Tiger Boy

Neel, a young boy living in poverty in India, struggles with family/community expectations that he will win a scholarship to a city school, but he does not wish to leave his home and family. When a tiger cub escapes the animal reserve, the community is called upon to help find it, and Neel joins the hunt, but a wealthy businessman is also hunting the tiger cub to sell its body parts, and Neel is determined to protect the cub, and in the process finds himself. This award-winning novel for grades 4-6 would be a suitable novel study, read-aloud, or lit circle title, and raises the issues of poverty, family relationships, protecting the environment, gender roles, and trophy hunting.