Tangerine by: Edward Bloor

1. Tangerineby: Edward Bloor For Miss Clabby’s8th grade LA class LA.8 12.54.95, Fiction Reading LA.8 34.20.81, Setting, Character, Theme, Plot LA.8 56.97.38, Community Connection

2. Featured Information • Setting • Characters • Theme • Plot • Conflict • Resources

3. Setting • Tangerine County is a fictional county. • It is a new setting for the Fisher family. • There are mud bogs that attracted lightning and remain on fire due to the constant strikes. • “Florida is known as the "Lightning Capital of the World". With more deaths and injuries than all other states combined . . .” • See this link for more information about lightning strikes by state. • Jump to: Setting, Characters, Theme, Plot, Conflict, Resources

4. Setting—Symbolism • “Paul's subdivision was built on a foundation of termite-infested ground, next to a field that constantly burns muck fires, near a school that is built on land that becomes a sinkhole. In what ways is the setting of the town of Tangerine a metaphor for Paul's life? What is it that eats away at Paul's foundation? What fire burns constantly in Paul's life? What is it in Paul's life that collapses just as the ground collapses into a sinkhole?” • For more information about setting, use the Internet link here.

5. Characters • Paul Fisher—younger brother in the Fisher family. Sight-impaired from an accident the family does not want to talk about. • “He wears glasses so thick he looks like a bug-eyed alien, and kids tell a story about how he blinded himself by staring at an eclipse of the sun. But Paul doesn’t remember doing that. And he doesn’t mind the glasses, because with them he can see.” (excerpt from Tangerine) • Jump to: Setting, Characters, Theme, Plot, Conflict, Resources

6. Characters • Eric Fisher is Paul’s older brother, the football star with secrets. • “. . . his parents’ constant praise of his brother Erik, the football star, is to cover up something that is terribly wrong.” (excerpt from Tangerine)

7. Characters • Mr. and Mrs. Fisher—moved their family from Texas to Florida • Favor their older son • May be more “blind” than Paul

8. Characters • The Cruz Family: • Luis—Friends with Paul from the soccer team • Teresa—Friends with Paul from the soccer team • Father—Runs an orange farm with the help of the children • For more information on Florida’s orange farmers, click here.

9. Characters • Mr. and Mrs. Donnelly, son Mike • Mr. and Mrs. Bauer, son Arthur • Soccer teammates • Teachers and coaches from two schools

10. Theme • Change • Truth • “Seeing” people as they really are • Courage • Strength of Character • Jump to: Setting, Characters, Theme, Plot, Conflict, Resources

11. Plot • “Paul Fisher can see things his parents can't, like how evil his older brother, Erik the football star, really is. He can see this even though he has been legally blind since an early-childhood accident he can't remember.” • Jump to: Setting, Characters, Theme, Plot, Conflict, Resources

12. Plot • “Now his family has moved to the bizarre town of Tangerine, where muck fires burn forever, lightning strikes at the same time each day, and half the school disappears into a sinkhole one afternoon. Paul's memories are starting to return--memories that lead to shocking revelations about his family. Meanwhile, he plays on the soccer team with the toughest Latino kids at school, kids who are beginning to accept him as one of their own.” • More plot information can be found here.

13. Conflict • “Paul fears his brother's physical retaliations, is angry at his father's apparent favoritism toward his brother, and resents his mother's apparent inability to see Erik for what he really is. Erik, therefore, appears to be the root of Paul's problems. Is this true? Is Erik the main conflict that Paul faces? If Erik is what caused and continues to cause Paul's problems, what caused, and perhaps continues to cause, Erik's problems?” • Jump to: Setting, Characters, Theme, Plot, Conflict, Resources

14. Links to Additional Information which can be used for Final Project • http://trackstar.4teachers.org/trackstar/ts/viewTrackMembersText.do?org.apache.struts.taglib.html.TOKEN=80cca8553bdf345938b85d7ae3a5c764&number=219363&password= • All information must be documented in Final Project.

15. Symbolism • For class discussion when we have completed the novel, explain how this picture represents Paul and his personal growth through the story.

16. http://www.edwardbloor.net

17. Resources • http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/Tangerine.html • http://content.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=972_type=Book_typeId=3222 • http://www.edwardbloor.net