Never has sibling rivalry been portrayed in such an exciting, yet menacing way.Īlthough Tangerine interweaves important themes, it never bogs down in a stodgy seriousness, but always manages to be consistently entertaining. The interaction of their individual personalities is what I found compelling, not only as a reader but also as a parent.
Both athletes, both born of the same parents, Paul and Erik are as different as night and day. Or won’t are key words in Paul’s parents’ relationship with his older brother, Erik, a relationship that verges on the dark side-as does Paul’s own relationship with Erik. If anything, his so-called handicap has enhanced his powers of perception, especially where his parents are concerned: "But I can see. Paul may be visually impaired, but it’s never disabled him. But most importantly, it deals with human values-values essential to a boy’s growth into a mature and insightful young man.
Why spoil the reader’s fun in discovering for himself the striking originality and cumulative power of this unforgettable novel?Īs a parent, I find Tangerine inspiring and uplifting because it presents issues relevant to our times: race relations, sibling rivalry, competitive sports, environmental concerns, and more. Does he crumble in his difficult journey to become a young adult? It would be unfair of me to reveal any part of this engrossing story. This is the case with Paul Fisher, the protagonist of Tangerine. There’s little comfort for him facing challenges that often seem insurmountable, especially when he feels misunderstood by his parents and threatened by his older brother. The rites of passage for a fourteen-year-old boy can be unsettling, frightening, and even dangerous. JUDY BLOOR BONFIELD Danny DeVito on Tangerine Summary: Twelve-year-old Paul, who lives in the shadow of his football hero brother Erik, fights for the right to play soccer despite his near blindness and slowly begins to remember the incident that damaged his eyesight.
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows: For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016. Introduction copyright © 2007 by Danny DeVitoĪfterword copyright © 2005 by Edward Bloor originally published by Viking in Guys Write for Guys Read, edited by Jon Scieszka.Īll rights reserved.