Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Monday, September 28, 2009

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A scary hairy monster was on the prowl during the Ranger's Apprentice performance at LTMS.

A brave baron and a clawed hairy monster arrived by van at two local middle schools as part of an effort to entice young readers to delve into the world of adventure in John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice books.

“I would call them medieval. Definitely fantasy,” said Lexington Traditional Magnet School sixth-grader Patrick O’Doherty, who was familiar with the series.

The main character is a 15-year-old boy named Will; he is apprenticed to the Ranger Corps, a mysterious group of protectors who are the king’s eyes and ears in the mythical world of Araluen.

In lieu of an author’s tour for the sixth installment, professional actors from New York travelled around the country to introduce kids to the flavor of Flanagan’s writing. The Striking Viking Story Pirates came to LTMS well-armed with backdrops, props, costumes and music; they were also a hit at Jessie Clark Middle School.

“We don’t spoil anything from any of the books,” explained actor Nick Kanellis, who portrayed several characters in each half-hour show. “We want to get the kids as involved as possible and feeling like apprentices.”

On their makeshift stage in the LTMS cafeteria, the actors called up volunteers to test for worthiness of becoming a ranger: marksmanship, stealth and observation. Other students tried the roles of warrior, kitchen master and diplomat. All were awarded a silver oak leaf pin for their valiant efforts.

Students who like the Harry Potter books and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy gave a big thumbs-up to Ranger’s Apprentice, too.

“This series captures your attention right away,” said LTMS student Francesco Serio, who recommended reading the books in order to follow the action.

Classmate Ashkan Nikou, who gamely led the group in song as a would-be kitchen master, agreed the stories pique readers’ imagination. “These books are really written well,” he added.

Librarian Timi Goodman set up the program at LTMS to encourage students to explore the books.“It’s in the fantasy section, and that’s the most popular genre with middle school kids,” she said. “At this age, they can still suspend their disbelief.”

More about the bus tour:

After touring the United States last year, Australian author John Flanagan is not coming again to promote “The Siege of Macindaw,” the sixth book in his Ranger’s Apprentice series. But during September, readers in two dozen cities have seen a theatrical performance based on the first book, “The Ruins of Gorlan.” The schedule included schools, libraries and bookstores from New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio to Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.