Training to be a knight is never easy… especially when you’re “THE GIRL“.

Can Kel prove she is just as strong as the boys, when all odds are against her?

Welcome to the fantastic world of Tortall, where Keladry (known as Kel) is the first girl to take advantage of the decree that allows females to train for knighthood.

Up against the traditional hazing of pages and a grueling schedule, Kel faces the added obstacle of Lord Wyldon, the training master of pages and squires.  Lord Wyldon immediately puts Kel on probation – simply because she is a girl.  But this is only the beginning of her challenges.  The rest of the pages, all boys of course, are determined to keep their ranks girl-free.  They do everything they can to make her go home, and Kel’s only friend is another outcast named Neal.

But Kel is not a girl to be intimidated or underestimated, and most importantly of all, she will not back down without a fight.

This book is a great example of how one person can change the way people think, with nothing more than a lot of hard work.  Best of all, Kel is a strong female character that every little girl can look up to.  Kel does not wait for a boy to save her; in fact, she soon becomes known as “the protector of the small,” because she takes it upon herself to stand up for those too weak to do so on their own.

First Test is the first book in the Protector of the Small Quartet by Tamora Pierce, and it will leave you wishing for more of Kel’s great adventures!

AGES 10+

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