Wilderlore: The Accidental Apprentice

One of the best decisions I’ve ever made as a parent was to read one-on-one to my kids right before bed, rotating whose day it is to read with me. We sit together in my bed and I read to them for about 15 to 20 minutes. My 10 year-old-and I have been reading this Wilderlore series for about a year now and it is his absolute favorite. I’lI think he even likes it more than Harry Potter, which he loves. l admit, it took me a little while to get into it. However, currently we are on Book 3 and compared to some of the other things I have read recently, I am really enjoying it as well. The story is entertaining and the writing quality is good. Since my son is a Pokemon/fantasy-lover who doesn’t like anything too scary, I can completely understand why he adores this series.

Wilderlore: The Accidental Apprentice Details

Title: Wilderlore: The Accidental Apprentice
Author: Amanda Foody
Publication Year: 2022
Website: https://www.amandafoody.com/world-of-wilderlore-1
Age Group: Early Elementary, Mid Elementary, Late Elementary, Middle School
Amazon Product Page (Affiliate Link)

As I sit here writing this, my son just walked up and said, “Hey, is that Wilderlore? I really love those books. I’m going to be sad when we finish the last one if the next one hasn’t come out yet.” At the moment, there are 4 books with a 5th book expected to come out in 2025. I think he will be all set for a little while, but he probably will be disappointed when they are done.

The main character of these books is a humble, self-deprecating, yet incredibly talented and hard-working orphan boy named Barclay Thorne. In the first book he is 11 years old, but I believe he gets a year older with each successive books. The world he inhabits is filled with magic and mythical beasts, yet he lives in one of the “Elsewheres,” a place filled with non-magical people (think muggles) who fear all magic and beasts. By accident, Barclay bonds with a beast (think Pokemon) and is expelled from his home. He goes on a journey of self-discovery to learn to accept his magical powers and become a Lore Keeper.

These book are exciting and adventurous, yet not too scary. (This one of my kids in particular is sensitive to anything he thinks *might* be scary.) It is filled with realistic depictions of preteen characters, displaying both positive and negative attributes, yet it remains wholesome and family-friendly. The main character, in particular, is endearing because he remains hard-working and humble despite all of his struggles. I think my 10 year old in particular can relate to him, because he is often in the shadows as a middle child, yet has a strong desire to do what’s right.

My family was lucky to stumble across this series and I hope that the author continues to write more!

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