Ranger's Apprentice facts for kids
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| Author | John Flanagan |
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| Country |  Australia |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy, Adventure |
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| Published | 1 November 2004 – 3 October 2011 |
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| No. of books | 16 |
| Preceded by | The Battle of Hackham Heath (Ranger's Apprentice: The Early Years) |
| Followed by | The Outcasts (Brotherband) A New Beginning (Ranger's Apprentice: The Royal Ranger) |
Ranger's Apprentice is a series written by Australian author John Flanagan. The first novel in the series, The Ruins of Gorlan, was released in Australia on 1 November 2004. The books were initially released in Australia and New Zealand, though have since been released in 14 other countries. The series follows the adventures of Will, an orphan who is chosen as an apprentice Ranger, skilled trackers, archers and warriors in the service of the King of Araluen. Will strives to keep the Kingdom of Araluen safe from invaders, traitors, and threats. He is joined on his adventures by his mentor Halt and his best friend Horace.
The series originally consisted of twelve books, with the eleventh book being a collection of short stories and the twelfth being a follow-up novel set 16 years later. A prequel series, Ranger's Apprentice: The Early Years, has released two titles, the first in 2015 and the second in 2016. A spin-off series, Brotherband, which is set in the same universe, though with new characters, started in 2011. The sixth book in the Brotherband series came out in June 2016. In 2018 the twelfth book of the Ranger's Apprentice series was renamed and made the first book in a sequel series, Ranger's Apprentice: The Royal Ranger.
The series has sold over three million copies. The series was originally twenty short stories Flanagan wrote for his son to get him interested in reading. Ten years later, Flanagan found the stories again and decided to turn them into a book. BookPeople, a bookstore in Texas, helped promote the book through a five-day camp in 2010. The series is well praised by critics.
Awards
The Ranger's Apprentice series has won numerous awards. The series was one of the honour books for the Koala Winners in 2009. The seventh book, Erak's Ransom, was chosen as the Books of the Year for Older Children and the International Success Award. The first and fourth books won the Aurealis Awards while the third book was highly commended. Then, the first, second and fifth book each earned the Children's Book Council of Australia Notable Book. The first book was also the Longlisted for the Ottakar's Book Prize for 2006–2007 and the first book also was nominated for the Grand Canyon Reader Award in 2008.
