The Song of the Lioness
By Tamora Pierce
One of my favorite series when I was younger was The Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce. My summers consisted of my sister taking me to the public library every day to get me off her hands. There I discovered the first book of the series and spent many nights after reading under my covers, lost in the fantasy world Pierce had created. The series told the story of a young girl named Alanna and her journey to become a knight. Alanna wants to become a knight but it is forbidden because she is a girl so she trades places with her twin brother and must disguise her identity for her next four years of training. I really connected with Alanna's character because she faces challenges every young girl faces, just under extraordinary circumstances. Alanna deals with keeping secrets, her changing body, falling in love, pressures from training to become a knight and her friends. The story drew me in because it was not always apparent what the right action was or if a character was good or evil. It was a transition for me into stories in which the reader does not always agree with the protagonist and finds themselves questioning their actions. Alanna is faced with some serious decisions throughout the series that require her to have maturity beyond her age and the right decision is not always easy, as in life. I enjoy the books today because the characters are so grounded and I can still appreciate a world of magic and adventure.
