Teachers and librarians contacted publishers. The students came up with a list of authors they wanted to see, including Bloor, White, Gary Paulsen and Paul Fleischman. "We read an article in the newspaper about an author visit at another school, and we got kind of jealous because we wanted an author visit, too," said Lauren Lickiss, 11. "His characters are really like how we act today," added sixth-grader Kelly Harper, 12.Ī review by the American Library Association says Bloor is "a writer to watch." At Saunders, close to 500 students got to watch as Bloor talked about his slightly spooky first novel, which is about a young teen, Paul Fisher, and his evil older brother as they cope with life in fictional Tangerine, Fla.īloor's visit, as well as a visit by author Ruth White ("Belle Prater's Boy," "Sweet Creek Holler") were more than just publicity trips: They were planned and arranged (with some adult help) by the 26 students in a sixth-grade writing class taught by Cindy Dussia. "I read 115 pages in the first day because I couldn't put the book down," said Lindsay, a seventh-grader who stood in line for Bloor's autograph. Ask your children/students how Paul Fisher might be similar to the apostle Paul (hint: visual difficulties yet a clear vision of spiritual/emotional truth).įor other middle grades sports novels that blend some similar thought-provoking elements, see The Crossover and Rebound, both by Kwame Alexander, and Ghost and Patina, both by Jason Reynolds.Author Edward Bloor received the ultimate compliment from 13-year-old Lindsay Strunk when he visited Saunders Middle School on Thursday to talk about writing and his novel "Tangerine." Pay attention to the bird images, the many references to seeing/eyesight, and the ways in which the treatment of the natural world by various parties becomes a metaphor for their treatment of one another. Strong characterization, plenty of sports action and emotions, interesting secondary plots, and terrific imagery make for a rich literary experience that both boys and girls will enjoy.
In this case, however, Bloor manages to weave the issues into one compelling story that works. Usually that means that the novel is taking on too many issues and not doing justice to any of them. Friendships, racism, sports politics, parent-child relationships, physical disabilities–it’s all here. A novel that grapples intelligently with environmentalism and a novel that dives deep into family relationships. He also begins to understand his brother’s true character in ways that slip by their parents. Paul ends up at the predominantly Hispanic middle school down the road and soon realizes that there’s much more to life than his parents’ version of the American Dream. When Paul’s mother tells the school he is visually impaired (which he is), the new school won’t let him play soccer! As if that weren’t enough pain, his older brother continues to be a real jerk, the mosquitoes (and the accompanying mosquito spray) are truly terrible, and a giant sinkhole swallows half his school.
#Tangerine by edward bloor page count full
Paul Fisher and his family have just moved to Florida to a wealthy, pristine subdivision full of white, wealthy, pristine people his older brother, Eric, is poised to pursue the “Eric Fisher football dream” while Paul is planning to continue his middle school soccer stardom.
HMH Books for Young Readers, 2006 (reprint originally published 1997).
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