Tiger Rising
by Kate DiCamillo
Summary
The Tiger Rising is the tale of 12-year-old Rob Horton who finds a caged tiger in the woods behind the Kentucky Star Motel where he lives with his dad. The tiger is so incongruous in this setting that Rob views the apparition as some sort of magic trick. Indeed, the tiger triggers all sorts of magic in Rob's life--for one thing, it takes his mind off his recently deceased mother and the itchy red blisters on his legs that the wise motel housekeeper, Willie May, says is a manifestation of the sadness that Rob keeps "down low." Something else for Rob to think about is Sistine (as in the chapel), a new city girl with fierce black eyes who challenges him to be honest with her and himself. Spurred by the tiger, events collide to break Rob out of his silent introspection, to form a new friendship with Sistine, to develop a new understanding of his father, and most important, to lighten his heart. This novel is about cages--the consequences of escape as well as imprisonment. The story and symbolism are clear as a bell, and the emotions ring true.
(Scholastic)
"Every generation laments the dilemma of children caught in the sweep of war, and we always wonder how they can grow up whole.”
...“It sounds as if many forces kept trying to break Hà."
Inside Out and Back Again
by Thanhha Lai (2010)
Ages 8-11
Pages 272
Summary:
Based on the author’s personal experiences of her first year in the United States as a ten-year-old girl, this book, half free-verse poem, half journal entries, chronicles her last few months in Saigon before it feel to the North. Fortunate (not in young Ha’s opinion) to get out on a Navy ship, her family sets sail for Guam where they then are able to choose where to go. Her mother chooses America and they are adopted by a friendly and smiling cowboy and his surly wife from Alabama. Thus begins a year of almost unbearable times for young Ha. Met with the woes of elementary bullies, learning a new language, feeling ‘dumb’, longing for her beloved papayas and also her missing-for-eight years-father, Ha gives a straightforward and honest account of what life can be like for a refugee.
Personal Response:
Since I listened to this one on CD, I didn’t get to see the free-verse poetry. Perhaps this is why the reader read each word so slowly and pronounced, much to my annoyance at first. I was most surprised at how short this novel was and also to find out that it was based on the author’s personal experience. That makes it even more enjoyable. Overall, it was very satisfying and intriguing to read about the Vietnam experience from a child’s perspective who lived through an escape and a chance of survival in the deep-rooted, racist South in the 1960’s.
Rating: 4/5
Personal Ideas for the Classroom:
1. “Packing a Suitcase”
For students: Imagine being told that you would need to leave your home in the morning, never to return again and shipped to a foreign country. Which small items would you pack if you were only allowed a few? Why would you bring these items. Explain in detail. Students can write this in essay form or create a poster/”Suitcase” and put these items in or on the poster. Share with class.
2. “Topics to Research/Discuss”
Vietnam War
US involvement in the War
Refugees from the War
Vietnamese Culture
3. “Bullying”
This book definitely offers many opportunities to discuss the detrimental issue of bullying. Discuss with the class the emotions and effect that bullying had on Ha. Discuss why her classmates would treat her like this. Discuss why Pam and Steven chose to befriend Ha. Discuss ways to make new students, possibly from new cultures, feel welcome in a new country, learning a new language. There are MANY resources online about bullying. Here is a very decent one with a fun video featuring Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”: http://thehumanityproject.com/videos-music/
Online Resources:
book trailer with strange music choice but good photos
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Ha! Crazy is right! Crazy that a mother who left her children years
ago wants nothing to do with them. Crazy that an eleven-year-old girl
has to be the "mother" to her two younger sisters and even more crazy
that she takes them on a touristy tour of downtown San Francisco one
Saturday all by herself. Of course this was the 60's...unlike today
where you fear your children walking down the street by themselves.
Well, this book turned out to be better and different than I expected.
Although certainly didn't like reading about a despondent mother, I
appreciated the honest details, especially when the mother, Cecil, was
able to explain herself to her eldest daughter, Delphin, who developed
such callused emotions towards her mother, but was still able to feel
empathy and a sense of endearment towards her.
The topic of the Black Panthers was such a huge part of this story that
it would be an important idea for students to learn more about them.
Reading the book made ME want to learn more about them.
Below is a link with lesson plans for kids about the Civil Rights Movement from PBS:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/eyesontheprize/tguide/elem.html
This is a link to a quick description by PBS about the Black Panthers Organization:
I also think it would be interesting and beneficial to have students
view other cultural groups that have been discriminated in other
countries:
-gypsies in Europe
-indigenous groups in South America
-The Basques of Spain
-Smaller groups in Africa
etc. etc...
