This is the second book published, and the second book I’ve read, by Kate DiCamillo. I first discovered her writing with Tales of Despereaux and have been wanting to read some more of her writing ever since. I picked up Because of Winn-Dixie but decided I wanted to wait with that one until after I’ve seen the movie.

The Tiger Rising is more of a short story than a novel (128 pgs). In this story young Rob Horton endures his lot in life with little or no complaint, carrying his suitcase of hurt and loss, until a remarkable day when he finds a real, caged tiger and meets a tiger in the form of a girl named Sistine. In its brief pages DiCamillo allows us to enter into the lives of a small band of characters who, like the tiger, are caged in one-form or another and who long to taste true freedom. DiCamillo’s writing style allows the reader to feel an immediate bond with the main characters and allows one to easily empathize with their hurts and struggles. DiCamillo has written a novel about loss and grief and the risks involved with allowing oneself to open up to the healing power of honesty in relationships. This is a children’s novel and one easy for the intended age group (9-12) to understand, but its deeper meanings require a higher maturity level to fully understand. The symbolism is, at times, blatantly obvious but by the end of the book DiCamillo leaves the reader with many different ideas to contemplate. This book would be a great one to discuss in a classroom setting with children or even adults as the messages presented are universal regardless of one’s age.

Kate DiCamillo has rapidly become one of those authors who doesn’t write quick enough for me. She hasn’t been writing long enough to have a large bibliography but her writing is of such quality that I can imagine myself reading her books again and again. The fact that all 3 of her published children’s novels have been nominated for Newbery awards attests to the quality of her writing. In looking at reader’s reviews on Amazon.com this is the least favored of her 3 novels and it still averages 4 out of 5 stars in the ratings. I highly recommend all her novels, whether you’re a child, a grown-up, or a grown-up reading to a child, you cannot go wrong with Kate DiCamillo.