To copy Sage - please help me find this book!
 

I saw how easily Sage was able to find her beloved book so I thought I would give it a try as well...

I really can't remember much about this book except for the fact that it made an impression on me. We had to read it in English class (possibly for grade eight or grade nine). It was a fantasy novel I believe and was sort of based around the kids being trained for a war of some sort. They were at a school and had all these 'classes' where they would fight against one another. I think the students even had different status (general, lieutenant, etc).

I vaguely recall the cover being dark blue - and that's all I can remember.

If this rings a bell with anyone, I will be deeply grateful and indebited to you! This book has always been in the back of my mind and I've been wanting to find it again to read it as an adult and see what it was that made such an impression and caused it to stick around in my thoughts.

Thanks in advance!!!

When you say "fantasy", do you maybe mean Sci Fi?

If so, I'll bet money you're talking about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Enders-Game-Ender-Book-1/dp/0812550706/sr=8-1/qid=1169156780/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-6946418-4542238?ie=UTF8&s=books">Ender's Game</a> by Orson Scott Card.

Could very well be Ender's Game (one of the best science fictions novels in history).

That is it exactly! I knew I would find the answer by posting here on TFP! Thanks so much ratbastid! *runs out to the bookstore*

Yay!

By the way, Orson Scott Card lives here in my home town. I've met him briefly. The beginning of Ender's Game is set here--the Wiggin family lives here.

Way cool! I always thought it was more in the northern midwest for some reason...

That's awesome! I'll be there in 10 minutes wtih my Ender's series and some pens....it's autograph time.

Yeah. I have a signed Ender's Game. I know... envy me.

Actually, Card is a sort of crazy wack-job conservative Mormon. He writes a column for the local independent conservative weekly--mostly musings and restaurant reviews, but sometimes he gets as right wing and preachy there as he did in the end of the Shadows trilogy...

Really??! Damn. I read a column by him that JustJess sent me, about the way that intellectuals write bullshit these days ( http://www.ornery.org/essays/warwatch/2006-10-08-1.html ) and I thought it was brilliant! I had no inkling that he was conservative, from that piece, but I guess I was wrong. :( Still, a good bit of writing there.