MMGM: When You Trap A Tiger By Tae Keller - Randomly Reading

Maybe your like

Sunday, March 1, 2020

MMGM: When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

"Long, long ago, when tiger walked like man..." It's the summer before Lily begins seventh grade, and her widowed Korean American mother suddenly decides to move her and older sister Sam from their home in California to Sunbeam, Washington, to live with their Halmoni, who is very ill. Lily claims that her one superpower is the ability to make herself invisible, or what her sister calls a QAG - quiet Asian girl, unlike Sam who is always able to fit in and get along with people. But neither girl wants to move to Sunbeam. Sure, Lily and Sam had always enjoyed visiting their Korean grandmother and hearing her stories. They especially like the way she would have them pretend to grab a star containing a story. Their favorite story was about a tiger and two sisters who became the sun and the moon to escape the tiger. So when Lily sees a large magical tiger sitting by the side of the road into Sunbeam, she knows she can tell her Halmoni about it. But Halmoni's reaction when she hears about the tiger, isn't what Lily expects. She tells Lily that long ago she had stolen something from the tiger and stashed it away in some jars. Now, the tiger has come looking for what belongs to her. But what could Halmoni possibly have stolen from a magical tiger? The answer is in a story that Halmoni tells Lily one night about a lonely sky princess who whispers stories to the night. The stories become stars that light the world. But as a little girl, Halmoni didn't like some of the star stories that made her sad and thought they were dangerous. So she stole them and put them into jars. Now, the tiger wants them back. So with the help of new friend Ricky, they build a tiger trap in the basement, using boxes that Halmoni had stacked by the basement door. One of the boxes contains jars and Lily is convinced that these are the star jars that Halmoni had used to hid the tiger's stories. Sure enough, that night the tiger is in the basement waiting for Lily. When she offers her a deal - return the stories and Halmoni would feel better - Lily is at first hesitant, but later, desperate to help her sick grandmother, she accepts it. With the release and telling of each story star, Lily begins to fill in the blank spots in Halmoni's past, sorting through and separating fact from fiction. When You Trap a Tiger is just simply a wonderful, unputdownable story. The balance of realism and magical realism is so seamlessly done, nothing jars and even the tiger, appearing and disappearing like a Cheshire cat, becomes believable in the skilled hands of author Tae Keller. Story and characters are well-drawn and equally nuanced, playing their parts perfectly. The cast of characters is small and no character, not even Ricky, is gratuitous. Keller addresses a number of themes in this book - loss, grief, family history, identity, and LGTBQ - but at heart is the theme of storytelling. As the tiger tells Lily, stories have the power to change someone, even if don't always end happily. The release of Halmoni's stories helps Lily discover not only who her grandmother is, but who she herself is and can be, and the lesson learned is that it is up to Lily to create her own story, making this a powerful coming-of-age tale. At one point in the book, Halmoni tells Lily "everything a little bit magic." What a wonderful time to be a reader and be able to read magical stories like this. This book is recommended for readers age 9+ This book was purchased for my personal library

Be sure to check out the other Marvelous Middle Grade Monday offerings, now being carried on by Greg at Always in the Middle.

Posted by Randomly Reading at 5:05 PM

Labels: Granddaughter, Grandmother, Korean Americans, Magical Realism, Middle Grade

7 comments:

