Tiger Moon

Review

Common Sense Media says

Fantasy tale of adventure and intrigue in colonial India.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that there are some mature situations in this novel, including discussion of a man's lust for a woman, consummation of a marriage, harems, women murdered by their husbands, and a man being a eunuch. There is also discussion of many religions, including Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism.

  • Educational value1
    The novel leans more toward entertainment than education, but kids may learn a bit about the culture and history of early 20th century India.
  • Positive messages3
    Positive messages about courage, friendship, and hope; kids can learn from the negative examples of greed and selfishness.
  • Positive role models3
    The heroes in this novel mostly grow into heroes instead of starting off that way. They are reluctant and have to learn the lessons of being a hero, a friend, etc. along the way.
  • Violence2
    A man known for his violent rages is rumored to have killed two wives. A description of butchered meat and the flies that were buzzing on it. A man cuts himself on a stone blood. A boy falls down stairs and dies; his bodied is burned. A man catches on fire but is saved. A caravan gets buried in a sandstorm and is presumed dead.
  • Sex3
    There are some mature situations, including discussion of a man being a eunuch and a woman who married without being a virgin. There is also talk of consummating a marriage. In a couple of scenes, men and women are described as having sex but not in great detail. A woman discusses losing her virginity. Mentions of harems.
  • Language1
    Some mild name-calling.
  • Consumerism0
    Not applicable.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
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What's the story?

Raka is married off to a horrible, greedy, and evil man. Her family is poor but her beauty is great. She knows that once the Raja finds out she is not the virgin he bargained for that his wrath will snuff the life out of her. As she awaits her certain fate she spins a fantastical tale for the enucuch that looks after the doves and runs errands for the wives of the harem. The tale parallels Raka's story in many ways, and in others it's pure fantasy. What becomes of the beautiful Raka and Raka's story's hero, Farhad?

Is it any good?

 

Author Antonia Michaelis weaves two marvelous tales within this novel, creating rich characters, enchanting scenes, and wonderful adventure. She does a fantastic job of blending deities, colonialism, and Indian customs to make a novel that is both intriguing and engaging.

Once audiences get into the novel they will truly enjoy it, though some kids may be intimidated by the length and by the sometimes confusing names of various deities and customs.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about trust. What did Farhad learn about trusting people? How did this help him in his journey, and can you give some examples?

  • Farhad's friendship with Nitish was vital to his success in helping the princess. How does friendship help you overcome obstacles?

This review was written by Terreece Clarke
Teen, 14 years old
July 11, 2010
AGE
13
 
Interesting and Exciting
My parents were born in India, I have been to India 3 times before. The information on religion and culture is pretty accurate. It was pretty good. A girl, Safia, called Raka, is taken away from her home to be married to a horrid man. She meets a servant boy, Lagan, and begins to tell him a story. Little does Lagan know that this story, about a boy who befriends a white tiger as he goes on a quest to save a princess, is very true. So you get to follow two stories. It's very interesting.
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This review was written by Terreece Clarke
Author:Antonia Michaelis
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Fairy Tale
Publisher:Amulet Books
Publication date:November 1, 2008
Number of pages:464
Hardcover price:$18.95
This review was written by Terreece Clarke
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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