Annie’s family arrive in Tiger Bay to find a sleepy little rundown town with little pride or passion. Blinded by the pride she feels at finally being in her famous great-great-great-grandfather’s home town, Annie sees a beautiful, mystical place that just needs a little shove to shake off its sadness. Perched atop the village sits The Pearl, a crumbling, once-grand hotel, now home only to the reclusive Madam Olenka. Instinctively Annie knows that The Pearl holds the key to happier days in Tiger Bay. Annie quickly ingratiates herself with Jin, the boy who delivers old Madam Olenka’s groceries. Hoping only to get to meet the mysterious recluse, Annie is delighted to find in Jin a kindred spirit. The two friends make a formidable team and together spur the kindly but broken Madam Olenka into putting up a fight to save The Pearl from imminent demolition. The characters in town gradually come to life as Annie’s enthusiasm infects and galvanises the residents of Tiger Bay. Quite simply, The Pearl of Tiger Bay is a treat. It’s easy to read, making it accessible for younger readers, yet the story is involved enough to sustain older, less confident readers. Annie’s friendship with Jin and his family offers subtle insights into Chinese culture. While this cultural element, along with issues of friendship, loss, isolation and community spirit, make the book ideal for class study, primarily The Pearl of Tiger Bay is a wonderful, entertaining read to recommend readily for 7-11-year-olds.

Finette Devrell is manager of Pages and Pages Children’s Booksellers, an independent, specialist children’s bookstore

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker

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