The Boy Who Saved a Bear

Another book of adventures on the island of Serendib and Nizrana Farookz has done it again. A wonderful story, full of rich description about the island, the landscape and the forests so that you feel like you there and that it is real. Nuwan decides to take his brother's place taking some library books to a monk who lives in the King's city. His brother is ill but his parents don't think Nuwan is old enough to go. At the library he witnesses a special, long lost key being handed over to a ceremonial procession to return it to the Queen where elephants will carry it and stop at all the villages along the way. Nuwan finds another key hidden in a book at the library and realises the one on the elephants is fake. Soon he finds himself on the run and in a race against the elephant procession to return the key go the Queen so he is not considered the thief. He takes refuge in a cave and realises it is inhabited by a bear, but not just any bear...Karadi, the bear families threaten their children with if they are bad. Nuwan and Karadi travel together to the King's compound, encountering danger and excitement along the way, whilst trying to evade capture by the people who want the key back. Short, fast paced chapters and intriguing endings that make you want to read the next chapter will appeal to lots of children. This makes a wonderful 4th book to the animal series and if you haven't read The Girl who Stole and Elephant, The Boy Who Met a Whale and The Girl who Lost a Leopard then they are a must. There is a wonderful nod to them all at the end...the brave heroes of Serendib!

Nizarana Farook does it again.
Set in Sri Lanka - The Boy who Saved a Bear features young boy named Nuwan, a stolen key and a terrifying bear.
Nuwan manages to get himself embroiled in a situation which takes him across the country to give the Queen a key that unfortunately is stuck around a bear's neck.
The book concentrates on themes of friendshio, love and persevereance.

A lovely, heartwarming tale.

Yes, I welled up as soon as I closed the book. This is the fourth and final story by Nizrana Farook set on her imaginary island of Serendip (much akin to Sri Lanka). There are even ‘easter eggs’ to spot from The Girl Who Stole and Elephant, The Boy Who Met a Whale, and The Girl Who Lost a Leopard in honour of this final foray. So lovely! All these stories have at their heart a theme of conservation, respecting and living alongside wildlife. The heartfelt relationships all Farook’s characters develop whether with a whale or a bear, result in a symbiotic protective bond that allows them both to stay safe from whoever the baddies might be in the adventure, then return to their own natural habitat/community as it should be. In the last book, it was poachers, this time it’s thieves who want to steal a precious and ancient key, who replace it with a fake to present to the Queen. Meanwhile, a young boy, Nuwan is struggling to find his place in his family and it feels like he needs to do something to prove his metal. Being the middle sibling isn’t a walk in the park. Big brother gets all the responsibility and praise, and the baby gets all the coos and cuddles. Nuwan decides to take his older brother’s place delivering books from the library to monks far away in the King’s City. He happens upon the real key’s hiding place at the library, and unbeknownst to him is in mortal danger from both the thieves and the legendary ferocious wild bear Karadi!! In only a few days time the elephant procession with the fake key will reach the Queen, so Nuwan decides that he is going to take the real key to her himself and expose the baddies. It’s a long way to go, and there might be danger, lack of food and no safe bed for the night. Perhaps if one had a rather large fury sloth bear, useful for scaring off the persistent thieves, protecting the key and making memories of eternal friendship with - only then could such a quest succeed!!!! As always, I loved travelling through the wild of Serendip with Nuwan and Karadi. Along the way I learned all about some incredible fruits, plants and trees to fill my imagination with new tastes, smells and vistas. I can’t wait to find out what Nizrana Farook has in store for readers next. I sincerely hope there will be a new middle grade series in the not too distant future.

What a wonderful adventure!
This is the first book I have read from this author but these books have been on my radar for a long time.

This adventure is all about nuwan who one day discovers a hidden very important key in a book at the library. Not realising it’s importance he sets off on a journey to send the key back to the queen before the false key is found. Along the way he has to watch out for the sneaky thieves and happens to make friends with a terrifying bear…

I really loved the adventure and the setting of the story, I felt really immersed from the beginning. I loved the bear and how the book characterises her so the readers love her but also doesn’t shy away from the fact she is a wild animal. The illustrations also add to the story beautifully. I really liked the message of believing in yourself and not comparing yourself to others, to be brave and trust your instincts.

I am now planning to read all the other books!

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

The Boy who Saved a Bear is a fabulous adventure story for children about Nuwan, who longs to be recognised in his family. His older brother is the favourite child and rubs it in Nuwans face. When Nuwan watches the procession of elephants taking a special key to the queen, Nuwan sees his chance to prove himself by doing his brothers monthly trip, taking books from their library to the place the elephants are going to. It's a long journey that will take him two days there and back by foot. His parents rightly say no as Nuwan is only ten years old but determined to prove himself he sneaks off. Along the way, he is chased by villains who want something he has hidden within his books (unknowingly) and befriends a ferocious bear. The setting in this book was so beautifully written, and I found myself very vividly there! The book also has a great message for the reader to not compare yourself to others, believe in yourself, trust your intuition, and be brave. I've never read this author before, but I will definitely be reading more from them!