The Tiger Rising facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Kate DiCamillo |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Tiger, animals, wood carving |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Published | Candlewick Press |
| Media type | Book, Kindle |
| Pages | 116 |
| Awards | National Book Award Finalist |
| ISBN | 0763618985 |
| OCLC | 43115159 |
The Tiger Rising is an exciting children's book from 2001. It was written by Kate DiCamillo, a famous author who won the Newbery Medal. The story is about a 12-year-old boy named Rob Horton. He discovers a real tiger trapped in a cage deep in the woods near his home. This book was even a finalist for the National Book Award!
Contents
The Story of The Tiger Rising
Rob Horton is 12 years old. He lives with his father in a motel called the Kentucky Star in Florida. They recently moved to Lister, Florida, after Rob's mother, Caroline, passed away. Rob is a quiet boy and sometimes gets picked on at school.
Things start to change when Rob finds a tiger. He discovers it locked in a cage while exploring the woods. Soon after, he meets a new girl named Sistine Bailey. She has just moved nearby.
Rob and Sistine Meet the Tiger
Rob shows Sistine the caged tiger. Rob usually keeps his feelings to himself. But with Sistine, he starts to open up without even trying. Sistine really wants to let the tiger go free. Rob, however, is worried about what might happen to the tiger if he does.
Eventually, Rob agrees to release the tiger. They open the cage, and the tiger runs into the woods. But just moments later, Rob's father shoots the tiger.
Dealing with Loss and New Beginnings
At the tiger's funeral, Sistine reads a part of a poem called The Tyger by William Blake. Rob and his father then talk about their sadness over Rob's mother. They begin to deal with their feelings together. By the end of the story, Rob starts to look forward to going to school with Sistine.
Main Characters
Here are some of the important people and animals you'll meet in The Tiger Rising:
- Sistine Bailey - Sistine, also called Sissy, moves to Lister with her mother. She becomes Rob's classmate and friend. Her parents are divorced. Unlike Rob, Sistine is very open about her feelings. She sometimes gets into arguments at school.
- Willie May - Willie May works as the housekeeper at the Kentucky Star motel. She may not have gone to school much, but she gives wise advice to Rob and Sistine. Sistine even calls her a "prophetess" because of her wisdom. Willie May and Rob both understand what it's like to lose someone they love.
- Robert Horton - This is Rob's dad. He works at the Kentucky Star Motel. He doesn't get paid very much money by the motel owner, Beauchamp.
- Caroline Horton - Caroline was Rob's mom. She passed away from cancer before Rob and his dad moved to Florida.
- Beauchamp - Beauchamp owns the Kentucky Star motel. He also owns the woods behind the motel and, surprisingly, the tiger.
- The Tiger - The tiger is described as a beautiful animal. It is sadly trapped in a cage and cannot escape. Beauchamp feeds it, and later Rob also helps feed it. After Rob and Sistine let the tiger out, Rob's dad shoots it, and it dies.
- Norton and Billy Threemonger - These are two brothers who bully Rob at school and on the bus.
- Mrs. Bailey - She is Sistine's mom. She tends to treat Sistine like a baby and makes her wear dresses.
- Mr. Phelmer - He is the principal of Rob's school. He sees Rob as a problem and doesn't pay much attention to him. He also tells Rob he can't come to school because he thinks a skin condition on Rob's legs might be contagious.
