Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure

Zan-Gah is the youngest warrior from his tribe. He and the rest of the men are prepared to capture and kill the lioness. Zan-Gah becomes known as a fierce warrior when he kills the lioness. This gives Zan-Gah the strength to go out in search of his lost twin brother, Dael. His brother has been missing for a long time. Zan-Gah's spirit won't rest until he finds out what happened to him. Can Zan-Gah battle the great big jungle? These books are geared towards the younger reading populations and I found them to be appropriate for this age group. This book took readers on an exciting journey across the jungle. The main character Zan-Gah is very courageous and likable. The other characters and creatures that Zan-Gah encounters are interesting in a good way. I could picture this book being made into a movie or television series. This book is a quick read.

My wife and I very much enjoyed reading and discussing this book together. We await a sequel.

Zan-Gah is marketed as juvenile literature, but the psychological and human condition themes make it worthy for adult readers as well. For the perceptive, the story is loaded with deep themes that are worthy of discussion. The story reveals that Nature is harshly competetive, and that the human condition, like the lion condition and mouse condition, has parameters defined by survival laws--face reality (the lion) and self-correct (adapt) and you increase chances of survival. This is the path of one twin. The other twin fails to recognize self-correction as the path to growth and fulfillment, and develops an aversion to reality and hatred of the world; he wants utopia. Deep stuff in this very well-written book.

Written by artist, teacher, and historian Allan Richard Shickman, Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure is an action-packed novel for young adults age 11 and up. Set in an era long before kings and cities, Zan-Gah follows a boy's journey to manhood and the responsibilities of leading his people over the course of three years. Zan-Gah's proof of courage battling a lioness is only the beginning; he must study his enemies of a rival tribe, including their tactics and poisoned weapons, and hone his capabilities for diplomacy as well as for battle. As Zan-Gah searches for his missing brother, he befriends the beautiful and gifted healer Lissa-Na, whose aid will prove invaluable in the trials ahead. Highly recommended for young adult library collections.

I spent a wonderful evening reading this book. It is very well written and quite engaging. I am long past adolescence but still enjoyed the book immensely. This is a book for everyone, plenty of adventure along with a touching story of family ties. It's top of the list.