This is the second time I've read it, though this time I read it aloud to my sons (13 and 10). Initially I was going to read the entire series (gawd, at least 10 books) to my boys, but partway through I declared I could not do that, and if they wanted to go further in the series they were welcome and encouraged to read the rest on their own. The 13-year old has started the second, though I can tell it's not a great read for him since his progress has been quite slow. 
 Perhaps something got lost for me in reading it out loud; some titles are just better suited for the words to stay in your head. It seemed, I dunno, cheesier when read out loud. I won't change the rating, however. After all, I did cry at the very end, and that says something. :) 
 REVIEW FROM AUGUST 23, 2010 
 GENRE: Fiction, fantasy, adventure, series. 
 SUMMARY: A handful of castle wards are old enough to attend Choosing Day, they day they announce which craftsperson they wish to apprentice under, and hope the crafter agrees. Will was not accepted by his preferred area, the Battleschool. Instead, Will reluctantly becomes apprentice to a Ranger, though it isn't long before his archery, tracking and stealth skills are honed to a high level. Before his training is done, Will participates in a boar hunt, deals with bullies from the Battleschool, and then goes with his master Halt to hunt down two horrific monsters, the Kalkara. The presence of these monsters indicates that an old enemy of the King may be planning an attack, and Will's adventures are only just beginning. 
 EVALUATION: I strongly enjoyed this book. For many years I have not read any fantasy-style fiction, and Ranger's Apprentice made me wonder why I stopped, and realized what I used to like about the genre. The characters and their development is quite strong, although their actions and situations are a bit predictable. The descriptions of battles and adventures are exciting and interesting. My only complaint is the prologue. I had to slog through this initial section of the book and began to wonder what I had gotten myself into. Yet as soon as the focus shifted to the kids and the book actually started, it flowed so well and my desire to read it increased tremendously, and never relented. 
 WHY I WOULD INCLUDE IT: Tweens who enjoy medieval situations and fantastic monsters and battles will like this story. They will be able to vicariously enjoy a time and a world they will never directly know. This is partly why I enjoy adult books that are like this, so I assume tweens will as well. In addition, if they do like it as much as I did, there are more in the series. 
 READER'S ANNOTATION: Reluctant at first, Ranger's apprentice Will soon finds himself at home shooting arrows, tracking people and animals, and battling monsters to provide safety to the kingdom. 
 ITEMS WITH SIMILAR APPEAL: 
 *	Charlie Bone and the Shadow (Charlie Bone) by Jenny Nimmo. 
 *	Gregor the Overlander (Underland Chronicles) by Suzanne Collins. 
 *	The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander. 
 *	The Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barron. 
 *	The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper.