The Tiger Rising

The story of a boy who discovers that some things can’t stay locked up for ever.

It''s six months since Rob''s mum died and he moved to Florida. His dad won''t talk about her at all. "Crying ain''t going to bring her back," he says. So Rob fills a suitcase in his mind with all his forbidden thoughts – the rash on his legs, the bullies at school – and keeps it tight shut. But when he finds a caged tiger deep in the woods, his whole life begins to change. That same day he meets Sistine Bailey, another outsider who''s bullied at school. She says they must set the tiger free – and when Rob imagines the tiger rising out of its cage, his suitcase begins to open...

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