1. Tiger Rising
By:Rhiannen Heimdal

2. Summary
Rob’s mom dies… Caroline. Rob gets to stay out of school because he has a rash on his legs that won’t go away. Others students parents think it’s contagious. One day Rob got bored and walked out into the woods and finds a tiger. Rob won’t tell anyone about it until one day sistine his friend comes. He tells her about the tiger and she insists on letting it go. Later on Rob gets the keys to feed the tiger and lets it go. Robs dad shoots the tiger and Rob lets his feelings rise up. Rob had opened his suitcase.

3. Symbolism
One piece of symbolism is Willie Mays bird. Willie Mays bird represents the tiger. Throughout willie Mays story about the bird it gets more and more like Beauchamps tiger. The bird doesn’t look happy in the beginning and as the story goes on and Willie May sets her bird free the bird gets happier. Though the bird and the tiger didn’t live long after they were set free they were happy when they died.
One other piece of symbolism is Robs suitcase. Robs suitcase is imaginary and it is were Rob locks all his feelings. This suitcase represents Rob.

4. Theme
I believe the theme of the story is to let your feelings out. I believe this because Rob had not cried since his mom had died. When Rob finally let his feelings out towards the end of the book he felt better. In the text Willie May said to “let your feelings rise on up.” This means to cry or to tell somebody what you are feeling instead of bottling it up inside of yourself.

5. Character analysis
Rob- Rob is shy, lonely and doesn’t show much emotion. Ever since Rob’s mom died at the beginning of the book Rob shut his suitcase and locked it. Rob and his dad moved to Florida and every day is pretty much the same. Rob gets made fun of and his dad works at the hotel they live in. One day there is a new girl named Sistine and she changed Rob for the better. Sistine is a Strong-willed girl. Sistine changed Rob by making him open his suitcase. Throughout the book Rob goes from bottling all of his emotions up inside of his suitcase to crying and letting his emotions out.