Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Suzanne Collins |
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| Cover artist | Daniel Craig |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Underland Chronicles |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
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Publication date
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September 1, 2004 |
| Pages | 320 |
| ISBN | 0-439-65075-5 |
| OCLC | 54500311 |
| LC Class | PZ7.C6837 Gre 2004 |
| Preceded by | Gregor the Overlander |
| Followed by | Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods |
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane is the second book in Suzanne Collins's exciting children's series, The Underland Chronicles. It came out in 2004 and is a thrilling fantasy story. This book is all about a special prediction, or 'prophecy,' that was first mentioned in the previous book. The people of the Underland believe this prophecy means Gregor must find and defeat a dangerous white rat called the "Bane". The story is told by a narrator, not by Gregor himself.
You can find this book in different versions, like paperbacks, hardcovers, and even as an ebook. There's also an audiobook version read by Paul Boehmer. The publisher, Scholastic, suggests it's a good read for kids aged 11 to 13. Many people have praised this book as a great follow-up to the first one. They also liked how it shows Gregor growing up and facing tough challenges.
Story Summary
Several months have passed since the first book, Gregor the Overlander. In that story, Gregor and his baby sister Boots accidentally fell into a secret world called the "Underland". They went on a mission to save their dad, who was captured by a group of rats. The humans of the Underland helped Gregor and Boots because they believed a prophecy said they would.
At the start of this second book, the Underland humans take Boots. They do this to make Gregor, whom they call the "Warrior," join another prophecy. This new prophecy is called "The Prophecy of Bane." They think it means Gregor must kill a white rat known as the "Bane". They believe this will stop the rats from taking over. Some lines in the prophecy talk about a baby getting sick and making the Warrior weak. This makes the humans think Boots is in danger. So, Gregor sets off on a journey across an underground lake. He travels with only a few soldiers and their giant bats to hunt the Bane in a place called the Labyrinth.
During their trip, the group faces many dangers. They get caught in a whirlpool. They also find an island full of meat-eating insects. Sadly, Howard's bat, Pandora, is eaten by these insects. Two fireflies named Photos Glow-Glow and Zap were hired to light their way. But they betray the group and tell the rats about their journey when their payment runs out.
Gregor also starts to notice a new "power" he has during fights. The Underland creatures call him a "rager." This means he gets a special "battle-fury" that makes him incredibly strong and deadly, even without training. Gregor and his bonded bat, Ares, face their biggest challenge when they get separated. This happens during a fight with some serpents. The human queen Luxa, the cockroach Temp, and Boots are lost. Everyone thinks they are dead, and Gregor feels heartbroken and numb.
When Gregor finally finds the Bane, he discovers it's not a huge monster. Instead, it's a baby rat whose parents have just died. Gregor can't bring himself to kill a baby. So, he and Ares decide to take the Bane to the only friendly rat they know: Ripred. After this, Gregor and Ares return to Regalia. There, Nerissa has just become the new queen.
The surviving members of the quest—the bat Andromeda, the human Howard, Ares, and Gregor—are put on trial. They are accused of treason because they didn't kill the Bane. But Queen Nerissa saves them. She bravely says it was good that Gregor was kind enough not to kill a baby. Soon after, Gregor is trying to accept that Boots is gone. But then, Boots suddenly returns to the palace! She was saved by Luxa, Temp, and an unnamed moth. After this, Gregor and Boots finally go back to their home in the surface world.
Main Characters
Quest Members
- Gregor: He is an eleven-year-old boy from the surface world, known as an Overlander. He is believed to be the warrior mentioned in "The Prophecy of Bane."
- Boots (Margaret): Boots is Gregor's two-year-old sister. The crawlers (cockroaches) call her "the princess."
- Howard: He is Luxa's cousin and is very good at first aid, especially with water-related injuries. He is bonded to a bat named Pandora.
- Mareth: A brave soldier and a friend of Gregor. He gets badly hurt during the fight with the serpents. He is bonded to Andromeda.
- Twitchtip: A rat, also called a gnawer, who is sent by Ripred. She has an amazing sense of smell and is known as a "scent-seer."
- Temp: A friendly cockroach, or crawler, and a good friend to Boots. He gets lost during the battle with the serpents. Later, he loses some legs while escaping rats with Boots. He stays behind to regrow them while Boots goes ahead.
- Photos Glow-Glow and Zap: These are two fireflies who were hired to provide light. They leave the quest and tell the rats about the group when they run out of food.
- Ares: A large black bat, also called a flier, who is bonded to Gregor. He is very strong and becomes a close friend to Gregor.
- Pandora: Howard's bonded bat. She is sadly eaten by carnivorous mites during the journey.
- Andromeda: Mareth's bonded bat.
- Aurora: She is Luxa's bonded bat. Aurora joins the quest later with Luxa. She is lost and thought to be dead after the battle with the serpents.
- Luxa: She is the future queen of Regalia, known for being a bit rebellious. She joins the quest after it has already started and is lost with Aurora after the serpent battle.
Publication Details
Scholastic, the publisher, has given permission for this book to be published in 20 different languages. As of 2018, you can find editions in Italian, Turkish, German, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Finnish, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, French, Greek, Norwegian, Polish, Persian, and Chinese.
Many foreign language versions have different titles. For example, the Dutch version is called Het Labyrint ("The Labyrinth"). The Portuguese version is Gregor e a Segunda Profecia ("Gregor and the Second Prophecy"). Newer editions in the United States and United Kingdom have different cover art.
The book is also available as an ebook and an audiobook. The English audiobook, released in 2006, is read by actor Paul Boehmer.
The book has a lexile score of 680L. This means it's a good fit for readers in the 4th to 6th grades. Scholastic suggests the novel for children in grades 3 to 8.
