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A new phenomenon has been sweeping the country, attracting fans in droves and getting kids excited about reading again.
No, it's not Harry Potter; the subject of all this excitement is the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. If you
work with young people, chances are that you know fans of this series, and maybe you've wondered what it's all about and
what makes it so popular with teens and preteens.
The basic premise of the Warriors series is that there is a society of wild cats living in the forest. The books
are told from the cats' point of view, and the cats talk to each other, but these aren't magical talking cats. The
implication is that they are communicating as cats do, not only with sound but with tail, ears, tongue, and other body
language, and that the reader is able to understand them.
The cats are organized into four clans: ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan. Each clan is independent, and
there are constantly shifting rivalries and alliances between the clans. Sometimes there are battles between the clans, and
sometimes there are forbidden inter-clan romances, Romeo and Juliet style. ThunderClan is the Gryffindor of the forest; most
of the heroes are in ThunderClan and most of the series focuses on the trials and tribulations of this clan.
The original Warriors series tells the story of a young housecat named Rusty, who runs away into the forest to
join ThunderClan. Rusty becomes an apprentice to learn the ways of a warrior, and he is given an apprentice name: Firepaw.
The series follows Firepaw as he moves from outsider to an important member of the clan, while he tries to deal with the
treachery of a fellow clan member who is ambitious and bent on gaining power at any cost.
Names are important in the Warriors world. Not only does a cat's name show something unique about the cat, it's also a
symbol of the cat's status. Thus kittens have names that end in -kit, apprentice names end in -paw, and leaders' names end
in -star. Full-fledged warriors are the exception: they have no specific ending to their names. Instead, warriors have
two-part names that reveal something of what makes that cat special. Thus when Rusty becomes a full-fledged warrior, his
name changes from Firepaw to Fireheart.
If all of this seems rather confusing to adults, it isn't to the young fans, who are amazing at remembering every detail
about the myriad characters, even the minor ones. This may be part of the series' appeal; it's an insiders club whose
members know the rules that are obscure to outsiders. Everything in the Warriors universe has a name that would make sense
to cats: distances are measured in fox-lengths, and humans are called Twolegs.
A second series, Warriors: The New Prophecy, followed on the success of the first one. The second series moved to
the next generation of cats, as they follow a prophecy to search for a new home for the clans when land developers destroy
the forest. A third series, The Power of Three, debuts this month with yet another prophecy and a third generation
of cats. Also, this month will see the release of a Warriors manga graphic novel, which details the adventures of
a favorite character who went missing early in the second series.
There's no rags-to-riches author story behind the Warriors: Erin Hunter is actually a pseudonym for three people who
work together on the series. Victoria Holmes—Vicky to the fans—created the series as an editor at Working
Partners, Ltd. Vicky develops plot outlines for each book, and writers Cherith Baldry and Kate Cary take turns writing the
books. The books then come back to Vicky for editing; Vicky is famous for drawing sheep in the margins to indicate "wooly
writing." She also makes sure that the books are consistently written in the Erin Hunter voice.
With this background, it would be easy to dismiss the books as "packaged," or "commercial." But the reality is that the
books are created by three talented writers who care deeply—about the series, the characters, and the fans. The books
are highly readable and appealing to teens, and they have surprising depth for books about cats.
The response has been overwhelming. There are over 1.5 million copies of the various books in print, and since the
advent of the second series, the books routinely reach the top few spots on The New York Times bestseller list.
Warriors fans are among the most vocal and devoted on the Internet, with over 200 dedicated Warriors fan sites.
But the numbers only tell part of the story of the impact these books have had. While Harry Potter is credited
with getting young people excited about reading again, the Warriors series appeals to kids who might be
intimidated by the Harry Potter books. The Warriors books are enjoyed by reluctant readers as well as by
kids who already love reading.
Not only are the Warriors books getting kids reading, they're also encouraging kids to write. Many write fan
fiction; some of them progress on to writing other types of fiction. Others participate in role playing, or RPs, where fans
take on a Warriors character, sometimes one from the books but more often an original one of the fan's creation,
and interact with other characters in forums on the internet, mutually developing a story as they go. Role playing involves
developing characters, conflict, and plot, and expressing those elements in words—an activity that builds writing skills.
It's hard to pin down exactly what makes the series so popular. In part, certainly, it's because the books deal with
themes that appeal to teens: things like love, finding one's place in the world, and making difficult choices when right
and wrong aren't always clear cut. The books never talk down to the kids or sugarcoat life. Favorite characters die, and
romances don't always work out—although sometimes they do.
Another thing that probably contributes to the series' popularity is the frequency of release. New books in the series
usually come out about every four months, keeping the series fresh in fans' minds and continually giving them something new
to look forward to. The characters also contribute to the appeal—these are character-driven stories with a variety of
characters that are easy for teens to identify with.
While the world waits for the last Harry Potter book, the Warriors series has been stealthily gaining
ground in the battle for the hearts and minds of young readers. Warriors may not match Harry Potter in
terms of overall numbers; that's in part because it doesn't have the same crossover appeal to adults that Harry Potter
does. But its many vocal young fans love the series, and it has encouraged many kids to become avid readers and writers.
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