Epic adventures. Fierce warrior cats. A thrilling fantasy world. It all begins here.Read the book that began a phenomenon—and join the legion of fans who have made Erin Hunter's Warriors series a...
Epic adventures. Fierce warrior cats. A thrilling fantasy world. It all begins here.Read the book that began a phenomenon—and join the legion of fans who have made Erin Hunter's Warriors series a...
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ATOS™:5.6
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Lexile®:1270
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Interest Level:MG
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Text Difficulty:4
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Available:93
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Library copies:93
Description-
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Epic adventures. Fierce warrior cats. A thrilling fantasy world. It all begins here.
Read the book that began a phenomenon—and join the legion of fans who have made Erin Hunter's Warriors series a #1 national bestseller.
For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their ancestors. But the warrior code has been threatened, and the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger. The sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying—and some deaths are more mysterious than others.
In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary housecat named Rusty... who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.
Excerpts-
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Chapter One
It was very dark. Rusty could sense something was near. The young tomcat's eyes opened wide as he scanned the dense undergrowth. This place was unfamiliar, but the strange scents drew him onward, deeper into the shadows. His stomach growled, reminding him of his hunger. He opened his jaws slightly to let the warm smells of the forest reach the scent glands on the roof of his mouth. Musty odors of leaf mold mingled with the tempting aroma of a small furry creature.
Suddenly a flash of gray raced past him. Rusty stopped still, listening. It was hiding in the leaves less than two tail-lengths away. Rusty knew it was a mouse—he could feel the rapid pulsing of a tiny heart deep within his ear fur. He swallowed, stifling his rumbling stomach. Soon his hunger would be satisfied.
Slowly he lowered his body into position, crouching for the attack. He was downwind of the mouse. He knew it was not aware of him. With one final check on his prey's position, Rusty pushed back hard on his haunches and sprang, kicking up leaves on the forest floor as he rose.
The mouse dived for cover, heading toward a hole in the ground. But Rusty was already on top of it. He scooped it into the air, hooking the helpless creature with his thorn-sharp claws, flinging it up in a high arc onto the leaf-covered ground. The mouse landed dazed, but alive. It tried to run, but Rusty snatched it up again. He tossed the mouse once more, this time a little farther away. The mouse managed to scramble a few paces before Rusty caught up with it.
Suddenly a noise roared nearby. Rusty looked around, and as he did so, the mouse was able to pull away from his claws. When Rusty turned back he saw it dart into the darkness among the tangled roots of a tree.
Angry, Rusty gave up the hunt. He spun around, his green eyes glaring, intent on searching out the noise that had cost him his kill. The sound rattled on, becoming more familiar. Rusty blinked open his eyes.
The forest had disappeared. He was inside a hot and airless kitchen, curled in his bed. Moonlight filtered through the window, casting shadows on the smooth, hard floor. The noise had been the rattle of hard, dried pellets of food as they were tipped into his dish. Rusty had been dreaming.
Lifting his head, he rested his chin on the side of his bed. His collar rubbed uncomfortably around his neck. In his dream he had felt fresh air ruffling the soft fur where the collar usually pinched. Rusty rolled onto his back, savoring the dream for a few more moments. He could still smell mouse. It was the third time since full moon that he'd had the dream, and every time the mouse had escaped his grasp.
He licked his lips. From his bed he could smell the bland odor of his food. His owners always refilled his dish before they went to bed. The dusty smell chased away the warm scents of his dream. But the hunger rumbled on in his stomach, so Rusty stretched the sleep out of his limbs and padded across the kitchen floor to his dinner. The food felt dry and tasteless on his tongue. Rusty reluctantly swallowed one more mouthful. Then he turned away from the food dish and pushed his way out through the cat flap, hoping that the smell of the garden would bring back the feelings from his dream.
Outside, the moon was bright. It was raining lightly. Rusty stalked down the tidy garden, following the starlit gravel path, feeling the stones cold and sharp beneath his paws. He made his dirt beneath a large bush with glossy green leaves and heavy purple flowers. Their sickly sweet scent cloyed the damp air around him, and he curled his lip to drive the smell out of his nostrils.
Afterward, Rusty settled down on top of one of the posts in the fence that marked the...
About the Author-
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Erin Hunter is inspired by a love of cats and a fascination with the ferocity of the natural world. In addition to having great respect for nature in all its forms, Erin enjoys creating rich mythical explanations for animal behavior. She is the author of the Warriors, Seekers, Survivors, Bravelands, and Bamboo Kingdom series. Erin lives in the UK.
