Passager — Jane Yolen

The legendary wizard's early years are explored in this magical adventure by the acclaimed author of the Pit Dragon Chronicles.

A boy is abandoned in the woods of medieval England. A year passes -- a year of terror and hunger, of sleeping in trees and foraging for food, of outrunning packs of wild dogs -- until one day a falconer captures and tames the boy as he would any passager, a young bird caught in the wild and trained. The falconer adopts the boy and teaches him all of the things he's forgotten, including the boy's true name -- and the legacy of magic that will be his when he comes of age.

Praise for Passager

“This first book of the Young Merlin Trilogy will have readers awaiting the sequels.” -- The Horn Book

“Steeped in hawks, mews, and wood life, the trilogy evokes a romantic, dreamy time. But its unadorned language lets the story emerge in a guileless way that will captivate young readers. This is a fine read-aloud.” -- San Diego Union Tribune