cover image Year of the Tiger

Year of the Tiger

Alison Lloyd, . . Holiday House, $16.95 (194pp) ISBN 978-0-8234-2277-7

Hu and his family live an impoverished but peaceful life in the town of Beicheng until Magistrate Ding orders the Great Wall to be repaired, and Commander Zheng and his son Ren are brought in from the capital along with a battalion. The commander organizes an archery competition, drawing the interest of Hu and Ren, who practice together (Hu needs a bow and Ren badly wants to impress his father). But as Hu's father is drafted to work on the wall and their family is forced out of their home, Hu grows resentful of Ren (“We do all the real work. Without us, you nobles are nothing”). The situation worsens when Hu's father is wrongly accused of stealing grain, and he and Hu are sentenced to three years of hard labor, leaving it to Ren to discover the truth, expose the thief, and save his friend. By alternating between Hu and Ren's perspectives, debut author Lloyd illuminates the issue of class divide—the dangers Hu and his family face are as apparent as the strictures of Ren's privileged life. Ages 10–up. (Apr.)