Reviews-
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December 23, 2002
In the first exciting installment of the Warriors fantasy series, debut novelist Hunter creates a cat world shared by four tribal clans, drawing on the habits of feral animals and also inserting valuable themes regarding family, friendship and responsibility. Rusty, a young tomcat, forsakes the soft world of the "Twolegs" for the riskier life of the wildcat clans that rule in the woods, beyond the Twolegplace. When Rusty tries to snare a mouse in what proves to be ThunderClan territory, he meets Bluestar, the leader of the Clan, who invites him to learn "what it is to be a real cat. The strength and the fellowship of the Clan will always be with you, even when you hunt alone." Becoming "Firepaw," a warrior-cat-in-training, the once pampered pet adapts quickly to the tribal rules, bonds with his fellow apprentices and with the old she-cat Yellowfang, who is on the run from ShadowClan. When the merciless leader of ShadowClan drives out WindClan and demands to share ShadowClan's hunting territories, the stage is set for more action-packed adventure. (The second Warriors novel, Fire and Ice,
is due out in June.) Certain to please any young reader who has ever wondered what dreams of grandeur may haunt the family cat. Ages 10-up. -
May 1, 2003
Gr 5 Up-Rusty, a young "kittypet" (house cat), yearns for adventure. When he's offered the chance to join the ThunderClan, one of the gangs of feral cats in the area, he doesn't hesitate. Renamed Firepaw, he becomes an apprentice and begins to train as a warrior. After rescuing Yellowfang, ex-medicine cat for the ShadowClan who has fled for her life, Firepaw and the other ThunderClan members find themselves in the middle of a turf war against the rival gang, led by the nefarious Brokenstar. There's a traitor in their midst, though, and Firepaw must learn more than just hunting and fighting to survive. The author has created an intriguing world with an intricate structure and mythology, and an engaging young hero. The supporting cast of players is large and a little confusing, but there are standouts who give dimension to the tale. The difficult life of a feral cat is described in some detail, and a fair amount of violence is included. The ending is left ambiguous-there is definitely more to come. This is not as elegantly written as Brian Jacques's "Redwall" series (Philomel), but it's another option for fans of animal adventure/fantasy stories.-Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public LibraryCopyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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February 15, 2003
\deflang1033\pard\plain\f3\fs24 Gr. 6-9. For generations, four clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to laws laid down by powerful ancestral clans. But now things are changing: ShadowClan has banished WindClan and is threatening RiverClan and ThunderClan by insisting on hunting rights within their territories. What's more, each year the TwoLegs encroach further into the forest, and prey is becoming scarce. A prophecy reveals, "Fire alone can save [the] Clan." Into this dangerous situation wanders a "kittypet," a young, bright orange tomcat whose courage earns him, despite objections by some, a place as an apprentice ThunderClan warrior and the new name of Firepaw. In this first spine-tingling episode in the planned Warriors series, Firepaw learns the ways of the wild life, facing many dangers and treachery both within and without his new clan. Intelligence notwithstanding, the cat characters are true to their feline nature, making this sure to appeal to fans of Clare Bell's long-popular \plain\f3\fs24" Ratha's Creature \plain\f3\fs24 (1983) and its sequels and also to followers of Brian Jacques' ongoing Redwall series. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.) -
July 1, 2003
When Rusty--later renamed Firepaw and then Fireheart--leaves his life as a house pet to join one of the clans of wild cats that live in the woods, he must overcome the disdain that the other ThunderClan cats feel for pets and prove his worth as a warrior and as a friend. Filled with details about warrior life and populated with interesting characters, the series may draw in some Redwall readers. [Review covers these Warriors titles: "Fire and Ice" and "Into the Wild". ](Copyright 2003 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
- Kirkus Reviews "A suspenseful animal adventure. Teen readers will readily identify with Firepaw's strenuous efforts to fit into the group, applaud his courage to follow his own convictions, and rejoice at the promised sequel."
- Publishers Weekly "Action-packed adventure. Certain to please any young reader who has ever wondered what dreams of grandeur may haunt the family cat."
- ALA Booklist "The first spine-tingling episode in the planned Warriors series. Sure to appeal to followers of Brian Jacques' ongoing Redwall series."
- School Library Journal "The author has created an intriguing world with an intricate structure and mythology, and an engaging young hero."
- Cleveland Plain Dealer "The series is patterned in the style of classics by J.R.R. Tolkien or Brian Jacques. It will hook fantasy fans immediately. Read this, and you'll never look at your plain old tabby the same way again."
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution "You sweat during the intense parts and cry during the sad times. You'll want to read the whole series over and over again."
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