Ranger's Apprentice Book 1: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

Summary:

     Will is an orphan who lives with the other orphans in his town. Every year, the master tradesmen come to the castle to pick an apprentice from the orphans who have come of age. Will would like to be a knight of the realm, but has few hopes of being chosen because he is much too small. Everyone is shocked when Will is chosen by the ranger for his curiosity and stealth.
     Will spends many days learning the ranger trade. He learns to scout, track, throw a knife, and gather intelligence through stealth. Will rarely sees the other orphans from the castle, but does run into his sometimes friend, Horace who is at battle school. Horace is struggling with battle school. His social issues hide the fact that he is a gifted swordsman who is highly regarded by his teachers.
     The two boy's join forces when war seems to be on the horizon and the kingdom must be defended. Grand adventure ensues.

Personal Reaction:

     Ranger's Apprentice Book 1: The Ruins of Gorlan is an excellent read. Typical of many books for teenagers, Will has no parents. This frees him up to become involved in many dangerous situations. The pace of the novel is fast, keeping the reader interested. In addition, the relationships among the orphans is very realistic, particularly that of Horace and Will. The boys start out as enemies but end up as friends, something more atypical of many books for teenagers. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy never became best friends, after all. This book would tend to appeal to boys, but girls might also enjoy, after all, there are hints at a love story later in the series.