Tangerine

written by Edward Bloor

Harcourt Inc., 2005

Genre: Children's contemporary fiction

Reading Level: Ages 10 and up

309 pages

Tangerine starts out with Paul Fisher and his family moving to Tangerine Florida because of his father's new job. Erik quickly learns that this area of the Florida has muck fires that are constantly burning because of the reoccurring lightening in the everyday storms hitting it after him and his mom think their house is on fire. The reader quickly learns that Paul's parents, mostly his father, are obsessed with paul's brother, Erik's football dream. The book introduces Antoine Thomas, Erik's new best friend, and Mike Costello, another player on Erik's team. Paul and his mother head to the middle school to enroll Paul and he is quickly frustrated with his mom for telling the principal that he is legally blind. Paul doesn't feel blind, at least with his glasses. He doesn't remember the incident but his parents tell him that he stared into an eclipse too long and ruined his eyes. On his first day of school, he makes a friend, Joey Costello, Mike's little brother and Paul's fellow soccer player as planned. The reader soon recognizes Paul's mother a little over obsessive about the state of the neighborhood and does everything she can to "improve" situations including requesting that the lightening rods on top of one house that has been struck multiple times be removed because they were unattractive. Paul attends soccer tryouts and is sure that he will be made goalie, his regular position. He goes home to find that Mike Costello is dead, struck by lightening during football practice. Paul is disgusted at Erik and his friends as they laugh at the situation. Pauls mother starts fighting for football practice to be moved to a different time of day that isn't bound to rain everyday. Paul is even more disappointed the next day at school as he is informed that he cannot play soccer because of his disability. He is furious with his mom, but there is nothing to be done. After the weekend and after constant rain as Paul is in class in one of the school outdoor trailers a sinkhole starts to collapse under the trailers, Paul and Joey get out and start helping out other children. After a meeting at the school it is decided that half the students will do a half day and the other students will go to Tangerine middle, the other middle school. The heavens open for Paul as he realizes that if he goes to the other middle school he has a chance of playing goalie. Paul goes to his new school, really excited, he learns that there are girls on this team too, and after some showing off he is added as an extra goalie. Paul plays his first soccer game as a Tangerine Middle war eagle, and as one of the head players, Victor, gets in a fight Paul goes in and helps the team win. Joey transfers to Tangerine, but doesn't get an in with the soccer players. The next soccer game comes and Paul gets put in again, he shoots a goal, and wins the game, he is now officially accepted. Joey however turns out to be a horrible player. In his science class Paul is assigned a project and decides to hook up with the fellow soccer players and Theresea and Tino say that their brother invented a new kind of fruit and they can help him out and study how he did it as the project. Joey however joined a different group, clearly feeling alienated. Paul and his friends go to Tino's house and meet his older brother Luis and are introduced to the new fruit and the grove that Luis works hard to keep alive. Paul really likes it at Luis' home and family. Paul and his team keep winning his soccer games and Paul goes back to help Luis with the grove. At their last game against paul's old school they win be a sliver, but Paul finally feels part of the group and is completely enjoying his friends and the victory of being one of the best in the state. The science group comes over to Pauls house to work on the presentation and Tino gets in a fight with Erik, Erik wins. Luis, standing up for his younger brother confronts Erik, and ends up getting hit in the head with a blackjack, Paul sees it all but keeps his mouth shut. The first frost hits and many of the soccer players are missing because they are helping Luis protect the fruit groves. Paul decides to help out and gets really sick, but the group becomes closer. Paul comes to school a couple days later to hear that Luis is dead, because of a brain hemorrhage, Paul knows it is Eriks fault but says nothing. Paul after several flashbacks realizes that his eyes are bad because Erik sprayed paint in his eyes, he confronts his parents and they break down. paul now officially hates his brother. By the end of the book Erik and his friends are arrested for murder, and several robberies around town. Paul is relieved that his parents finally see how messed up Erik is. Paul is ready for the next soccer season and even the new school year.

I would recommend this book to any child; especially sport players.

I think that some parents would be concerned with the actions of Erik Fisher and how it would effect their children to read about them.

I've loved this book since i was probably ten years old. i don't know what it is about it; I love the writing, the descriptions, the plot that is so unique or that it seems so real. It is definitely one of my favorite books of all time.

My rating: 5 out of 5