The Tiger Rising

20nikb - this book is about a boy named rob who is bullied by these two boys. After his mother passed away all the days have been cloudy, then one day a new girl comes, her name is sisteene baily. Her parents were divorced and she said her father was coming to take her back from her mom. Rob finds a tiger and buscampt the owner ant the hotel he lives at , he makes rob feed the tiger he has kept locked up in a cage. Then sisteene makes rob open the cage since he has the keys. They let it go but as soon as it starts to run robs dad shoots it and it dies, after that he punches and kicks his dad and says he wish he died. Thats when his suitcase opened up and let all his emmotions out that is a summary about this fantastic book.

Starred review from July 9, 2001
DiCamillo's evocative, emotionally rich story about a boy caught in the powerful grip of grief is given even more dramatic depth via Baker's (Thirteen Days; The Tailor of Panama) sensitive and colorful performance. Rob has become a "pro at not-crying" in the six months since his mother died. Rob's father hasn't allowed such displays and has moved himself and Rob to a new town and a new start. But Lister, Fla., hasn't been so great. Rob is plagued by a mysterious rash on his legs and endures the endless taunts of bullies; his father struggles as the maintenance man at a local motel owned by a demanding blowhard. Everything changes, however, when Rob stumbles upon a real-life caged tiger in the woods behind the motel and shares his discovery with Sistine, a spitfire of a girl who has just moved to town. The tiger soon stands in for the wild pain and anger that have overwhelmed Rob and Sistine, and they become determined to find a way to free the animal (and their feelings). Baker's pacing is perfect and his turn as sassy, no-nonsense motel housekeeper Willie May crackles. His other characterizations shine as well, especially the often haughty-sounding Sistine and the brief, humorous bits as unctuous Southerners at Rob's school. Ages 8-up.