us to two unsung heroes, Hortense and Grimble. As Soren is the main character and hero of the story, the author makes it clear that great things are built on the sacrifices of many that are unknown or forgotten. Hortense comments in chapter 16, “Anything worth doing has risks.” Let us not forget the Hortenses and Grimbles who give their very lives for the good of others.
This story does have great educational value in its devotion to owls. There is a lot to be learned about owls in the story. While some books teach history through fiction, this book teaches biology through fiction.
While I do not feel like this story can stand alone, it was pretty good, and I'm looking forward to the continuation of the story in book two to resolve the mystery of the flecks, and what happened to Soren's Family.
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Jan 18, 2011 Alvaroh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought that this book was the best one I have ever read. (The Capture) has so many details that I could imagine being the owl. This book is about a two week old owlet being pushed out of his nest and then being kidnapped and taken to a school for owl orphans (ST. Aggies). Soren(the owl) met a friend there. His name was Gylfie. The school made them work really hard, and wanted to moon blink everyone there. Moon blinking is when an owl sleeps directly under a full moon. They lose control and go...more

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Nov 28, 2010 Murphy's Library rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(from Murphy's Library - http://www.murphyslibrary.com/)

I need to confess I decided to read this book because of the movie. I saw the trailer of Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole and fell in love with the owls. Well, let’s just say I decided to read Harry Potter just because of the owls on the movie—yes, I also watched the movie and then went to read the book—, and I wrote almost all my Harry Potter fanfictions using one of the story’s owls name as my pen name, so you can imagine how...more (from Murphy's Library - http://www.murphyslibrary.com/)

I need to confess I decided to read this book because of the movie. I saw the trailer of Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole and fell in love with the owls. Well, let’s just say I decided to read Harry Potter just because of the owls on the movie—yes, I also watched the movie and then went to read the book—, and I wrote almost all my Harry Potter fanfictions using one of the story’s owls name as my pen name, so you can imagine how much I like owls.

Soren is a happy owlet. He loves his little daughter, Eglantine, who has just hatched. He loves his Da and his Mom, and he also loves his brother Kludd—despite the fact that his brother doesn’t seem to love him back. But Soren is just a baby and he can’t understand how someone can be evil. He’s too young and too naïve—and too cute and a believer. He truly believes on the legend of the Guardians of Ga’Hoole, an old myth about owls that live in a big tree and keep the order between the owls.

One day, Soren falls from his nest. He’s not really sure how it happens, but he’s sure he’s in dangerous. He knows since ever that the ground is too dangerous to any owlet—especially when his parents are away. Mrs. Plithiver, Soren’s blind nestmaid snake, tries to help him, but it’s too late. Before Soren could realize what was going on, he’s been carried away by a big owl.

He ends up at the St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls—but he’s not an orphan, he keeps telling everybody!—, where he meets Gylfie. She’s also an owlet who’s been taken away from her parents. At St. Angie’s, Soren and Gylfie find out that they’re moon bliding the owlets, in order to make them stop asking things and obey what they’re ordering them to do. They’re not totally sure why the owls at St. Angie’s are kidnapping owlets, but they’re determined to find out—and also to get away from there as soon as possible. Soon, they realize there’s only one way out: flying away. But they’re just two scarred little babies, how can they learn how to fly without being noticed by the monitors owls?

I wanted to squeeze Soren and Gylfie all way through, they’re so cute! I watched the movie before reading the book—the movie was based on the first three books of this series—, so I couldn’t help myself but pointing all the time the changes they made on the movie. It took me a while to read this book, more than usual, but I’ve been pretty busy and haven’t had much time to read, so maybe that was the reason why I thought the narrative was too slow. But, well, I have to remember myself it’s a children’s book…(less)

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Nov 21, 2010 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 31, 2010 Sandra Stiles added it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, middle-grades

What do you get when you take an animal, in this case owls, mix in human characteristics and then send the owls on an adventure? You get Kathryn Lasky's, Guardians of Ga'Hoole series. The Capture is the first book in this series. I've had it on my list to read for a while but had not had a chance to read it. I am so glad I was offered the opportunity to review the book. The others in the series will soon be gracing my shelves as well. I am truly sorry I waited so long to read it.

Soren is a young...more

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Sep 15, 2010 Sarah BT rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

About the Book: Soren is a young barn owl who has grown up hearing legends of knightly owls from Ga'Hoole. When Soren falls (or is he pushed?) from his nest and ends up being captured by a school for orphaned owls, St. Aggie's. But St. Aggie's isn't as good as it seems and Soren and his new friend Gylfie must discover a way to escape and find out if the legends of the guardians are true.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I'm not a big fan of animal fantasy, but Guardians of Ga'Hoole is...more

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Sep 08, 2010 Doglover rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is pretty amazing for a childrens book. It goes really deep into charecter development and is about a young Barn owl named Soren who fell out the nest when he was a chick. Shortly after falling out he got snatched and taken to a horrible "orphanage" called St. Aegolius. While there he meets up with a little Elf owl named Gylfie. Most of the book is about him and Gylfie trying to get out of St. Aegolius.

Overall its a 3 star book....if your like I am, the book should be really easy to re...more

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About Kathryn Lasky

Kathryn Lasky is the American author of many critically acclaimed books, including several Dear America books, several Royal Diaries books, 1984 Newbery Honor winning Sugaring Time, The Night Journey, and the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her latest book, Guardians of Ga'Hoole Book 15: The War of the Ember, was released on November 1, 2008. Guardians of Gahoo...more

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“Legends were not only for the desperate. Legends were for the brave. (Soren)” — 63 people liked it

“They did not hear Grimble, as he lay dying, chant in the true voice of the Boreal Owl, in tones like chimes in the night, an ancient owl prayer, “I have redeemed myself by giving belief to the wings of the young. Blessed are those who believe, for indeed they shall fly."” — 50 people liked it

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The Capture (Guardians of Ga'Hoole #1)

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