The Tiger Rising (Novel-Ties)

AWFUL!!! Not a book for sixth graders who like animals!!! Whatever "lesson" DiCamillo thought she was getting across in this book was lost on my brilliant student. She is in tears!!!! All she remembers from the enitre book is that the boys father, for no apparent reason she could understand, shot the tiger the boy cared for.

I share literature with gifted kids in the middle grades and find it difficult to locate material that is both interesting and discussion-worthy. I love a book like this that is simple, yet complex. The ideas put forth do not hit the reader over the head, but rather seep into one's consciousness.

"Tiger" operates on many levels. It's a simple story; it's a story of friendship; it's a tale about grief. It's philosophical; it's practical; it's mystical. All in all, it's a great tool for promoting hearty and healthy discussion.

This is a great little book for people of any age. I enjoyed it and look forward to sharing it with students.

I thought I was almost a fan of Kate DiCamillo. "Stories are light", she once said. But not this one. My eight-year-old daughter and I were so disappointed after we finished this book, it's totally not what we expected; we don't see any light at all.

It looks the author was trying to tell us some things, such as memories, true emotions and animals can't be locked up forever. The message seems profound, but the way it delivered was lack of light. The worst part which I cannot bear is the ending -- the tiger is dead. And all characters don't seem to have a happier life. Nothing interesting. Nothing exciting. Nothing hopeful. I find myself ended up with a heavy heart:-(

Also, there're other issues in the book, such as
. The way to deal with bullies
. Fighting at school
. Communication between parents and kids

I don't recommend this book.

I ask the question because she is such an exquisitely poignant author that seems fascinated with dark overtones. (Can you believe what they did to Despereaux in the movies??).. My outgoing, happy-go-hey-hey 9 year old son, who is a 'sensitive' reader, spotted the undertones of Tiger Rising and her previous novels - "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" and "Despereaux" - and told me he didn't want to read THOSE books - he wanted funny books - like Paul Jennings' wickedly funny stories from Down Under. So I did what I usually do - I read to my son subjects and authors that challenge his sensitive side or that [I hope] will expand the breadth of his interests, subject matter and vocabulary. I almost gave up on Tiger Rising several times because of his age (well, the school wants me to give him 7th grade level books but the child's in 3rd grade so subject matter appropriateness is a constant juggling act). Anyway, the setting is so dreary and the child's situation so utterly abject and bereft emotionally that it was hard to read this except for the beauty of the relationships between friends, strangers and single parents that have nothing going for them except the love of their child. The father and the motel maid are interesting characters more than the caricutured bad guys.
But as always with Ms. Di Camillo, her novels leave us too soon wanting for more from this amazing author.

I generally loath having to read the kid books and trying to have a discussion about plot, characters, theme. DiCamillo is the exception and this one is even more gritty but right on target for the reality that exists in a kid's world. As much as I enjoy them, nothing compares to the joy my kid's get from reading her books and the way the stories make them think on a much deeper level and appreciate the power of a remarkable story. The themes of friendship, bullies, acceptance are common for kid books but the way she introduces them to the questions of freedom and the whole caged bird theme is flawless. Takes a 9 year old to a whole new level. Keep them coming!!!