Thursday, January 7, 2010

Tangerine by Edward Bloor


Can you imagine seeing the world from behind coke bottle glasses and trying to play soccer? Can you imagine moving to a new home where a sinkhole swallows your school? Well, the main character in "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor has to deal with these things and so much more in this sometimes funny, sometimes sad and shocking realistic fiction story.
Paul, the main character also has to put up with some strange happenings in his own family, especially from his all-star brother....who may not be so "all-star' after all. I really enjoyed reading about Paul, who tells the story from his first person perspective. He is a boy that I can imagine existing. Sometimes he seems so smart to me, and at other times I think he is not so smart in the choices he makes.
The format of the book is similar to some you may have read, like the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series or "The Dork Diaries". "Tangerine" is told in sections, and each entry is given with the date beginning it. However, it is not written in diary form and the story is much more serious than those other books. Another book that I think of as being similar is "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary Schmidt.
I rated this book a "10". I do not get surprised too often at the end of the books, but in "Tangerine" I was taken by surprise and did not anticipate the ending. If you like realistic fiction, mixed with a bit of humor and seriousness, with a surprise at the end, I highly recommend "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor.


Possible Discussion Points:

What did you like or not like about this book talk? Was there anything that made you want to read this book? If so, what and why?
Was there anything that made you decide you would not like this book? If so, what and why?
Did this book talk include all the 5 "S"'s? Was there anything that could be improved in this book talk? What and how?

14 comments:

#1henry said...

I think it was a good book talk but
you could sell it more. Maybe you could quote a phrase from a chapter that leaves you hanging. I sort of wanna read it because how often does a sinkhole destroy your school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????
I liked every thing but you need to sell it more!!!!!!!!!!
I think it had only "4s's" because you need to sell sell sell sell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hendlberry\hernie

Anonymous said...

I liked that you listed simailar books,and you explained about the setting.I don't see anything that wouldn't want me to read a book like this.I think that all the 5 sssss are there it looks great.This book looks awesome!!!!!
By Will Donnell

Anonymous said...

That book sounds like a book I would read, because I've read the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and it was really good. :)

#1. What I liked about the book talk is how you compared it to other books, and I think you explained it really well. I also think it was good because you left cliff hangers witch probably made a lot of people want to read it, like me!!!!!

#2. As I said before I really liked the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books and those kind of books in general.

#3. Nope I don't think there was anything in the
book talk that made me not want to read it. :D

#4. I think it did have all the 5s (all though I can't really remember what all of them are :( )

#5. maybe if you quoted something from the book but other that it was awesome!




~~~~***3mm@***~~~~ emma

Anonymous said...

I think that was a very good book talk because you included ALMOST all 5 S's because you forgot to SELL IT!! Also you drew me in, and told only the beginning and part of the middle. The thing that made me want to read the book was that you compared the book to Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, and that's good to know that Tangereine is like that because I LOVED the Diary Of A Wimpy Kid books. Also it sounds like a different and neat book. The only thing I think this book talk could have improved on is SELLING THE BOOK!!! We said that in the other book talk we looked at today too. But other than that, I thing it was a great book talk.

-julia the fish-

Anonymous said...

I think the part that says there is a suprise at the end is what I like the most about the book talk.
I think the part that says it is realistic fiction and the part that says it is funny and serious makes me want to read the book the most.

I can't remember all of the five s's, but I know you have three.
You have the first s, the third s, and the fourth s.

Justin

Anonymous said...

I think it was a pretty good booktalk because it had a summary and relations to other books. I also like this booktalk because I like how you told us that it IS serious but also funny. I like that kind of book.
I think the booktalk almost had all of the S.S.S.S.S. It gave the title and author, had a short but very desciptive summary, had strong points and good similarities. The only S.S.S.S.S. I that wasn't in the talk was the sell it! It really didn't 'sell me' in the end. I felt as if I was hanging on a cliff because of the way the booktalk ended.

All in all, I kind of want to read 'Tangerine'.

100% Sarah

Anonymous said...

No I can't even think what it would be like to play soccer with glasses on, because it would be hard to see I can't imagine moving to a new home,because it would be very sad.The book talk had too much writing. It did not make me want to read this book because I thought it was really boring. I thought the book needed more action. It was that it had a lot of information,and I do not like things that are too long.It did not have the 5's because the summary was too long. There is nothing that could be improved to this book talk.


by Andrew Leduc

Anonymous said...

I like the summary in this booktalk. It has just enough information. Enough, but not too much. AFter reading the summary the part that makes me want to read this book is the part "Can you imagine seeing the world from behind coke bottle glasses and trying to play soccer?" Also the part where you said the main character does similar things.
The only thing for the 5 "S"s that I think you should addis "Strong Points". I just dont think you said what makes your book so good.

Anonymous said...

I agree with henry because you didn't leave me hanging,to much.I mean you'd done a good job but I'd rate your book talk 8.7.

Anonymous said...

There are few things you could have said like who's his brothers name and maybe just like henry said add a quote from a paragraph or something.All in all it was a pretty good book talk!:p
From(the guy that got killed by a rocket)Cheeseball

★Anna★ said...

I think this book talk is great because it starts with a question, then it starts describing it. I think the name is very interesting, because I wonder why it is called Tangerine. This book talk made me want to read this book because you rated it a 10 and you said it has a surprise ending. This book talk also has the 5 S's.

~Anna Thee Banana~

Anonymous said...

I'd give this book talk a 3 because there wasn't that much of a summary, and I didn't understand what the book was really about. I really think this book sounds weird because I don't get that is it about soccer?
i have to stop now!


-Mr. Elwell's favorite kid the book boy.

Anonymous said...

(1) I liked it because it had a lot of detail and you didnt talk to much about the book, you also had the three S's in that book talk, and you were saying how it surprised you, and you definitely sold it because I want to read it now.

(2) I want to read it because when you compared it with other books you some pretty funny ones and I like the funny genre and the sounded interesting with coke bottle glasses and all that.

(3) Not really it all sounded pretty funny.

(3) This book definitely had the five S's and I dont think there can be anything improved on this book talk it was very professional.

Got To Get Back To My Basketball Game
Rajon Rondo (allie)

Anonymous said...

Mrs. Simonds,
I agree with Henry and Julia that you need to sell the book more. I like how you gave a lot of examples of books that are like "Tangerine".
I might want to read this book because you made the book sound so interesting. Like when you wrote "can you imagine moving to a new home where a sinkhole swallows your school?"
Also, I really like how you explained a lot about the main character, Paul.
This book sounds really cool.

*Katherine*