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Summary
Summary
When a tiger cub escapes from a nature reserve near Neel's island village, the rangers and villagers hurry to find her before the cub's anxious mother follows suit and endangers them all. Mr. Gupta, a rich newcomer to the island, is also searching-he wants to sell the cub's body parts on the black market. Neel and his sister, Rupa, resolve to find the cub first and bring her back to the reserve where she belongs.
The hunt for the cub interrupts Neel's preparations for an exam to win a prestigious scholarship at a boarding school far from home. Neel doesn't mind-he dreads the exam and would rather stay on his beloved island in the Sunderbans of West Bengal with his family and friends.
But through his encounter with the cub, Neil learns that sometimes you have to take risks to preserve what you love. And sometimes you have to sacrifice the present for the chance to improve the future.
Author Notes
Mitali Bose Perkins was born in Kolkata (Calcutta), India. Her name means "friendly" in Bangla, and she had to try and live up to it because the Bose family moved so often--they lived in India, Ghana, Cameroon, London, New York City, and Mexico City before settling in the San Francisco Bay Area when she was in middle school.
Mitali studied political science at Stanford University and public policy at U.C. Berkeley, surviving academia thanks to a steady diet of kids' books from public libraries and bookstores, and went on to teach middle school, high school, and college students. She lived in India, Bangladesh, Thailand, and California with her husband and twin sons before the Perkins family moved to Newton, Massachusetts, where they live now.
Mitali's books include Monsoon Summer (Random House), Rickshaw Girl, and the award-winning Bamboo People.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Set amid the tidal mangrove forests of the Sunderbans of India and Bangladesh, Perkins's story follows the efforts of a boy named Neel to track down a tiger cub that has escaped from a local reserve (the Sunderbans are a Unesco World Heritage site, Perkins notes in a glossary). To pay Neel's mother's medical bills, his Baba (father) works all hours for a man named Gupta, a newcomer to the area who has been buying up property and cutting down rare sundari trees. With Gupta offering a reward for the capture of the tiger cub (he plans to sell its skin on the black market), Neel and his sister, Rupa, make a plan to find the cub first. Perkins's (Bamboo People) evocative descriptions, boosted by Hogan's dramatic pastel drawings, convey an intense love and respect for the region's culture and environment. Readers should find it easy to become invested in the cub's return to the reserve and in Neel's fight to help create the best future for himself, his family, and his home. Ages 7-10. Author's agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
All Neel wants is to do is live at home on India's Sunderbans islands, where he can fish, carve, and hunt honey like his beloved father. However, because Neel is identified as a boy with promise and one who might earn a scholarship to a boarding school in Kolkata, his days in the islands might be numbered. Life is hard in the Sunderbans: a cyclone has hurt the local mangrove trees and rice crop, his mother has been sick and has incurred hefty medical bills, and now a valuable tiger cub has escaped. Add an unscrupulous developer with deep pockets and tiger-poaching on his mind, and Perkins has the perfect premise for an environmental adventure. Neel's father wants to help his son pass the scholarship exam, so he abandons his principles and joins the hunt for the tiger cub in order to pay for a tutor. Neel and his sister Rupa understand the importance of the tiger cub to the reserve and to the future of the island but also respect their parents' decisions. Fast-paced action, lots of references to the local flora and fauna, and clearly laid-out moral dilemmas come together in a satisfying way. The glossary and end notes add much to the story and answer any questions that a reader unfamiliar with the archipelago might have. The only unanswered question is, What happens to Rupa? Will she get to fulfill her dream of education? Sure hope so! robin smith (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
On an island in the Sunderbans of Bengal, a tiger cub escapes from its reserve, causing a stir in a nearby village. There, a boy named Neel finds searching for the cub far more interesting than studying to win a scholarship that would take him from his beloved island. When word spreads that a wealthy poacher is also looking for the lost cub, Neel knows that he must find it first to protect it from a fate on the black market. Using his knowledge of the island and his classroom smarts, he makes a plan and realizes winning the scholarship might be worthwhile after all. This story opens a door to a largely unseen corner of the world, where people live among protected mangrove forests and man-eating tigers. Charcoal drawings offer glimpses of island life, and Perkins adds authenticity by including Bangla vocabulary. The narrative raises real concerns facing the Sunderbans, and additional information and resources are provided for readers whose curiosity is sparked by Neel and his exotic home.