The Outcasts

Gr 6 Up—Hal Mikkelson, 16, is appointed "skirl," or leader of his brotherband, eight seafaring Skandian boys left unchosen by their athletic and popular peers. Disadvantaged by Ingvar's impaired vision, Ulf and Wulf's constant bickering, Stefan's clowning, Jesper's thievery, and Stig's hot-headed impulses, the outcasts become Herons, after the wolfship Hal helped build and later purchased. Encamped to train and compete against much stronger 10-men teams, the Shark and Wolf brotherbands, the outnumbered Herons are bullied by childhood nemesis Tursgud, leader of the Sharks. Action scenes are plentiful as Hal enlists the hidden strengths of each team member to outsmart opponents in tactical competitions. Meanwhile, an unsavory pirate, Zavac, loiters in town, plotting to steal Hallasholm's Andomal, a precious piece of amber. When Erak the Oberjarl, a major character from the "The Ranger's Apprentice" series, entrusts the victorious Herons to sentry duty at the Andomal shrine, it is not surprising that Zavac makes his move. Hal's shame in failing to protect the town's treasure compels him to set sail after Zavac in an ending that is an obvious setup for another installment. Hal's mentor is Thorn, a one-armed, recovering alcoholic with a once-glorious past who promised his mortally wounded friend, Mikkel, that he would look after Hal and his mother. Well developed and vocabulary rich, with endearing new characters and a rousing adventure that assures new episodes, this book will delight Flanagan fans.—Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY