Kate diCamillo is one of today's most popular junior fiction writers - great plots, engaging characters, challenging vocabulary, and abundant opportunities for inference and text connections.
Her best-known book is likely Because of Winn-Dixie, but she's also authored Flora and Ulysses, The Magician's Elephant, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Raymie Nightengale, The Tale of Despereaux, as well as her Mercy Watson and Bink & Gollie series'.
I had the opportunity to hear her speak when she was touring to promote Flora and Ulysses, and she is thoroughly delightful. The audience was filled with all ages and she was engaging to every age and interest level. I've included link to interviews below and this article by her about why children's book SHOULD be a little bit sad is well worth your time.
Tiger Rising has a lot of sad, and it's ok. Rob's mother passed away a year ago. His dad is so grief-stricken that he won't talk about her and doesn't want anyone else to mention her either, including Rob. But their hometown full of people who love them and his mother insists on wrapping their arms around them, so his father decides they have to move.
Rob has an image in his mind of a suitcase, and he puts all of his feelings, thoughts, and memories of his mother into that suitcase and keeps the lid shut tight. He refers back to the suitcase anytime he is tempted to cry or even talk to anyone about his mother.
They end up living in a hotel where his father works as a handyman. Rob is bullied at school, on the bus, everywhere he goes, and adults turn a blind eye. He has a rash on his legs, that to any adult would signal emotional distress, but to other children represents another opportunity to mock and tease him. He adds his feelings about being treated this way to his suitcase.
And then Sistine moves to town. Sistine's parents recently divorced and she is sure her father is coming any day to take her to live with him, so she has no intention of making friends or caring about this place. Rob is drawn to her immediately.
Sistine immediately becomes a target for the other children, but she, unlike Rob, fights back, leaving school each day with dirty, torn clothes, as well as scrapes and bruises. Before she and Rob can get to know each other very well, his principal sends him home until the rash on his legs clears up because some of the other parents are afraid it is contagious. Rob is thrilled!
Sistine brings him the schoolwork he has missed each day and they develop an uneasy friendship that is cemented when he shares that he has found a tiger in a cage in the woods, a tiger that sits squarely on top of his suitcase, holding it closed.
As the mystery of the tiger unfolds, Rob and Sistine come to terms with the truths in their lives - Sistine's father is not coming to get her and Rob must learn to talk about his feelings if he is going to be healthy.
This is a great read-aloud with older children. I recommend reading to together because of some of the intense topics and feelings that are woven into this wonderful story. It opens the door to opportunities to talk about divorce, death, compassion, kindness, mental health, friendship, decision-making, etc...
The ending is satisfying, but leaves enough room for the reader to imagine what the future holds for Rob and his friend Sistine.
Tiger Rising and Kate diCamillo's other works are available on Amazon.
Reading Rockets interview with diCamillo
Candlewick Press interview with diCamillo
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