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2015 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-Set in the lush Sundarbans natural region of Bengal, this quiet, gripping tale emphasizes the deep but often fragile connection that exists between humans and nature. Passing exams will earn young Neel a much-coveted scholarship for a private boarding school in Kolkata, and the boy's family has their dreams pinned on him, feeling that a good education will ensure him a better quality of life. But Neel is too attached to the "golpata branches swaying in the monsoon rains.the evening smell of jasmine flowers.mingling with green chilies and fresh ilish fish simmering in mustard-seed oil" to ever consider leaving his home. He studies only halfheartedly for his tests, incurring the wrath of his serious headmaster. When a female tiger cub escapes from a neighboring animal reserve, Neel is determined to find her before she's snagged by greedy poachers led by Mr. Gupta, a corrupt local businessman. Gupta employs several of the villagers, including Neel's father, tempting them with additional income if they assist in the illegal effort. Informed by real-life situations in the region, Perkins avoids black-and-white characterizations and compassionately illustrates how dire circumstances affect a person's choices. Young readers will revel in the vivid action and suspense surrounding Neel and his sister Rupa's quest to locate the tiger cub. Adults will likely praise the novel's simple and clear narrative, which belies its complexity around issues related to climate change, poor economic conditions, class structure, and gender discrimination. VERDICT Sure to encourage vital conversations among children, this is a fine addition to libraries and classrooms seeking to diversify collections.-Lalitha Nataraj, Escondido Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
When a Bengali boy finds and saves a tiger cub from a man who wants to sell her on the black market, he realizes that the schoolwork he resents could lead to a career protecting his beloved Sunderbans island home.When the not-yet-weaned cub escapes from a nearby reserve, Neel and many of his neighbors join the search. But some are in the pay of greedy Gupta, a shady entrepreneur who's recently settled in their community. Even Neel's father is tempted by Gupta's money, although he knows that Gupta doesn't plan to take the cub back to the refuge. Neel and his sister use the boy's extensive knowledge of the island's swampy interior to find the cub's hiding place and lure it out so it can be returned to its mother. The Kolkota-born author visited the remote Sunderbans in the course of her research. She lovingly depicts this beautiful tropical forest in the context of Neel's efforts to find the cub and his reluctance to leave his familiar world. While the conflicts resolve a bit too easily, the sense of place is strong and the tiger cub's rescue very satisfying. Pastel illustrations will help readers envision the story. A multicultural title with obvious appeal for animal-loving middle graders. (author's note, organizations, glossary) (Fiction. 8-11) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Excerpts
Excerpts
SPLASH! SPLASH! The two boys stripped off their school uniforms and jumped into the pond. Their heads bobbed as they wrestled and dunked each other. "Race you!" called Ajay. Neel swam behind his lanky friend, feeling as sleek and fast as a river dolphin, even though he was sure to lose. It had been much warmer than usual for January, and it was three o'clock, the hottest part of the day. I should be home studying , he thought. Teacher was concerned about how behind Neel was in his preparation. The big exam was in April, and Neel's math skills weren't getting better. The pond was a short detour from the path around the island, about halfway between school and home. How good it felt to drop his heavy satchel, unbutton the starched white shirt, tear off those stiff school shorts, and jump into the refreshing water! This pond was freshwater, but most of the creeks and rivers in the Sunderbans were salty and muddy. Neel didn't mind--he loved the tang of salt on his tongue and the squish of mud between his toes. Home for him was the hiss of his father's boat as it slipped through the deltas, golpata branches swaying in the monsoon rains, and the evening smell of jasmine flowers near his house mingling with green chilies and fresh ilish fish simmering in mustard-seed oil. Neel had climbed all the tall palm trees, waded in the creeks, and foraged for wild guavas in every corner of the mangrove forest. Ajay was already stretched out on the muddy bank at the far side of the pond, pretending to be asleep. He lifted his head and smirked at Neel. Neel's feet touched bottom again and he waded to the bank. He didn't really mind losing to his friend. Ajay had always been fast and agile in ponds and on the cricket