Both torn from their homes in Laos, a boy and a moon bear cub form a
deep bond in this "moving and memorable" (Kirkus Reviews, starred
review) tale of impossible odds and resilient hope, based on true and
tragic conditions in Eastern Asia.
Twelve-year-old Tam, on a dare, ventures into a moon bear den in the
mountains of Northern Laos. His goal is to steal the cub and sell it,
making a fortune for his family. But the mother bear's unexpected return
upends Tam's plan, and he barely escapes with his life. Then his life
implodes anyway: his entire mountain village is forced to relocate to
make room for a new highway. Lured by the promise of electricity,
running water, and a television, Tam's people move to an overcrowded
village, where Tam's father is killed by a stray landmine.
Now the family breadwinner, Tam is forced to work hundreds of miles away
in the city of Laos, at a moon bear farm where bile from bear gall
bladders is used for medicine. It is a cruel, miserable place, and when
a familiar face--the very cub he'd seen in the den in Vietnam--is sold
to the bear farm, Tam knows he must save this moon bear, no matter what
it takes.
Deeply and powerfully moving, Moon Bear is an unforgettable story of
compassion, hope, and bravery against overwhelming odds, and brings to
light the real-life, heartwrenching plight of Asia's endangered moon
bears.