Tangerine

Bloor, E. (1997). Tangerine. Orlando, FL: Hartcourt Brace and Co.

Interest Level: Grades 6-8

Reading Level: 4+

Twelve year old Paul is legally blind. According to his parents his blindness was caused by Paul staring at an eclipse for too long, an event that Paul doesn't remember. The family has recently moved to a strange small town in Florida, where lightning strikes more than anywhere else and muck fires are always burning. Paul, loves soccer, but the coach at his new school won't let him play on the team because of his "handicap" so he eventually ends up switching to a different school where he is allowed to play. Paul's older brother Erik is the one who gets the most attention in his house, particularly by their dad, who is consumed by the idea that Erik can get a scholarship to college for football. Paul and Erik don't get along- is it just sibling rivalry or is there more to it?

The original cover of this book turned me off and I had no desire to read it until a student told me that it was his all time favorite book and said that I had to read it. This is not a light read. There is a lot going on in the story, between Paul's blindness, his parents' distance, his relationship with Erik, and the strange environmental stuff going on in the town of Tangerine. There is enough soccer action to keep sports fans involved and the tension in Paul's relationship with Erik will grab any reader. The revelation of how Paul actually became blind is horrific and the realization that Erik isn't just bullying his younger brother but is more likely a sociopath might disturb sensitive readers. Overall, though, this book has something for most everyone.