Tangerine

Rating:
Summary: Great characters!
Review: I sat down Saturday morning to read this book. I didn't get up until I finished it. I couldn't stop reading - I wanted to know what happened to Paul in the past and what was going to happen in the future. When I finished the book, I felt just like I do when I finish a book by any of my favorite authors: when is the next one coming out

Rating:
Summary: Starred review in Kirkus Reviews, February 1
Review: "A legally blind seventh-grader with clearer vision than most wins acceptance in a new Florida school as his football-hero older brother self-destructs in this absorbing, multi-stranded debut. Paul's thick lenses don't keep him from being a first-rate soccer goalie, but they do make him, willy-nilly, a "handicapped" student and thus, according to his new coach, ineligible to play. After a giant sinkhole swallows much of the ramshackle school, Paul is able to transfer to another school where, with some parental collusion, he can keep his legal status a secret. It turns out to be a rough place, where "minorities are in the majority," but Paul fits himself in, playing on the superb soccer team (as a substitute for one of the female stars of the group) and pitching in when a freeze threatens the citrus groves. Bloor fills in the setting with authority and broad irony: In Tangerine County, Florida, groves are being replaced by poorly designed housing developments through which drift clouds of mosquitoes and smoke from unquenchable "muck fires." Football is so big that not even the death of a player struck by lightning during practice gets in the way of NFL dreams: no one, including Paul's parents, see how vicious and amoral his brother, Erik, is off the field. Smart, adaptable, and anchored by a strong sense of self-worth, Paul makes a memorable protagonist in a cast of vividly drawn characters; multiple yet taut plotlines lead to a series of gripping climaxes and revelations. Readers are going to want more from this author."

Rating:
Summary: Junior Library Guild
Review: The Junior Library Guild, 29 John Street, New York, NY, has chosen Tangerine as one of its selections for 1997. This insures that 4,000 copies will circulate in public libraries and school libraries

Rating:
Summary: Lessons Learned
Review: The book "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor teaches you a lot about real life. A boy named Paul Fisher has moved to Tangerine County, Florida from his previous home in Houston, Texas. Paul and his brother Erik are very involved in sports. Paul is a goalie for his soccer team and Erik is a kicker for his football team. An unexpected sinkhole sucks more than half of the school underground. Paul must move to a new school where the people aren't as friendly and gangs are plentiful. Paul joins the soccer team, but to his disappointment they already have a starting goalie. When Paul finally gets a chance to play his parents don't even go to see him because they are caught up in all of the glamour Erik is getting for being a place kicker. Paul wonders why they are so into what Erik does, but have no clue about anything that he does. Paul is the only one who can see Erik's true self. The rest of the people see him as the best new star on the football team and as a great individual. When a death of a local migrant worker shocks the town Paul realizes that the person guilty may be closer to him than he thinks. Will Paul ever get his 15 minutes of fame? Will the truth about Erik ever be revealed? Find out the answers to all of these questions by reading the book "Tangerine." I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for something good to read. The book teaches you about life and how things aren't always as they seem. If you want a book that isn't boring and has non-stop action and suspense then you should read the book "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor.

Rating:
Summary: Tangerine
Review: Peter Pan
Genre = Contemporary/Realistic Fiction
Tangerine
Edward Bloor
6th - 8th grade

Paul Fisher is a 12 year old boy who has just recently moved with his family from Houston, TX to Tangerine,FL. The town is smaller then Houston and the people seem all the same. Paul's older brother Erik, the star football player, finds himself right at home in Tangerine because of the extreme passion for football in the area. Paul feels that his parents pay more attention to Erik than they do to him and his soccer career. Paul attempts to play for his school soccer team but because of his visual impairment, supposedly involving an incident where Paul stared at an eclipse, he is not able to play. When Paul sees the oppurtunity to go to a new school he jumps at it. When he starts befriending people at his new school, a downward spiral of unspeakable events begins to unfold. If you want to find out what happens to Paul and his family, read Tangerine by Edward Bloor.

I would recommend this book very much to anyone looking for a good story full of rich imagery. This story shows people how it is to be visually impaired and tells a great story all the while. **** out of ***** stars. Also this book can be used in the classroom too. It is a good way to teach description and metaphor to your students. Because of the great character building, you can also do a character analysis activity with it.

Rating:
Summary: Let down by the touted Tangerine. WARNING: SPOILERS!
Review: I finally read this after having many people recommend it to me. I was pretty disappointed in the book for several reasons. One, I did not find the writing that great. I felt it needed to be edited, probably by 100 pages or so. There are so many repetitive passages, such as Paul trying to remember over and over how he became legally blind as a small child. Also, the plot wanders at many times, with too many quirks. Mud fires, lightning, and sinkholes all occur in this small town much too frequently, leading the reader to wonder, *WHY* would anyone ever move there?!

The main reason I was disappointed in the book, though, was the plot line with the older brother, Eric Fisher, the football star. Erik is a star football kicker with many dark secrets. In the end, he is exposed, Paul's parents express their regret, and life is good.

Having grown up with a violent sibling, I know that the family dynamic is never "cured" so easily. A lot of times, parents are aware of what their children are up to, but simply feel helpless. The Fisher family are all characterized as one-dimensional, and therefore, any problems and resolutions simply feel like a nice little tale, not reality.

My advice, avoid this well-intended but disasterous book.

Rating:
Summary: Tangerine by Edward Bloor
Review: Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Appropriate Reading Level: grades four to eight
Summary:
Paul Fisher is enveloped by the shadow of his big brother Erik's football dream. Though Paul is on the top soccer team on the league, his parents have never seen a single game of his, but wouldn't miss one of Erik's game for anything. There is something hidden in Erik's shadow about the mysterious past of Paul, and his alien-goggle glasses. Through courage, Paul must unveil the reason for his near blindness hidden in Erik's football dream, and the answer to all the riddles.
Classroom Uses:
The novel can be used to help students gain a better understanding of plot, and its various parts. In addition, the use of author's craft can be used to show students ways authors inhance their writing. Extensive use of author's craft throughout the book is easy to notice for all students.
Review:
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, as well as the use of Literary Devices. The book was easy to follow, and had an unusually entertaining journal format. Thoughts and opinions of the main character were included in these journal entries, and helped my comprehension of the book. This book was very entertaining, and kept me reading till the very end.