From: Jonathan Hunt <jhunt24>
Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 23:59:30

My fifth grade students really like THE TIGER RISING (although some of my more action-driven boys do tend to find it slow and uninteresting). The book was definitely a factor in our mock Newbery and might have fared even better had not one of its staunchest advocates been absent due to a family emergency. It's a quick read with bite-sized chapters, nice language, and sufficiently interesting plot and characters. As a teacher, it's always nice to see quality books that are accessible and I think DiCamillo has found a nice niche in that 3rd through 6th grade readership.

Having said that, however, I have a hard time seeing this as one of the five best books of the year. I notice that NBA judge Jane Resh Thomas is listed on the acknowledgements page, and have wondered about the ethics of this situation, especially as the critics certainly haven't lined up behind the NBA judges in support of this book.

Any thoughts on this?

Jonathan

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Received on Wed 16 Jan 2002 11:59:30 PM CST