Year of the Tiger
Two boys; one year. One shot at victory...
'The last ball roared into flame and flew high into the air, way above the hoop. With a lurch in the pit of his stomach, Ren realised that Archer Yi was aiming straight in his direction. The arrow whizzed into the tiles on his left, and wedged there, quivering. It was a very near miss...'
Year of the Tiger is an adventure novel set in the shadow of the Great Wall of China, thousands of years ago.
Ren and Hu cross paths with an army battalion, as the Han Empire crumbles. Their plans to win an archery tournament go badly wrong. When every arrow becomes a matter of life and death, can they trust each other and save their world?
If you want to find out more about Ancient China, you could also read Wicked Warriors and Evil Emperors.
'A fast-paced adventure...The mystery, adventure, and excitement of the final battle will attract readers, even those who do not usually enjoy historical fiction.' School Library Journal
'This skillfully-crafted work of historical fiction provides an exciting tale of life in ancient China when rigid class structures afforded people little freedom to maneuver byond a strictly-defined set of expectations. The poorest households remained highly vulnerable to hunger, cold and disease, with little hope of assistance or advancement. Alison Lloyd uses these conditions to motivate a unique storyline that will both inform and entertain readers, as they wonder about the fate of these two unlikely friends.' Rutgers University Economics and Children Project