field, but that didn't seem to matter much in their village. Boys were supposed to do well in school, not on the sports field. Ajay's father taught Class Two, despairing that his own son was one of the slowest to learn inside a classroom. "I miss Viju," Neel said, plopping down beside Ajay. "I beat him once, remember?" "When we were four years old," said Ajay. He dodged to avoid the scoop of mud Neel flipped his way. "I thought he might start going to school again now that his father's back from Chennai." "Me, too. Maybe they're fishing together." Neel sighed--fishing all day sounded like bliss compared to wearing a hot, scratchy uniform and struggling with math problems. "I'm sure he's getting good at it. Do you think he's inside the reserve?" "No chance. It's too dangerous for someone our age to go behind the fence." "I think he is," Neel said. "There's not enough fish left anywhere else, that's for sure. Not since the cyclone hit. When Baba takes his boat into the reserve, he comes back with plenty. And honey, too." "But the tigers are hungrier now," said Ajay. He was right. Villagers like Baba ventured behind the nylon-mesh fence into the reserve at their own risk. If a man--or boy--was seized by a tiger, he would be dragged off into the forest and eaten. Tigers had already claimed five victims from their island this year. "I don't see why Viju's father needs to fish anyway," Neel said. "He's making all that money working for greedy Gupta." Gupta was a newcomer to the Sunderbans, but he acted like he owned the entire island. The bad news was that these days he almost did. After the cyclone hit, many of the men and older boys, and even some of the girls, had left to find work in faraway cities. Viju's father had come back, but others had never returned. Sometimes their families didn't hear from them again and were forced to sell parcels of land to Gupta. Ajay stood up. "One more race? I like beating the smartest kid in school at something." "Pretend a crocodile's chasing you," Neel said. "I'm in no rush." He pushed away the thought of the math assignments in his satchel, floated on his back, and watched wispy white clouds chase each other across the wide blue sky. "We named you after my favorite color, Neel," Ma often said, pointing at the horizon where the blue of the sky met the blue of the water. Humming one of his mother's favorite songs, Neel imagined what it would be like to venture deep into the reserve to hunt for honey, or to pole a boat into an inlet where tiger tracks lined the muddy banks. Baba had never taken Neel to the reserve. "Too dangerous, Son," he answered whenever Neel asked. "We have to protect that smart brain of yours from claws and teeth." "Well, what about your brains, Baba?" Neel always responded. "Mine isn't as good as the one in here," Baba would say, gently rapping Neel's skull with his knuckles. Suddenly a familiar shout came from the golpata trees. Lickety-split, a boy hurtled to the pond, stripped to his underwear, and leaped into the water. It was Viju! Immediately Neel and Ajay pounced and pushed him under. After a minute or two, Viju pulled away from the scuffle. "Let's dry off. I've got some big news." "Huge catch of fish, maybe?" Ajay asked. Neel felt a twinge of jealousy. "I bet you saw a tiger!" "I'll tell you everything--don't worry. I need your help, in fact." The boys swam to the stone ledge where they'd left their clothes, climbed out of the water, and squatted in the sunshine. "Well?" asked Neel. "Actually I did see a tiger, but that's not my news," Viju said. "You did ?" "Where? When?" "In the reserve. It was just a flash of orange and black through the trees. I was alone; my baba hadn't come back yet." "Behind the fence? Weren't you scared?" Ajay shook his head so that drops of water flew everywhere. "I'd have fainted dead of fright, right then and there. One quick tiger snack--that's me." "What did you do?" Neel asked, trying to imagine himself in Viju's place. "Dropped my net, jumped into the boat, and rowed out as fast as I could. I'm glad I don't have to try that again now that my baba's back. I'm helping him these days--he's making real money." Dirty money, you mean, thought Neel, but he didn't say it aloud. Gupta paid his workers stacks of rupees to threaten tenants who fell behind on their rent. He hired others to cut down rare sundari trees that grew on the uninhabited islands of the reserve. Sadly, these days even Neel's father needed the extra income. After fishing and foraging in the mornings for the family, Baba was doing carpentry for Gupta in the afternoons. Neel was sure, though, that his father would never do anything like demand money from widows who used to own their land. "Want to hear my big news?" Viju asked, lowering his voice and glancing around as if he were afraid someone might be listening. "Well, what is it?" Ajay asked. Viju hesitated. "You have to keep it a secret. Do you promise, Ajay?" "Fine." "Neel?" Viju asked. "Yes, yes. Hurry up and tell us." "One of the new tiger cubs has escaped!" Excerpted from Tiger Boy by Mitali Perkins All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