June McCrary JacobsMarch 2, 2020 at 12:04 PM
This sounds like a good one, Alex. I have to confess I stopped reading your review in the middle because I didn't want to read any spoilers! I'm adding this one to my library list right now. I appreciate your sharing this title with us for MMGM.
ReplyDeleteReplies
Patricia T.March 2, 2020 at 3:33 PM
First you got me with a Korean story. We need more. And I really enjoy reading magical realism. "When You Trap a Tiger," sounds like an exciting read with outstanding storytelling. Will look for this at the library. Excellent review!
ReplyDeleteReplies
Greg PattridgeMarch 2, 2020 at 7:59 PM
Love the cover and your description of the plot has me sold. Books like this one should have an audience for years to come. Thanks for sharing this on today's MMGM.
ReplyDeleteReplies
RosiMarch 4, 2020 at 12:58 AM
Oh, my, this sounds like a lovely story. Thanks for the heads up. I will be looking for this one.
ReplyDeleteReplies
Andrea MackMarch 6, 2020 at 4:46 PM
Intriguing! I think I'll have to find this one!
ReplyDeleteReplies
SueMarch 10, 2020 at 1:08 PM
Arghh. This sounds so good, but my library doesn't have it.
ReplyDeleteReplies
Jenna @ Falling LettersMarch 27, 2020 at 5:07 PM
This sounds like a wonderful book. I'm glad it lives up to that incredible cover ;)
ReplyDeleteReplies

Add commentLoad more...

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

"I'm wondering what to read next." Matilda

Follow Me:

Get new posts by email:

Search This Blog

Blog Archive

Blog Archive January (1) December (1) November (4) October (6) September (6) August (5) July (6) June (5) May (4) April (7) March (5) February (2) January (8) December (7) November (7) October (7) September (8) August (6) July (6) June (6) May (6) April (8) March (8) February (6) January (6) December (7) November (5) October (6) September (7) August (7) July (6) June (5) May (6) April (10) March (8) February (7) January (7) December (11) November (8) October (9) September (8) August (7) July (9) June (8) May (6) April (8) March (11) February (8) January (6) December (7) November (6) October (10) September (7) August (7) July (6) June (7) May (6) April (6) March (8) February (5) January (13) December (7) November (8) October (9) September (6) August (7) July (10) June (8) May (8) April (14) March (10) February (12) January (14) December (11) November (9) October (7) September (9) August (10) July (8) June (8) May (13) April (10) March (11) February (12) January (10) December (10) November (11) October (10) September (8) August (11) July (10) June (9) May (11) April (9) March (10) February (7) January (8) December (11) November (10) October (10) September (8) August (7) July (9) June (13) May (7) April (10) March (8) February (8) January (11) December (9) November (9) October (11) September (9) August (9) July (7) June (9) May (7) April (7) March (8) February (10) January (10) December (8) November (7) October (7) September (11)

