The Tiger's Apprentice

It isn't every day you meet a tiger. And certainly not a tiger in a suit and tie. And definitely not one who knows your first name.

From that minute on, Tom's life changes forever. Tom has always felt different from everyone else, but he has no idea how different he really is until he learns that he is the latest in a long line of magic-wielding beings called Guardians. For centuries, a Guardian has protected a powerful talisman that can either bring peace to the world or bring about its destruction. it has been kept safe-until now.

For now, the most evil being of all has sent his terrifying minions to lay siege to the talisman and its latest Guardian, a tiger called Mr. Hu. The Guardian has his own allies in the battle, including an outlaw dragon, a mischievous monkey, and his new apprentice-Tom. But Tom doesn't want to be the tiger's apprentice. What can he possibly do to help this ragtag band? And can they all stop bickering long enough to unite their powers in time?

This rich, action-packed fantasy from two-time Newbery Honor author Laurence Yep reveals a hidden world within our own-where animals take human form, where friendship is the final weapon in the battle between good and evil, and where a young boy must save the world he knows . . . and the one he is just discovering.

About the Author

Laurence Yep grew up in San Francisco, where he was born. He attended Marquette University, was graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and received his Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Mr. Yep now lives in Pacific Grove, California.

One of children'sliterature's most respected Asian American authors, Mr. Yep has written many novels, including Dragonwings, a Newbery Honor Book of 1976, and Dragon's Gate, a Newbery Honor Book of 1994. He is also the author of When the Circus Came to Town; The Imp That Ate My Homework, winner of the Georgia Children's Book Award; and The Magic Paintbrush.

The author of numerous other books for children and young adults, Mr. Yep has also taught creative writing and Asian American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Barbara. In 1990 he received an NEA fellowship in fiction.