Taran Wanderer

By Lloyd Alexander,

Book cover of Taran Wanderer

Book description

Taran the assistant Pig-Keeper has led heroic adventures and is a friend of princes, yet he is still troubled by his lowly status, and determined to discover the secret of his true identity.

He sets out to consult the powerful witches of Morva and the mysterious Mirror of Llunet. Onā€¦

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Taran Wanderer as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

If youā€™ve wandered through kidā€™s fantasy for long, youā€™ve probably encountered The Black Cauldron. Itā€™s a great book and well worth your time! That said, my favorite of the entire series is book four, Taran Wanderer. The other books in the series tell epic tales with huge stakes. This one, though, is all about Taran trying to figure out who he is and if heā€™s worth anything. He sets out on a quest, and his answer at the end shook me when I read it inā€¦ sixth grade? I might have been younger yet! I highly, highly recommendā€¦

Taran Wanderer is a story that could never be published today, but itā€™s the sort of Bildungsroman (coming-of-age) story that every person should read at some point in their lives. The 4th book in the Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, Taran Wanderer is about Taran, an orphaned assistant pig keeper who sets out to learn who he isā€”and who finds in the end that he is not someone Chosen or Destined, but rather just, he himself. I first read this book as an adult and was blown away by its simple profundity. In a sea of YA magicalā€¦

From K. B.'s list on fantasy bildungsroman.

If you love Taran Wanderer...

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One Giant Leap by Ben Gartner,

Editor's Pick, BookLife by Publishers Weekly.

Gold Medal, 2023 Mom's Choice Awards.

Gold Medal, 2023 Readers' Favorite Awards.

First Place, 2023 Gertrude Warner Middle Grade Awards.

Iā€™m pretty sure Iā€™m about to die in space. And I just turned twelve and a half.

Blast off with the four winners ofā€¦

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