The Tiger Rising

Like her earlier work, Because of Winn Dixie, which was awarded a Newbery Honor in 2001, this slim children's novel is set in Florida, and follows the story of a young person coping with an absent mother and a distant father. In The Tiger Rising, Rob Horton, still reeling from the death of his mother, and recently moved to a new town, is confronted with bullying at his new school. His father, also deeply bereaved, has made it very clear that Rob is not to express his grief, not to cry. Then two extraordinary things happen: Rob comes across a caged tiger in the woods near the hotel where he is living, and he meets a feisty new girl, Sistine (named for the chapel), who doesn't believe in reserve. Will Rob free the tiger, as Sistine show more insists they must... and if he does, what will happen?

A moving book, one which chronicles one boy's journey from silent grief through cathartic rage, and then his entry into gradual healing, The Tiger Rising reminded me (as already noted) of Because of Winn Dixie. In that other work, the adoption of a stray dog leads to an opening of the relationship between a child and her father. Here, the finding and eventual killing of a tiger leads to a moment of dramatic confrontation, in which Rob finally expresses himself to his father, opening the floodgates of both of their griefs. Although a brief book, I liked the characterization here. I like that Rob's father is depicted as deeply flawed - he hits Rob (only once that the narrative reveals), and doesn't really know how to take care of him - but also deeply loving. I also liked the character of Willie May, whose humor and humanity come across very well. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about grief, family, and friendship. show less

Rob has a list of things he doesn’t want to think about: his mother, the rash on his legs and the bullies on the school bus. But then he discovers a caged tiger in the woods and a new girl gets on the bus.

For a short book, it really packs a punch -- I wasn’t expecting it to be so achingly sad! But I liked the prose, I liked that his friendship with Sistine Bailey was not easy and how, underneath the grief, it’s obvious how much his father loves him.

Rob had a way of not-thinking about things. He imagined himself as a suitcase that was too full, like the one he had packed when they left Jacksonville after the funeral. He made all his feelings go inside the suitcase: he stuffed them in tight and then sat on the suitcase and locked it show more shut. That was the way he not-thought about things. Sometimes it was hard to keep the suitcase shut. But now he had something to put on top of it. The tiger. [...] Rob imagined the tiger on top of his suitcase, blinking his golden eyes, sitting proud and strong, unaffected by all the not-thoughts straining to come out. show less

This is a re-read. One of my goals is to read all of Kate DiCamillo's books, and because this is one of my favorite of her books, I wanted to read it once again. . This author has a marvelous way of using every word to her benefit.

This is a small book that packs a great deal of wallop! It is beautifully written and filled with symbolic images.

Twelve year old Rob Horton is hurting. His mother died and his father refuses to discuss the loss. Moving from their previous home and living in a run down hotel where his father is the care taker is difficult. He is bullied every day he enters the new classroom. In particular, he is bullied on the bus, while the bus driver looks the other way.

Lacking emotional support, while pushing down the pain, show more Rob develops a nasty rash. His father applies the medication for his rash in a loving way. But, overall, because he too is hurting, he lacks the ability to reach out to Rob. He is tremendously vulnerable.

When a new girl arrives on the bus, she too is taunted and smacked around by the bullies. Sistine (named for the chapel) is spunky and spirited and unlike Rob, she fights back. Her reward for doing so is a torn dress and black and blue eyes.

Like Rob, Sistine is suffering from loss, though she is convinced that her father simply abandoned her mother and that he will be back to claim her.

When Rob finds a tiger in a cage the woods, pacing back and forth in the cage. Rob can definitely relate. He shares the knowledge of his discovery with Sistine. She immediately wants to release the wild animal. The tiger belongs to the nasty owner of the hotel and letting him go might equate to Rob's father losing his job.

This is a poignantly written book that haunts me. I am in awe of DiCamillo's ability to accurately portray the loneliness of two children who desperately long to escape and rise above the pain.

highly recommended! show less

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, show more 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. show less

The Tiger Rising is the story of two very sad and broken children, and how they are saved by a tiger, but not at all in the way you would expect. This story broke my heart. There's something about the way DiCamillo writes that touches my deepest emotions. I don't know if I can explain how or why, but it's as if I feel the stories, instead of reading them. It's some strange retro-childhood cathartic experience that makes me want to cry myself clean, as if my child-tears could wash away all the stains of jaded adulthood.

First sentence: 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.

Premise/plot: Rob Horton isn't having an easy time of it. His mother has died. His dad is largely absent--at least emotionally. Rob knows he cannot cry or grieve or show his sadness in any way. He hates, hates, hates having had to move. He hates living in a motel. He hates going to school. He is literally being BULLIED--physically harmed--by classmates. He has no friends--friends his own age or supportive adults. The book opens with him 'finding' a caged tiger in the woods behind the motel. He shares his discovery with a classmate; Sistine who is battling her own show more emotions. She is ANGRY, ANGRY, ANGRY. And she also hates having had to move. She hates everything about her life. These two become somewhat friendly as the book unfolds though it's more shared concern over this literal caged-tiger. They seem more in the tolerating stage than an actual I genuinely want to be your friend stage.

The big question is will they or won't they....release the literal caged tiger into the [Florida] woods.

My thoughts: I did not care for this one. Bright side: it was short.

I have really loved so many of Kate DiCamillo's works. They can be complex. They can offer an emotional experience--an emotional journey. You can feel all the feels. You can touch upon all the many, many, many emotions of life. This one is the darkest and saddest perhaps because there is literally no hope present within the novel. I hated the ending so much. I guess the bright side to the ending is that it was over.

What would have made this one better? If ANY adult--anyone--had showed one ounce of interest in Rob and his life. OR the tiger was not a literal, physical tiger. show less

I absolutely loved this book. My favorite part about it was the symbolism and how it really drives the story. I really enjoyed the interaction between Sistine and Rob and the ways that their complete opposite natures leads them to be the best of friends. This is a moving story that really gives the reader a heavy heart, while teaching important lessons about the way to deal with loss, as if it were a wild animal in a cage. I think that too often in children's books, the symbolism only has one clear meaning, however, I found that the symbolism in this book was very open to interpretation, especially the tiger. I also love that the tiger represents loss for both Sistine and Rob, but in very different ways. This book is very complex and up show more to interpretation which would be great to prepare students for middle school. I really want to teach this book in my classroom someday. show less