Tiger in Trouble. Eric Walters. Toronto, ON: Scholastic Canada, 2001/2013. 243 pp., trade pbk. & EBK, $7.99 (pbk.). ISBN 978-1-4431-2413-3 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-4431-2900-8 (EBK). Grades 3-6 / Ages 8-11. Review by Tanya Boudreau. *** /4

excerpt:

“How old is he?” the man asked.

“Almost twelve,” Mr. Armstrong said.

I knew that was a lie. Kushna was closer to twenty.

“And his weight?”

“Over three hundred and fifty kilograms.”

“Excellent. The bigger the better,” the man said.

“We feed him well. A healthy tiger is a happy tiger.”

“I didn’t think you cared much about whether they were happy or not,” the man said.

I was shocked by his statement. Whoever this guy was, he not only knew what Mr. Armstrong was like, but he wasn’t afraid to say it.

“And you’re prepared to part with him? Is that correct?”

“If the price is right,” Mr. Armstrong said.

That explained why he was here looking at the animals. The only interest he had in them was for what they were worth.

Almost one year has passed since 14-year-old Sarah and her 11-year-old brother Nicholas met old Mr. McCurdy and his retired circus animals. They have learned a lot about caring for animals, and they would like to spend time with Mr. McCurdy this summer, but, instead, their mom is sending them away to Zoo Camp. Once again, Sarah is left in charge of her younger brother. But this time, she can commiserate with Samantha, a fellow camper who is also responsible for a younger brother. Just as the siblings did in Tiger by the Tail, the first book in Walters’ tiger series, they help another wild animal in trouble. Kushna lives at the Zoo Camp. Vladimir, the Russian caretaker, and the young campers love the tiger, but the owner of the zoo only keeps the big cat for money. When the owner decides to sell Kushna (for parts) to the highest bidder, the siblings turn to Mr. McCurdy, their grandfatherly neighbour, for help. They all work together to capture the criminals involved by using the owner’s greed to their advantage.

     As children read through this book, they will learn facts about deer, tigers, cheetahs, pythons and leopards. Poaching is touched on as well, but it’s nothing too scary. Mrs. Fraser (Sarah and Nicholas’s mom) doesn’t play a major role in this book as she did in the first, but the children do make new friends again, with both people and animals. I think many children will envy these characters and want to read about their adventures.

Recommended.

Tanya Boudreau is a librarian at the Cold Lake Public Library in Cold Lake, AB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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