Tangerine: A Coming-of-Age Tale of Soccer, Family, Friendship, and Belonging

I originally picked up this book because of the awards it received that were listed on the back cover. I wondered if it really deserved all of those awards and decided to find out for myself if it was a great book. It is. In this unique, coming-of-age story, author Edward Bloor creates a realistic tale that is at once engaging, humorous and filled with great twists. Paul Fisher wants just one thing - to play soccer - and he's not about to let anything stop him. Not the fact that he is legally blind, not the fact that his father only supports older brother Erik's football dream (while all but ignoring Paul), and not even the fact that he must suddenly play on a team where the majority is the minority and his teammates are a rough bunch. Older brother Erik has always tormented Paul, but their parents don't see it . . . or they refuse to see it. As a reader, I was angered at what Erik gets away with, but Paul quietly accepts it - just as he quietly accepts the fact that he wears the Coke-bottle glasses that make him so different from everyone else. Another thing that only Paul seems to realize is that Tangerine County, Florida, (to where they have just moved) isn't well suited for human habitation. Not only do they now live in the lightning-strike capital of the United States, they are also plagued with sinkholes, muck fires and swarms of mosquitoes. As long as he's able to play soccer though, Paul will put up with a lot. Naturally, when Paul's opportunity to play soccer is yanked away, Paul is devastated, but then a sudden twist of fate presents Paul with a new chance to play - and a whole new set of challenges. As Paul bravely confronts the obstacles that come his way, his older brother's increasingly disturbing behavior causes events around Paul to slowly spiral out of control. Eventually Paul must find the courage to stop quietly accepting things and show others the truth that they have refused to see all along.

I have a 14 yr old son who struggles to read. So when his high school assigned this book, I was concerned. His school does have read aloud in class, but this was summer reading that he had to get done. I decided we would do a read aloud at home each day. I totally enjoyed this with him. As we read each day with dedicated time set aside, we dove into this book. It was an easy book to get into and pulled into the characters. The book touched based on social issues of kids who have it all and then the kids who have nothing. Family issues of internal bullying, and learning what's really important no matter the cost of loved ones. Learning about heroes and who really is a hero. There's just so much in this book that anyone that went to a public/private school can relate to. Also, I loved the fact that each day I read aloud, my other children and even my husband became engrossed in the story. It gave us much to talk about and they looked forward to each day of reading time. Sometimes, we'd even run past our dedicated time. That was fine with me! I loved it! Oh and yes, this does have audible access, but there is something about reading aloud with your kids that builds a great opportunity to connect and discuss things that you normally don't get. The conversations were wonderful and insightful. If you are reading this for school, I did find some great graphic organizers out there that assisted my son, and those help keep him even more engaged and a much better retention of information with these organizers.

I'm a 46 year-old Mom and I bought this book because of the great reviews, but I didn't know which son to give it to. My 4th grader falls into the age-range mentioned here at amazon, but based on the plot synopses here I felt it was more a book my 7th grader would like. So I read it myself first. I LOVED it. What a great, moving, inspiring, different book. As stay-with-you as Hoot, or Terabithia, or Stargirl, or... to date myself ... as The Outsiders. It's well-written, it's gripping, it's multi-layered, and it manages to keep track of multiple story arcs within itself without dropping any or using any sort of deux ex machina to get out of any. It presents it's villains without caricature, and it's heroes without pandering. It surprises you at nearly every turn - but not in a forced we-need-a-plot-twist way. I won't describe the plot as it as been so well-described here. I'll just reiterate that this is an amazing young adult novel that I thoroughly enjoyed for myself as well. And I personally would not give this to my 4th grader. Not that the reading level is too difficult, but I think the content is too dark and the layers perhaps too subtle for a 10 year-old. I'm giving this book to my 7th grader tomorrow (I just finished it tonight!) and I know he'll devour it.

Good book

I was taking turns reading this book with my grandson whom is in junior high. He could listen to the story and get some of his other work done too. After he took over in reading, I had to download the book and finish it for myself. The book reminded me of my childhood years. I like when the book picked up in pace in the middle and the end. It also provides good morals and hope if you feel bullied by a sibling. This book was good for all ages. It was a great story and touched me personally.

Buenísimo libro recomendado por mi hija