Warrior: Into the Wild, by Erin Hunter

Bibliographic Information:
Hunter, E. (2003). Warrior: Into the Wild. HarperCollins. ISBN10: 0060525509.

Book Awards:
None.

Plot Summary:
Rusty is a kittypet-- a housecat-- who dreams of the forest. When he meets a cat of the wild clans, his bravery and cleverness earn him a chance to become a member of Thunderclan. He must work hard to live up to his new name (Firepaw) by learning how to be a wild cat, and he must also overcome their natural prejudice against kittypets. When danger from the rival Shadowclan, and betrayal from within the clan threaten, Firepaw steps up as a fierce warrior on behalf of his new clan. He must save his friend from a powerful enemy, and convince the clan to accept an outcast.

Critical Evaluation:
The wildly popular Warriors series begins with this book. The prose is simple, but the story and characters are gripping. Erin Hunter skilfully weaves speech and intelligent organization into the cat clan culture without losing their essential cat natures. It is easy to imagine one's beloved kitty acting like these cats, which adds to the fun. The setting is a generic rural area, and everything is labeled from a cat's point of view, giving young readers the broadening experience of looking through a different set of eyes at everyday objects.

Reader's Annotation:
Firepaw must quickly learn to be a wild cat in order to save his new clan.

About the Author:
Erin Hunter is actually a pseudonym for four different authors: Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Victoria Holmes and Tui Sutherland. They did not wish the Warriors books to be shelved in different places according to their various last names. Holmes always lays out the story lines, and the other three authors take turns writing the books. All but Sutherland, who lives in the U.S., live in England.

Genre:
Fantasy

Curriculum Ties:
None

Booktalking Ideas:
Do cats in the wild live together? Have wars? Rules?

Interest Age:
9-12

Challenge Issues:
None

Reason Included:
There are so many of these books, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about!