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List Price: $5.99 | | Publisher: Candlewick
Salesrank: 3925
Released: July 1, 2002 |
| Our Price: $1.71 |
| Used Price: $0.01 |
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| Media: Paperback |
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Editorial Review:
The National Book Award finalist from the best-selling author of BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE - now in paperback
Walking through the misty Florida woods one morning, twelve-year-old Rob Horton is stunned to encounter a tiger - a real-life, very large tiger - pacing back and forth in a cage. What’s more, on the same extraordinary day, he meets Sistine Bailey, a girl who shows her feelings as readily as Rob hides his. As they learn to trust each other, and ultimately, to be friends, Rob and Sistine prove that some things - like memories, and heartaches, and tigers - can’t be locked up forever.
Description of The Tiger Rising:
Kate DiCamillo's first novel Because of Winn-Dixie won a Newbery Honor in 2000 for the no-nonsense charm and wisdom of its down-home young heroine, Opal. Also set in Florida, The Tiger Rising is more of a short story in scope, 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, 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, a new understanding with 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. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson
The Tiger Rising Reviews:
Teaches how to deal with sadness and anger 
2009-11-30 - This is the third DiCamillo book I have read. I really enjoyed both "The Magician's Elephant" and "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane". I liked this book too, although not as much as the others of hers that I have read.
Rob Horton's mom died and then his dad decided they should move to Florida, where they currently reside in the Kentucky Derby Star Motel. Rob has a perpetual rash on his legs, and is constantly being beat up by the boys at school. His gloomy life changes when two things happen; first he finds a tiger caged in the woods and second he meets a girl called Sistine.
This is more of a novella than an actual full-length novel. It is not as magical or atmospheric as the other two DiCamillo novels I have read. DiCamillo does do a good job capturing how it feels for a young boy to be sad and alone.
The majority of this book deals with children trying to cope with strong emotions. Rob is perpetually sad because of his mom's death and his dad won't let Rob talk about it. Sistine is perpetually angry at the world because of her dad cheating on her mom. Somehow Rob and Sistine strike an odd friendship that focuses around this tiger they find in the woods.
The tiger is more of a symbol than anything in the story. In the end Rob and Sistine both find ways to cope with their emotions through events that happen with the tiger. The book is more of a fable from this aspect.
I love DiCamillo's writing style. This book does a very good job of showing children the right and wrong way to cope with sadness and anger. It would be a good story for younger children. Not my favorite of DiCamillo's though. I would definitely check out one of her other novels if you are a first time DiCamillo reader.
NOT a book for 11 Year olds who like animals. 
2009-09-04 - 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.
Eyeing the Tiger 
2009-08-28 - 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.
It could be much better!
2009-07-18 - 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.
Why does Ms. Camillo write for children?
2009-07-11 - 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.