Overall, I loved seeing the development of each daughter in the story
and of course reading about the culminating even of the girls reading a
poem written by their mother at a Black Panther's Rally. I would have
loved to have seen and heard more about a bigger transformation of the
mother, Cecil. But then again, that's what stories sometimes do...leave
the inferencing and predictions up to the reader.
Fun story that I believe would be MOST beneficial to my previous
students at an almost 100% African-American populated school. This book
would really give a different perspective to them about the Civil
Rights Movement.
 Wow!
What an amazing novel and experience it has been reading this Newberry
Award winner for Avi. An incredible story...Avi is an outstanding story
teller! What is more amazing however, is his ability to infuse the
smallest tidbits of history and culture of the time period of his
novel. Set in the late 1800s in NYC, the City of Orphans tells a story
of an immigrant family, a story that could be told of possibly thousands
of immigrants. From the dialogue, to the descriptive details, to the
smallest nuance, the reader of this novel comes away with an incredible
wealth of knowledge about this time period that could never have been
gleaned in such a way from a history book.
An invaluable activity to go along with reading this novel could be to
have the students research their own immigrant story of how their
ancestors came to America.
Below is a link for a website that describes the top 10 FREE genealogy websites:
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-10-free-genealogy-websites-to-find-ancestors/
Unlike his Crispin series, Avi does not leave many questions unanswered,
meaning he tells what eventually happens to each character and doesn't
leave the reader guessing.
Although a lengthy read, it's definitely worth the read for any class studying this time period or the following topics:
US Immigration
Tuberculosis Epidemic
Newsboys (Newsies)
New York City during the immigration era
Children during the immigration era
The Great Panic
The Magician’s
Elephant
by Kate
DiCamillo (2009)
Ages 8 - 13
208 pages.
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Genre:
Adventure
Fantasy
Themes:
Siblings
Magic
Impossible becoming Possible
Truth Changing
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Awards:
Amazon.com Best Books of the Year, Booklist Editor's Choice, Minnesota Book
Award, Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books, Borders Best Kids Books
of the Year, Hudson Booksellers Best Books of 2009, Nick Jr. Family Magazine
Best Books of the Year, Bank Street College Mock Newbery Title.
Summary:
This seemingly gloomy and
dreary tale begins with an impossible event.
A mediocre magician, in an attempt to summon lilies during a mediocre
performance, instead summons a grand elephant, who plummets through the glass
ceiling lands on a woman, breaking her legs. Meanwhile, across town, another
story unfolding is about a young orphaned boy named Peter who has been told
by his militant caretaker that his baby sister also died along with his
parents and he is alone in the world.
Peter’s heart tells him otherwise and his hopes are confirmed when he
meets with a fortune teller who tells him that his hopes are correct and the
elephant will lead him to her. With
multiple story lines that all convene at the end of the story, this book deals
with the thoughts and questions of “What if?” “Why Not?” “Could it be?”
Personal Response:
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In
only a way DiCamillo can weave a story and magnify a breathtaking theme, this
story does not disappoint. Although a
huge fan of DiCamillo, I was unsure about what I thought of this book to begin
with. I thought there were too many
storylines and many were lacking substance and adequate attention. But as the stories continued and the life of
the message breathed its way into my soul, my heart and eyes opened to the
beauty of this book’s message. Once
again, I was left breathless and full of hope that the impossible could one day
be possible. Although a dark and gloomy
setting that almost makes you feel like you are trapped in a dreary
Personal Ideas
for Classroom Use:
1. “Dream
Boards”
Discuss with the class what makes this story Unbelievable or
Impossible. Ask students what they
might do with their lives if they believed the impossible was possible. Ask them to write an essay or create a
poster by hand or online of their dreams for their life if they believed in
‘miracles’…like a dream board. Have
them share their dream boards or essay with the class.
2. “Magic Tricks”
Ask students to research a simple magic trick and discuss the
elements of ‘magic’ or illusion that make the trick possible. Have them perform the trick for the class.
Online Ideas
The official website for the book! Includes free downloads for magic
activities, activity guide, discussion questions, interview with the author,
and downloadable illustrations from the book.
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Interview
with Kate DiCamillo on how she came up with the idea for the book.
Extensive interview with Thanhha Lai. Best for the teacher to read and relate important points to students. But really GREAT and interesting points
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