The Bark of the Bog Owl

2004 · Jonathan Rogers · Middle-grade fantasy adventure (Wilderking Trilogy, book 1)

Recommended. Age: 10+. A Catholic review of this book for parents.

Our review

A funny, warm adventure built on the story of young David: a boy anointed for a crown he must not grab, loyal to a failing king, brave before a giant. Courage and humility go together here. The feechiefolk are story-world creatures, not occult. The one reservation is that some readers find the moral drawn a little heavily.

For parents

Read aloud from 7, independent reading from 10. The feechie dialect is a joy to read aloud. Read 1 Samuel 16 and 17 alongside it. Ask why Aidan stays loyal to a king he will one day replace, and how David waited for God's timing instead of seizing the throne.

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