The Song of the Stone Tiger, by Glenn McCarty

(Paperback, 296 pages, first published in 2025)

When almost-11-year-old Thomas Spencer and his family move to the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina for the summer to help his mom recuperate after a lengthy bout with cancer, the last thing he expects to discover is a fantastic hidden world in the woods behind their house. As Thomas ventures into the woods to explore, he discovers a mysterious stone tiger that comes to life when Thomas sings to it. Thomas and Shalomar, the tiger, forge an unlikely bond while exploring the wonder and wildness of the woods. Their bond deepens as they set out on a quest to find answers about Shalomar’s arrival in Thomas’s world and to save him from permanently turning to stone. A fresh fantasy adventure in the spirit of classics like The Chronicles of Narnia, The Song of the Stone Tiger is a warm, wondrous story about the beauty of the natural world and the redemptive power of stories to shatter the darkness.

Storyglory Cautions: Includes a sorceress (although the magic is no more than what we see in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe). Thomas's mother has cancer. One use of "darn."

Recommended Age: 8-14