This is the first book in Flanagan's wonderful series, Ranger's Apprentice. I think this series is absolutely amazing, and a must-read! I would suggest it to children grades 4-8, but it's truly a fabulous book no matter how old you are! This book was suggested to me by one of my favorite teacher's and once I started it, I could not stop reading it. This book takes place in a different universe and it's a medieval fantasy novel, which may sound uninteresting or confusing, but Flanagan writes in a way that is easy to understand and extremely enticing. There are different wards, and different professions to choose from. Will, who has been afraid of rangers all his life, with their dark hoods and ability to blend into shadows, is chosen to be...a ranger's apprentice. Parent-less, Will always wanted to be a knight, the greatest honor, but he never passed battle school. He thought he was going to have to be a farmer, but is being a ranger any better? Society makes a lot of assumptions about the rangers, and what they don't realize is that the rangers are the ones protecting the entire kingdom. They are extremely skilled in combat and surveillance, the most powerful and talented. There is a huge battle coming up, and Will must be trained and ready to attack. Follow on the journey of Will, his friends, and his peers. It's exciting, filled with action and adventure! This series is extremely addicting, and I 100% recommend. There are so many fabulous characters, plot twists, and even if this book doesn't sound interesting to you, let me just say...borrow the book anyway. Even I was surprised by how good this book was, it's not JUST a fun read, you will be moved to tears by the friendship, loyalty and romance. You will not regret picking this up and reading it, this series is absolutely phenomenal, and deserves more credit than it gets. Enjoy!