Labels

Click to choose a label #IMWAYR (1) #MCBD (1) #MeToo (2) 2012 Sydney Taylor Award (1) 2014 Book Bloggers Conference (1) 2014 Sydney Taylor Award (2) 2016 Sydney Taylor Award (1) 2017 Cook Prize (1) 2017 Multicultural Children's Book Day (2) 2018 Multicultural Children's Book Day (5) 2020 Multicultural Children's Book Day (1) 48 Hour #MGReadathon (1) 48 Hour Book Challenge (4) 9/11 (2) ABC Book (2) Abraham Lincoln (1) Abuse (2) Activism (7) Activists (2) Activity Book (6) Adoption (1) Adventure (10) Advice (1) Afghan Americans (3) Afghanistan (2) Africa (8) African Americans (72) African Canadians (1) Africville (1) Alaska (1) American Revolution (3) Amistad Rebellion (1) Andover MA (1) Angst (1) Animal Cruelty (1) Animal Rescue (1) Animals (25) Antarctica (2) Antebellum South (1) Anthology (3) anti-Semitism (1) Anxiety (1) Apartheid (1) Apocalyptic (1) Apollo 11 (1) Arctic Animals (1) Armchair BEA (2) Art (1) Artic Pole (1) Arts & Craft Activity (1) Asberger's (1) Asian Americans (6) Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (1) Asian Pacific American Month (2) Asylum (1) Athletes (1) Atomic Bomb (1) Auschwitz (1) Author Interview (1) Autism (2) Autobiography (1) Automobiles Women's History (1) Autumn (2) Averages (1) Aviation (2) Babies and Toddlers (1) Bangladeshi Americans (2) Bank Street Children's Book Committee Awards (6) Banned Book (1) Banned Books Week 2014 (1) Baseball (4) Bat Mitzvah (1) BEA 2015 (1) Beach (1) Bears (4) Bedtime Story (3) Beekeeping (1) Bees (4) Best Friends (3) Best of Bloghop (2) Bicycle Donation (1) Bicycles (1) Biography (41) Biracial Identity (4) Birds (4) Bitswana (1) Black History Month (17) Blog Tour (20) Bloggiesta (1) Board Books (4) Board Games (1) Book Fest @ Bank Street 2018 (1) Book Trailer (1) Books (6) Boy Bands (1) Brazil (1) Broadway Theater (2) Brooklyn (3) Brothers (4) Bugs (1) Bullies (4) Bullying (14) Cambodia (1) Camp (2) Camping (1) Canada (1) Cats (1) Celebrations (1) Censorship (1) Central America (1) Central Americans (1) Chanukah (1) Chanukah.Hanukkah (5) Chapter Book (26) Chapter books (7) Chickens (1) Children's Book Week (1) China (9) Chinese (2) Chinese Americans (7) Chinese and Chinese Amercians (1) Chinese Characters (1) Chinese New Year (11) Choctaw Nation (1) Christmas (31) Circus (2) City Life (2) Civics (1) Civil Rights Movement (4) Civil War (1) Classism (1) Climate Change (2) Coaching (1) Coding (1) Colors (2) Comic Book Characters (1) Comic Books (1) Coming of Age (68) Coming Out (1) Communication (1) Communism (3) Community (3) Compassion (2) Competitions (1) Concept Book (1) Coney Island (1) Confidence (1) Conservation (1) Contemporary Fiction (5) Contemporary Issues (1) Cooking (1) Cooking Shows (2) Coronavirus (1) Counting (2) Counting Book (1) Courage (2) Cousins (1) Cover Reveal (1) Crayons (3) Cuba (1) Cuban Americans (1) Cybils (16) Dance (2) Darfur (1) Dawn (1) Day of the Dead (1) Deafness (1) Death (11) Depression (1) Dictionary (2) Difference (1) Disability (5) Discrimination (1) Diversity (167) Divorce (5) DNA (1) Dog Sledding (1) Dogs (15) Dolls (1) Domestic Abuse (1) Dominican Americans (1) Dominican Republic (1) Drawing (1) Drug Addiction (3) Ducks (1) Dysfunctional Families (2) Dyslexia (2) Dystopian (7) Earth (1) Earth Day (8) Earth Science (1) Earthquakes (1) Easter (1) Economics (1) Education (1) Egypt (1) Eid (1) Elephants (1) Empowerment (1) England (6) Enslaved People (2) Enslavement (1) Enslavers (1) Environment (2) Espionage (1) Essential Workers (1) Evacuees (1) Everglades (1) Explorers (2) Extinction (1) Eye Disease (1) Fairy Tale (1) Fairy Tale Retelling (3) False Friends (1) Family (130) Family Conflicts (3) Family Stories (1) Fantasy (50) Fathers (1) Fathers and Daughters (3) Fathers and Sons (6) Fears (6) Feelings (1) Ferris Wheel (1) Fictionalized Biography (1) Filipino Americans (2) First Nations (1) Folk Music (1) Folktales (9) Food (3) Food Adventures (3) Food Banks (1) Forced Marriage (1) Forest Animals (1) Forest Fires (1) Forgiveness (1) Foster Care (3) France (1) Free Verse (10) Freebie (1) Freedom (1) Friends (38) Friends and Enemies (3) Friendship (76) Galapagos Islands (1) Games (3) Gangs (1) Gardeners (3) Gardens (4) Gay Pride (1) Genealogy (1) Geography (1) Geology (1) Ghosts (6) Gift Giving (1) gift suggestions (1) Giveaway (4) Giveway (1) Gorillas (1) Gothic (1) Grammar (1) Granddaughter (2) Grandfathers (3) Grandmother (2) Grandmothers & Granddaughters (3) Grandparents (7) Grandsons (3) Graphic Format (1) Graphic Memoir (2) Graphic Novel (13) Great Depression (1) Grief (9) Groundhog Day (1) Guest Post (1) Guilt (3) Guitars (1) Guns (1) Gym (1) Haering Loss (1) Haiti (1) Haitian Americans (1) Halloween (13) Hanukkah (2) Harassment (2) Harlem (1) Harlem Renaissance (1) Healing (1) Hibernation (1) Hiroshima (1) Historical Dramatization (1) Historical Fiction (37) History (4) Holidays (5) Holocaust (4) Home (1) Homelessness (4) Homework (1) Honey (1) Honeybees (1) Horror (1) Horses (1) House Building (1) Human Body (1) Humor (8) Hurricane Katrina (2) Hurricanes (1) Ice Cream (1) Ice Fishing (1) Identity (16) Identity Confusion (1) Illness (5) Imaginary Friends (2) Imagination (1) Immigrants (13) Immigration (5) IMWAYR (3) Indentured Servants (1) India (10) Indian Americans (6) Indian Food (1) Indian Mythology (1) Indian Schools (1) Indians from India (2) Information (1) Information Book (1) Information Books (2) Integration (1) Interactive Book (1) Intergenerational (3) International Book Giving Day 2013 (1) Interview (1) Inventions (1) Iran (2) Iranian Americans (1) Iraq War (1) Irish Dancing (1) Islam (1) Islamic Tradition (1) Islamophobia (2) It's Monday! What are you reading? (49) Jail (1) Japan (3) Japanese Americans (1) Japanese Food and Culture (1) Jazz (3) Jealousy (1) Jewish Americans (2) Journalism (1) Juneteenth (2) Junior Chefs (1) Juvenile Fiction (7) Kenya (1) Kickball (1) Kindness (2) Kittens (1) Knitting (1) Korea (2) Korean Alphabet (1) Korean Americans (3) Korean Canadians (1) Labor Unions (1) Language (2) Lanterns (1) Latin Translation (1) Latinx (2) Law (1) Legos (1) Lesbians (1) LGTB Pride (1) LGTBQ (17) Librarians (1) Libraries (3) Life (1) Listicle (1) London (1) Loss (6) Lost Toy (1) Love (1) Lowriders (1) Loyalty (1) Lunar New Year (2) Magic (5) Magic Thinking (1) Magical Realism (9) Malala Yousafzai (1) Maps (2) Marginalization (1) Martial Arts (1) Martin Luther King Jr (2) Math (2) Mathematics (1) Mature (1) McCarthyism (1) Medicine (1) Medieval (4) Memoir (1) Memorial Day (4) Memory Loss (2) Mental Health (2) Mental Illness (5) Mermaids (1) Meteorology (1) Mexican (1) Mexican Americans (1) Mexico (2) MG/YA (11) Microaggressions (3) Middle Ages (2) Middle Grade (313) Middle Grade/YA (10) Middle School (2) Migrants (1) migration (2) Military Children (1) Mindfulness (1) MMGM (25) Moon (3) Moon Bears (1) Mother's Day (1) Mother/Daughter (4) Mothers and Sons (2) Mourning (1) Moving (1) Multicultural Children's Book Day (4) Multicultural Children's Books (1) Music (13) Musicians (2) Muslim Americans (4) Muslims (1) Mystery (36) Myth (2) Mythology (3) National Library Week 2016 (1) National Parks (1) Native Americans (18) Native Canadians (1) Nature (15) Navajos (2) Necromancer (1) New Adult (1) New Babies (1) New Orleans (1) New York (3) Nighttime (2) Nonfiction (46) Nonfiction Monday (5) Norway (1) Novel-in-Verse (8) Nsture (1) Numbers (1) Nurses (1) NYC (4) NYC Subway (1) NYC. (1) Ocean Animals (3) Ocean Life (3) Oceans (1) Orphan (1) Orphans (3) Otters (1) Ouzzles (1) Overeating (1) OwnVoices (1) Pageants (1) Pakistan (4) Pakistani Americans (3) Pandemic (1) Parades (1) Paranormal (8) Parents (2) Passover (1) Peer Pressure (1) Perfection Problems (1) Persian Americans (1) Pets (2) Philosophy (1) Phobias (1) Physical Injury (1) Pickpockets (1) Picture Book (152) Picture Book for Older Readers (70) Picture Book in Rhyme (7) Picture Book Round-up (19) Picture Book Roundup (15) Picture Books (52) Pigs (1) Plants (1) Poetry (25) Poetry Friday (19) Pop-up Book (2) Post-WWII (2) Poverty (5) Pranks (1) Pre-School (1) Pre-WWII (1) Prejudice (2) Prostitution (1) PTSD (3) punctuation (1) Puns (1) Puppies (1) Puritans (2) Puritans Witchcreaft (1) Puzzles (2) Qatar (1) Quest (1) Race (1) Race Relations (3) Racism (10) Ramadan (1) Read Aloud (3) Reading (5) Reading Challenge (7) Realistic Fiction (35) Realistic Historical Fiction (4) Reality TV (1) Reconstruction (1) Refugees (15) Relationships (1) Rescue (1) Resistance (2) Rhyme (1) Road Trip (2) Roald Dahl Day (1) Rodeos (1) Roller Coasters (1) Roller Derby (1) Romance (2) Romania (1) Running (1) San Francisco (1) Santa Claus (1) Saturday Roundup (10) School (51) School Plays (1) School Shooting (1) School Story (1) Science (7) Science Fiction (3) Seals (1) Seasons (2) Segregation (1) Self Esteen (1) Self-Doubt (1) Self-Esteem (2) Selfishness (1) Series Book (13) Sexual Abuse (1) Sexuality (1) Shakespeare (1) Sharks (1) Shells (1) Shooting (1) Short Stories (7) Siblings (9) silkworms (1) Sisters (9) Skating (1) Slavery (9) Snow (5) Soccer (2) Social Issues (3) South Asian Americans (1) Soviet Union (1) Speculative Fiction (21) Sports (6) Spring (2) Spy Stories (1) St. David's Day (1) STEAM (3) STEM (14) Stepmothers (1) Storms (1) Stuttering (1) Summer (2) Summer Reading (20) Summer Vacation (1) Sunday Salon (1) Surfing (1) Survival (2) Sweatshops (1) Sweden (1) Swimming (1) Swimming Pools (1) Syria (3) Taipai (1) Teachers (1) Teams (1) Thankfulness (1) Thanksgiving (9) Thesaurus (1) Time Travel (2) Tooth Fairy (1) Top Ten Tuesday (1) Topiaries (1) Tortoises (2) Toys (1) Tradition (2) Trail of Tears (1) Transgender (1) Transitional Reader (3) Traumatic Brain Injury (1) Travel Guide (1) Trees (1) Trickster Tales (1) Trucks (1) Turtles (1) Twins (1) Ukraine (1) Underground Railroad (1) Unions (1) Urban Fantasy (1) Vampires (2) Veterans (2) Veterans Day (1) Victorian Socity (1) Vietnam (2) Vietnam Veterans (1) Vietnamese Americans Family (1) Voting Rights (1) Waiting on Wednesday (1) War (3) Weather (1) Weddings (1) Weight Issues (1) Werevolves (1) Whales (2) Wildfires (1) Winter (3) Wishes (1) Witchcraft (1) Witches (4) Women (4) Women History (1) Wordless (4) Writing (1) WWI (2) WWII (7) Xenophobia (3) YA (63) YA/Adult (10) Zombies (1)