Roar
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The gripping story of a boy whose eye-opening trip to a tiger sanctuary ignites his desire to do everything he can to be a voice for endangered animals
Rohan loves animals—especially tigers—so he’s thrilled to be traveling to India to visit the tiger sanctuary where his grandfather works. Finally, a chance to observe tigers in real life and hopefully meet Arya, the tigress who just had twin cubs. When Rohan finally sees her, the experience is even more breathtaking than he’d imagined. He’s also grateful for the chance to hang out with his cousin Mira, who has an amazing rapport with birds, and the two spend hours communing with nature. But life isn’t totally idyllic. Rohan knows life in the jungle can be brutal, but he didn’t expect the biggest threat to be human. Lately protesters have been assembling in support of a mining company that would encroach upon the tigers’ space. Rohan knows they have a case, as the mines could provide jobs, but he has no sympathy for the poachers, who have only evil intentions. Then a horrible crime occurs, and he and Mira are determined to find the criminals and do everything possible to make sure everybody understands how important it is to protect the tigers.
New York Times bestselling author Varsha Bajaj weaves a captivating story that celebrates the beauty of wildlife and incorporates spellbinding chapters describing events from Arya the tiger’s point of view, making for a thoroughly engrossing read.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A tiger-obsessed fifth grader finds purpose—and peril—awaiting him abroad in this absorbing eco-conscious adventure. Eleven-year-old Rohan Kumar—feeling adrift in the bustling Texas home she shares with his parents and twin baby sisters—leaps at the opportunity to spend December in India with his grandparents and cousin Mira. Most exciting for Ro is his grandfather's employment at the Vanraj Sanctuary, home to Bengal tigers. Once there, Ro discovers that the forest sanctuary is under threat from a mining consortium planning excavation nearby. Alarmed by the potential devastation to the locale's ecosystem, Ro and Mira resolve to help in their grandfather's advocacy efforts by supporting his legal appeals, reviewing camera-trap footage, and searching for poachers' snares. Riveting third-person narration primarily centers Ro while occasionally spotlighting chapters from the perspective of Arya, a tiger whose survival hangs in the balance, which lend immediacy to the conservation stakes. Introspective language seamlessly incorporates accessible information about the animals' storied place in India's cultural and environmental history. As the cousins confront not only habitat loss but also the sobering realities of greed and mortality, Bajaj (Thirst) juggles suspense with sensitivity, crafting vibrant characters and a propulsive plot that underscores the cost of inaction in a heartfelt, page-turning call to stewardship. An author's note concludes. Ages 8–12.
