Claws

by Dan Greenburg

Book Overview

When Cody is 14, he runs away from home, leaving behind his abusive mother, and flees across the country. He doesn't stop until he hits Texas and the Sam Houston Tiger Ranch. Under the guidance of Sunny, the ranch's owner, he cares for the animals in ways he never imagined. He feeds them a diet of raw, bloody meat. He cleans out their cages. He takes them for exercise. He finds out how to get a tiger to back down, and when he should back down himself...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375834117
• ISBN13: 9780375834110
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Yearling Books
• Length: 199 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.3" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Claw your way into this story!

I recommend this book, especially to middle school boys. Cody is a runaway, but for good reasons. He ends up, after a series of jobs which take him across the country, in Texas working at the Sam Houston Tiger Ranch. The ranch is a shelter for abused and unwanted big cats, primarily tigers. Because the author bases the core of the story on his own experiences working with tigers, Cody's experiences ring true. Having worked with cheetahs myself, I can say this with authority! One reviewer wrote that the story is "not for those with weak stomachs." I disagree. Caring for animals involves feeding them what they need as well as cleaning up after them. It's not gross; it's just the way it is. The subplots do not interfere with the main storyline; they do add some intrigue. Cody is a likable, realistic teen who you will root for the whole way.