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bargainsleuth's review
5.0
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About 5 or 6 years ago, I went on a Newbery kick. I printed the list of all the Newbery medal winners and the Honor books and worked my way through 100+, many of the books from my own personal collection or from the library. Now, every year when the Newbery medals are handed out, I try to read the new books. When You Trap a Tiger is the 2021 Newbery Medal winner.
I’m usually not into magical realism, but I found myself absolutely charmed by When You Trap a Tiger. “The tigers looking for me,” she says, running her hand down my arm, lost in thought. “I steal something that belong to them—long, long ago, when I little like you—and now they want it back.” So says Lily’s halmoni (grandmother), and Lily is the only one in the family that sees the tiger. The tiger is as real to her as the rice cakes her halmoni makes.
Halmoni is dying, which isn’t revealed at first, but becomes apparent as the book goes on. Lily struggles with this fact, as her grandmother has been a very important part of her life. She tries to talk to her older sister, who seems to be in denial, and her mother just seems to want to hide the facts. She has no one to turn to until she visits the local library across the street and makes friends with a boy, Ricky, who seems to have no friends, either. As their relationship develops, the kid gets a little insensitive to Lily’s background and he actually apologizes by saying “I apologize for judging your culture and for being intolerant of other beliefs. I created a hostile environment.” Like, what 11-year old talks like that? Sounds like he was coached by his dad.
I was able to immerse myself in the story and could easily imagine the magical tiger conversing with Lily, and the jars full of stories that are stored in Halmoni’s basement.
If you’re looking to expose your kids to other cultures, this book is a good way to do it. I learned things about the Korean culture and customs that I didn’t know, not that I knew a lot about them in the first place. The stories and characters are well-drawn and it’s easy to imagine them through the author’s expert prose.
About 5 or 6 years ago, I went on a Newbery kick. I printed the list of all the Newbery medal winners and the Honor books and worked my way through 100+, many of the books from my own personal collection or from the library. Now, every year when the Newbery medals are handed out, I try to read the new books. When You Trap a Tiger is the 2021 Newbery Medal winner.
I’m usually not into magical realism, but I found myself absolutely charmed by When You Trap a Tiger. “The tigers looking for me,” she says, running her hand down my arm, lost in thought. “I steal something that belong to them—long, long ago, when I little like you—and now they want it back.” So says Lily’s halmoni (grandmother), and Lily is the only one in the family that sees the tiger. The tiger is as real to her as the rice cakes her halmoni makes.
Halmoni is dying, which isn’t revealed at first, but becomes apparent as the book goes on. Lily struggles with this fact, as her grandmother has been a very important part of her life. She tries to talk to her older sister, who seems to be in denial, and her mother just seems to want to hide the facts. She has no one to turn to until she visits the local library across the street and makes friends with a boy, Ricky, who seems to have no friends, either. As their relationship develops, the kid gets a little insensitive to Lily’s background and he actually apologizes by saying “I apologize for judging your culture and for being intolerant of other beliefs. I created a hostile environment.” Like, what 11-year old talks like that? Sounds like he was coached by his dad.
I was able to immerse myself in the story and could easily imagine the magical tiger conversing with Lily, and the jars full of stories that are stored in Halmoni’s basement.
If you’re looking to expose your kids to other cultures, this book is a good way to do it. I learned things about the Korean culture and customs that I didn’t know, not that I knew a lot about them in the first place. The stories and characters are well-drawn and it’s easy to imagine them through the author’s expert prose.
flamingoreader's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
sunshine15's review
4.0
I read this in a day or so! All the emotions it gave me-
When I was a child, my grandmother used to tell me stories. I used to curl up in bed beside her and she used to whisper stories to me in the dark before I slept. My favourite was always the three little piggies, but with an original twist special to us. Or even a story about a princess trying to pick her favourite dress. And sometimes I used to whisper stories to her. And even though we dont do it anymore, those memories are something I cherish and go back to often. So i could relate to that.
When I was a child, my grandmother used to tell me stories. I used to curl up in bed beside her and she used to whisper stories to me in the dark before I slept. My favourite was always the three little piggies, but with an original twist special to us. Or even a story about a princess trying to pick her favourite dress. And sometimes I used to whisper stories to her. And even though we dont do it anymore, those memories are something I cherish and go back to often. So i could relate to that.
littlelifeofbooks's review
3.0
This is a wild and sweet middle grade story about Korean folklore that traps you in it’s tale just like a tiger. The way this book is wrapped up in finding lost stories is very uniquely told and I think the beginning and the ending I enjoyed the most.
LIKES:
LIKES:
icyhalohalo's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
roseleaf24's review
5.0
This is a really beautiful story. Though I am generally not a fan of magical realism, I don't seem to mind it as much when it's magical because of folktales woven through. Here, the stories with their roots in Korea help a girl deal with her grandmother's failing health.
kvreadsandrecs's review
5.0
Sobbed. It had a little A Monster Calls in it, but I liked it. I’m curious to see if we use this for summer reading.
dismel18's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
I read this for a college class and absolutely fell in love. This is an adorable sweet book of a girl finding herself after moving in with her grandmother. Children’s books are still interesting as adults in new ways!
kirkdean547's review
4.0
I'm wondering how I would respond to this book as a 12-13 year old vs now considering the book is all about how stories change. In truth, as someone who has lost many of their grandparents at this point in my life, it made me reflect a lot on my relationship with them and maybe brought out some regret that I didn't do better while they were alive. Of course, as younger people, we often don't foresee that future reality.
Additionally, just because our relationship with someone is great doesn't mean that it's the same for others who have a relationship with that same person. Something that I think we will continue to learn about our family members until the day we die. I'm thankful for that truth presented here.
What a great read, even for a 30 year-old!
Additionally, just because our relationship with someone is great doesn't mean that it's the same for others who have a relationship with that same person. Something that I think we will continue to learn about our family members until the day we die. I'm thankful for that truth presented here.
What a great read, even for a 30 year-old!