Rakkety Tam by Brian Jacques
This was the story of Rakkety Tam, a squirrel warrior engaged in a battle against a wolverine, Gulo the Savage, who is seeking his brother and the Walking Stone. The story involves many battles between "goodbeasts" and "vermin", and many lives are lost along the way. We get to know several of these animals, both good and bad. If you enjoy Brian Jacques Redwall books, you will probably enjoy this one as well. I found that it moved rather slowly and it took me some time to complete the book, but I am not a fan of battle scenes and find them difficult to read about. There was not any real graphic violence in this story, so it does have its place in an elementary library. I just need to find a way to sell it to potential readers.

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
In this fast-moving adventure, we learn about Peter, an orphan from London, and his friends who are put aboard a ship, the Neverland, to become servants to an evil king on a faraway island. Once he is aboard the ship, he meets Molly, a girl about his own age, who befriends him. This book takes Peter and his friends from London to a desert island far out at sea. Along the way, we find pirates, thieves, shipwrecks, mermaids, savages, a crocodile, and a treasure chest. These adventures serve as a prequel to J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan and show us how Peter and the “lost boys” come to be on their island. This was an action-filled story that was hard to put down.

The High King by Lloyd Alexander
Taran Wanderer becomes Taran Warrior in this last of the Chronicles of Prydain. Taran and his companions go to try to reclaim the sword Dyrnwyn from the hands of Arwan Death-Lord before all of Prydain is destroyed. Taran and Prince Gwydion raise an army to march against Arawn and recover the sword even if they must go to the gates of Annuvin, a place of death. In this story, Taran fully becomes a man and shows what he is made of. Read this heroic tale to discover what becomes of Taran’s love for Eilonwy and whether or not good can truly triumph over evil.

Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander
In this episode of The Chronicles of Prydain, Taran is on a quest to find himself. He wants to find out who his parents were and hopefully if he is of noble birth. He sets off with his faithful companion, Gurgi, and travels first to the Marshes of Morva to find out if the three enchantresses who live there can tell him who his parents were. He then travels throughout many realms of Prydain in search for his identity and has many adventures. He hopes to find the Mirror of Llunet, which may give him the answer he seeks. Does Taran find his identity? Is he of noble birth and thus worthy of the Princess Eilonwy? Will he survive this adventure? Read this exciting adventure to find out!

The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander
Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper, and his companions return in another adventure in The Chronicles of Prydain. This time Taran and Gurgi escort Eilonwy to the Isle of Mona, where she will be trained as a proper princess by King Rhuddlum and Queen Teleria. On the ship to Mona, they meet Prince Rhun, the cheerful but inept son of the king and queen. Once on Mona, Taran finds his old friend Fflewddur Fflam, and meets again Prince Gwydion disguised as a shoemaker. It seems that Gwydion has discovered that the evil enchantress Achren is hunting for Eilonwy. Once again, the companions are called on to fight against evil. Read this episode to find out what happens to Taran and Eilonwy.

The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander
In the second of The Chronicles of Prydain, Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper, sets off on another quest to help Gwydion and other warriors to steal the black cauldron from Arawn and destroy it before Arawn can use it to create more invincible Cauldron-born warriors. He is joined again by the dwarf, Doli, the princess Eilonwy, Gurgi, and the bard Fflewddur Fflam. In this story, Taran has the opportunity to wear his first sword. He dreams of showing his mettle and being a hero, but once again things do not go as planned. He meets Ellidyr, the young prince with a thirst for fame, and Adaon, a valiant warrior who is both gentle and brave. If you enjoyed The Book of Three, you will enjoy this continuation of Taran’s adventures.

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
This is the first book in The Chronicles of Prydain. We meet Taran, an Assistant Pig-Keeper, who wishes to learn the arts of sword-making and fighting instead of his daily chores of looking after the pig Hen-Wen and assisting with daily chores such as hoeing the garden and feeding the animals. Taran has dreams of being a great hero, but one day when Hen-Wen runs away and he chases after her, he finds that being out in the world on his own is not all that he thought. He meets a rough-looking, ragged man and is surprised to learn that this man is Gwydion, a great war hero. In his adventures as he tries to recover Hen-Wen, Taran meets the Horned King, a part man part beast named Gurgi, Eilonwy, dwarfs, and many other strange and mysterious creatures. He knows that he must return home to Caer Dallben to warn them of the approach of warriors from Annuvin. If you enjoy fantasy and adventure, this is a book for you. There are 4 other books in The Chronicles of Prydain.