Plot Summary: Sparrowhawk has grown up on the small outlying island of Gont, far from anything. All of his siblings are grown and he's not quite sure where he fits in. When is village is threatened by attacking warriors, Sparrowhawk summons all of his will to hide the village and its residents, and he does. From that day on his aunt, the local mage, attempts to hone his obvious magical talent, but he's soon outpaced her instruction. One day, a mage comes to town because of what he's heard about Sparrowhawk's abilities. Sparrowhawk joins him and he begins to teach Sparrowhawk more about his talents, and receives his true name that holds power over him, Ged. Ged isn't satisfied with the slow teachings of his master mage, and when taunted by a local lady he attempts a spell beyond his talents and a shadowy creature is unleashed that follows him. Eventually, Ged makes his way to the wizard school on the island of Roke to complete his training, but it's harder than that to shake the shadow creature he's unleashed.
Critical Evaluation: Ursula Le Guin is a master in the fantasy genre and in her most famous work it's easy to see why. Le Guin creates an amazing world that rivals Middle Earth for complexity and she's able to continue to introduce new pieces of history and reveal at every turn. Although this is just the first installment in a four part series, this book stands on its own two legs and would be a classic if it was the first and last of these books. Le Guin continually amazes and readers will be drawn in today just as they were when this was first published, decades ago.
Reader's Annotation: Ged starts out a misfit on a lonely island, but before long he's bound for much more than he ever thought possible.
About the Author: Born in 1929 in Berkeley, CA to a writer and anthropologist. She attended Radcliffe College, receiving her BA there in 1951. Earned her MA from Columbia University in 1952.
She is a lifetime achievement award winnner in science fiction and has written 21 novels to date, including her seminal series, the Earthsea Chronicles.
Information retreived from http://www.ursulakleguin.com/
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Curriculum Ties: N/A
Booktalking Ideas: How much can you control your own destiny? Can you ever undo anything completely?
Reading Level: 13+
Interest Age: 14+
Challenge Issues: Magic
Challenge Response: I would work with teachers that have taught this title and Le Guin's responses to any challenges.
Why is This Included: A true classic in the fantasy genre that's still fresh today.
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