The Tiger Rising: What is left unsaid

Title: The Tiger Rising
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Age Range: 9-12
Genre: Realistic Fiction

One of the reasons I love this book is the restraint that Kate DicCamillo uses in the telling of it.  Rather than flooding the reader with tons of words, she chooses to use as few words as possible.  She exercises restraint and as a result, it is just as much what is unsaid that makes the language powerful.  The main character in the book, Rob Horton, is bullied at school, has no friends, and truly no hope for his life, following the death of his mother.  The book shows his transformation from that person to one at the end who is different and changed from how he has begun.  The book is beautifully written, with wonderful language and engaging characters such as Sistine, the girl who will become his friend, and Willie May, a wise woman with whom Rob discusses the more tricky points of his life.

There are many deep issues that are touched upon in the book.  One is the death of a parent, and how to recover from it.  Secondly is the issue of bullying and how to survive and possibly even avoid it.  Rob is bullied mercilessly and the taunts that he has to deal with are not easy ones. The book touches on loneliness, finding friends, being an outcast and the search for hope.  There theme of people and animals in cages, an idea that many students may not fully understand, but an important point of discussion nonetheless.  It is a book for your more mature reader, not because of the language, but because of some of the content.

B is for Betsy: If you like things simple

Title: B is for Betsy
Author: Carolyn Haywood
Age Range: 5-10
Genre: Chapter books, realistic fiction

I remember reading B is for Betsy growing up. It was one of my favorite books as a child, and I read the books over and over to my mother's dismay.  She constantly told me to try something different, something more challenging, some different genre, but I was always drawn back to Betsy and her adventures in school and her town.

I just recently remembered this book and handed it to my six year old to read.  I can usually tell if she likes a book when she starts reading and is extremely quiet.  It means the book has transported her to a place she doesn't want to leave and she can't wait to see how it turns out.  This happened with this book as she disappeared behind the sofa for an hour and appeared later saying, "I finished it Mom!"  She was thrilled to be reading it as it did chronicle Betsy in her first grade year, just like my daughter.

One of the reasons I like this book is that it focuses on relationships, conversations, and the human side of life.  There is no technology (the book was published in 1939 after all), no phones, no emails, no iphones - nothing to detract from face to face conversations among children and their parents.  It is somewhat idyllic in its tone, but it does expose some common fears and problems for young kids.  For example, the first chapter focuses on the first day of first grade for Betsy, who has never been to school.  She has not attended preschool, daycare, or kindergarten, which are modern educational methods.  Up until now she has been at home with her mother enjoying, playing and having fun.  Suddenly it is the first day of first grade, and she has a brand new dress, brand new shoes, and brand new book book, but has dread and fear in her heart.  She has heard bad things about school from someone and it has completely colored her opinion about what her school will be like.  The chapter reveals Betsy fears, and also shows how all of those fears are unfounded.  Even at the end of the chapter,  she comes home to tell her mother that she made a friend.

It is a beautiful portrayal of childhood and a timeless read.  It is a must for any little girl to read.

The first (it's a series!  YAY!)


The second....just gave it to daughter and she devoured it.  Talks about losing teeth and other fun adventures of growing up.


The third


The fourth