Owls of Ga'Hoole

[Northwoods]

Since finishing The Hobbit and then LOTR, the 2 older kids requested that I next read to them The Legend of the Guardians - The Owls of Ga'Hoole.  Both of them (9 year old girl and 7 year old boy) really seem to be enjoying it.

I'm noticing a distinct anti-communist (or at least anti-statist) theme.  The taking of owlets and "moon-blinking" them to make them servile, unthinking pawns of the dictatorial "leaders" of the "orphanage", with violence/disappearing of owls that don't conform.  The facade of sweetness in the equivalent of the teacher/parental replacement.  The spying and harsh correction of those caught thinking independantly or asking any questions.

Anyone else ever read it?  Curious of your thoughts on the book.  We're not all that far in.  Soren and Glyphie have just escaped from St. Aggies where we stopped tonight.

[Gowen]

If you want a very old neat book read them this:

http://librivox.org/the-light-princess-by-george-macdonald/

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/697

This would be on par with Cinderella or sleeping beauty.

[makattak]

George Macdonald was also an influence shared by both Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.  I haven't read the light princess,  but his Phantastes was very good.

Also, looking over his works on Guttenberg,  I think "At the Back of the North Wind" was one of the specific works mentioned by Lewis.

(Edited because capitalizing on a smartphone can be annoying.)

[BlueStarLizzard]

I've only seen the movie (very cute and very well animated and filmed) but I also see the parelles you're making.

[Northwoods]

I've only seen the movie (very cute and very well animated and filmed) but I also see the parelles you're making.

It was the movie that got my kids interested in the book :D.