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Summary and Reviews of The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo

The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo

The Tiger Rising

by Kate DiCamillo
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  • First Published:
  • Mar 1, 2001, 128 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Aug 2002, 128 pages
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About This Book

Book Summary

An extraordinary new novel of friendship by Kate DiCamillo, author of the celebrated debut novel Because of Winn-Dixie. Ages 12+

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 heartache, and tigers--can’t be locked up forever.

An extraordinary new novel of friendship by Kate DiCamillo, author of the celebrated debut novel Because of Winn-Dixie.

TIGER RISING
Chapter 1

That morning, after he discovered the tiger, Rob went and stood under the Kentucky Star Motel sign and waited for the school bus just like it was any other day. The Kentucky Star sign was composed of a yellow neon star that rose and fell over a piece of blue neon in the shape of the state of Kentucky. Rob liked the sign; he harbored a dim but abiding notion that it would bring him good luck.

Finding the tiger had been luck, he knew that. He had been out in the woods behind the Kentucky Star Motel, way out in the woods, not really looking for anything, just wandering, hoping that maybe he would get lost or get eaten by a bear and not have to go to school ever again. That's when he saw the old Beauchamp gas station building, all boarded up and tumbling down; next to it, there was a cage, and inside the cage, unbelievably, there was a tiger - a real-life, very large tiger pacing back and forth. He was orange and gold and so bright, it was like staring at ...

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Reviews

Media Reviews

Publishers Weekly
The author delves deeply into the psyches of her cast with carefully choreographed scenes, opting for the economy of poetry over elaborate prose. . . . DiCamillo demonstrates her versatility by treating themes similar to those of her first novel with a completely different approach. Readers will eagerly anticipate her next work.

Author Blurb Karen Hesse, Newbery Medal-winning author of Out of The Dust.
A lush, exotic little gem--this writer’s a keeper.

Reader Reviews

No name

Mixed
The Tiger Rising is a children book by two-time Newbery Award-medalist, Kate DiCamillo. Published in 2001, The Tiger Rising is DiCamillo’s second book and was a National Book Award Finalist. Because the death of his mother, Rob Horton packs his ...   Read More
sadie

five stars!
Great book. Perfect for book clubs and read-alouds!
Elysabeth

Awesome book
Very beautiful and sad.
maya

AWESOME BOOK
I love the tiger rising. It is the most exciting, but sad book ever. we are reading it in my class.

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