Bibliographic information: Bloor, Edward. Tangerine. New York: Scholastic Signature. 1997. ISBN: 0-439-28603-4
Plot Summary:
Paul Fisher and his family move from Houston, Texas to Florida because of Paul’s father’s job. Paul is faced with the challenge of going to a new school and trying to fit in. This is particularly hard for Paul as he is legally blind and not nearly as popular as his brother Erik. Erik is a high school football star and is the light of their father’s life. Paul plays soccer and has less attention focused on his accomplishments. Throughout his life, Paul suspects that something bad happened to him when he was young and that Erik has something to do with it. The housing development the family moves to is plagued with misfortune such as lightning storms, sinkholes, increasing robberies, and an ever-present bog fire which cannot be extinguished. Because he is legally blind, Paul is not allowed to play on the soccer team at his new middle school and feels that the only thing he has going for him is taken away. After a sinkhole swallows his school, he relocates to a school in town which is where the working class tough kids go. He is allowed to play soccer there and makes a number of friends among the agricultural families. Erik continues to go to the high school in their upper-middle class area and gets a different set of friends and finds a lackey; the two go around and cause all sorts of trouble, but are careful enough to hide it from adults. Their parents find out many truths about Erik which are not at all consistent with his image, and Paul finds out the answers to questions which have plagued him his entire life.
Critical Evaluation:
The writer sets an eerie tone throughout the book, there always seems to be a misfortune waiting to happen in the plot. The book is rather dark and even the lighter points of the book are overshadowed by misfortune and by the unease the main character feels within his own family. The reader gets involved in the story early and holds out to find out what Paul’s big mystery is. The book tackles a number of issues including mental illness, the differences in economic class, parental favoritism, sibling rivalry, thriving despite a disability, and teen crime/violence. In particular, the writer shows the possibility of kids from different classes getting along and working together, I thought that this was one good issue and a bright part in an otherwise dark tale. The books protagonist is only in middle school, but speaks with the voice of a much older teen. Although the main character is young, some of the situations in the book may be suitable for an older age group as there are fairly graphic descriptions of violence and abuse.
Reader’s Annotation:
Paul’s family moves to Florida and Paul is faced with a new atmosphere and a strong sibling rivalry with his brother Erik. He is able to see many problems both inside his family and community better than most even though he is legally blind.
Information about the author:
Edward Bloor was born in Trenton, New Jersey in 1950 and spent his life through his high school years in that state. Bloor grew up in a multi-ethnic community where the most popular sport, due to the immigrant populations, was soccer. This gives him some background in the sport which features so prominently in Tangerine. In 1973, he received a Bachelors degree from Fordham University in New York, and then went to work as an English teacher in an agricultural area of Florida.
Tangerine is Bloor’s first novel. The success of Tangerine lead him to have a number of other works published. Crusader, a story dealing with the issue of racial prejudice, has also received critical acclaim. Story Time and London Calling are additional works by Bloor. A number of his books have been made into audio versions. He lives in Florida, is married, and has two children.
Genre:
Mystery/ Family/ Sports
Curriculum Ties:
N/A
Booktalking Ideas:
1. Focus on the way that Paul’s parents pay attention more to his brother’s success than his own and how there is always a rivalry within the plot.
2. Discuss how Paul always feels like he is living a lie and the way that impacts the development of the plot.
3. Center the talk on the way Paul is able to branch into other groups of kids even though he is from a different background.
Reading Level/Interest Age:
14+
Challenge Issues:
Violence
Challenge Defense Ideas:
1. Read the book.
2. Be Familiar with the policy of the ALA and your institution.
3. Make a note of the contents of the work and how they fall in with the collection development policy of your institution and the standpoint of the ALA.
4. Gain an awareness of the awards, reviews, and criticisms of the work, as well as other works by the same writer.
5. Know the process for materials challenges at your library.
Why did you include this book? :
I have seen a number of copies of this title in the YA section of a few libraries and have heard the work mentioned in a positive light in a number of places.
Author’s Website:
No comments:
Post a Comment