Tiger (The Five Ancestors, Book 1)

Tiger (The Five Ancestors, Book 1)

“Riveting.” —Publisher’s Weekly ( ★ Starred Review) “Slam-Bang, Pedal-to-the-Metal Adventure.” —Booklist “Teens are likely to warm to the implicit theme that each person has a particular destiny, an inborn sense of identity that must be brought to light. A page-turner.” —School Library Journal Henan Province, China —Year of the Tiger (1650 AD) Alone. His entire life, 12-year-old Fu has yearned to be alone. Raised in a secret warrior monk temple with four fellow orphans, he never has any solitude. There is Malao— Monkey, Seh— Snake, Hok— Crane, and Long— Dragon. Fu— Tiger can’t relate to any of them. Even though he calls each one brother (and one surprise sister), Fu doesn’t think of them as actual siblings. The only thing they have in common is that each has already mastered a different style of animal kung fu that reflects both their personality and body type. When their temple home is suddenly destroyed, Fu begins to reconsider his definition of family. The attackers are an army led by Fu’s vengeful, 16-year-old former temple brother, Ying— Eagle. None of the adult warrior monks survive, including the Grandmaster who raised Fu. Grandmaster’s final command is for Fu and his four surviving siblings to scatter into the four winds and uncover the secrets of their pasts, for it is the only way they can stop Ying, to whom all are somehow connected. The five separate, and Fu soon learns what it means to be truly alone. Wounded and lost in the forest, he struggles to make sense of everything until he hears a tiger roar in pain. Then instinct takes over.... With a fresh, imaginative concept, Jeff Stone introduces the first volume of an epic adventure tale told through the voice of a boy learning to temper his own strength. 20th Anniversary re-release! Beloved by readers and praised by educators, The Five Ancestors series has received numerous awards from the American Library Association, International Literacy Association, Children’s Book Council, and others for its ability to connect with reluctant readers. More than 1.5 million Five Ancestors books in print! ★★★★★ Tiger Rocks! From the first page, neither my daughter or I could put the novel down. Fu (Tiger) is a completely fascinating main character -- at once sympathetic and maddening. His impulsive and passionate outbursts ring true, as does his development over the course of the novel. Plus, Ying is one truly scary villain. The martial arts and action sequences in Tiger rival the best in print and on film. They unfold so visually. This novel has it all. It's exciting, funny, suspenseful, moving, and action packed. We can't wait for the next installment! HURRY! ★★★★★ Good enough to turn off the XBox! So here's my endorsement- When your 10 year old willingly turns off the Xbox and shuns Minecraft to read a book, you know you got yourself a winner. After the second book in the series, he grabbed my arms and begged me to buy all the remaining books. He received them tonight and didn't want to go to bed. He keeps telling me how suspenseful they are. I don't care what they are as long as he is that interested in them. ★★★★★ Awesome! I recently taught a class in creative writing to fourth and fifth grade boys. Whenever things got too crazy, I'd haul out Jeff Stone's "Tiger" and read it to them. Instant quiet in the room! Fu's adventures captivated them, and me too. ★★★★★ WOW!!! I bought this book for my son, and he wouldn't put it down! He finished it in just over a weekend and is already eager to read the next installment. What an exciting adventure! American Library Association/YALSA - Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers Publisher's Weekly ★ STARRED REVIEW ★ Set in 17th-century China (aka '4348—Year of the Tiger'), Stone's debut novel launches his riveting Five Ancestors series. Stone credibly portrays Fu as alternately sympathetic and maddening, true to his adolescent nature, and the martial arts scenes will keep even reluctant readers flipping through the pages, and anxious for volume two, Monkey. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books The quest of the warrior monk, deadly elegant in battle yet bound by a sacred honor, is a popular story. The read is fast paced and accessible and the fighting patterned after animals is intriguing; in light of the promise of plenty of action and even more secrets to unfold in later books, young warriors-to-be will likely read the whole series. Booklist The slam-bang, pedal-to-the-metal adventure stands a good chance of luring kids away from video games; they will definitely line up for the forthcoming sequel. School Library Journal This book should have broad appeal to readers who love computer games and Japanese anime. Fu finds friends in unexpected places and learns to control the impulses he has fought against all of his life. Teens are likely to warm to the implicit theme that each person has a particular destiny, an inborn sense of identity that mu