Monthly letter from Kathy Lasky

Hello Ga’Hoole Readers:

I’m so excited to be writing you. This is my first letter for the website and I shall be writing one every month to keep you up to date on the doings in Ga’Hoole. Right now, mid August--oh dear, back to school soon-- the eighth book in the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series is about to come out. It is called The Outcast. I just love the cover. It shows an owl, Nyroc, son of Nyra and the dreadful Kludd flying toward a volcano in Beyond The Beyond. Much of the book takes place in the Beyond as Nyroc has exiled himself from the Pure Ones. He flies alone, feared and despised by those who know him as Kludd’s son, hunted by those whose despotism he has rejected, and haunted by ghostly creatures conjured by Nyra to lure him back to the Pure Ones. He yearns for a place he only half believes in-the great tree, and an uncle, the near-mythic Soren, who might be a true father to him. Yet he cannot approach the tree while the rumor of evil clings to him. To prove his worth, Nyroc will fly to Beyond the Beyond seeking the legendary Relic and bring it-a talisman of his own.

The most exciting thing to me in this book is that I have introduced a new group of animals--wolves. I had to learn all about their behavior and habits: how they scent mark, how they show submissive behavior (crouch down, lay back ears and pull mouth back into what is called the “fear grin”). Wolves have a very complicated ranking system and who ever is top wolf has to be respected. The lower ranking wolves do this through displays of submissive behavior. The most fascinating fact that I found out about wolves is a very strange piece of behavior they do when they are about to give the death blow to a prey. Scientists have described it as a locking of their eyes with that of their victim. There is a kind of exchange almost as if the wolf is saluting or thanking the animal he or she is about to kill for giving up its life.

But as one book is published another is being written. Book 10! Don’t worry I finished Guardians of Ga’Hoole #9: The Legends: The First Collier in the spring. It will be in stores in March 2006.

Next month I’ll tell you more about both books 9 and 10.

Until then have a wonderful rest of summer and I’ll write again in September.

Sincerely,
Kathy