THIS BOOK WAS AWESOME! I loved this book. It was very interesting and right on pace. It didn't go off track into unimportant stories. It was about a girl named Tiger who is living in a poor country because her parents are humanitarians who help people in need from poor countries. When the country they help is under attack by rebels they have to leave and return to their own original country. They have to travel a long way to get to the border but find out that people cannot cross the border because too many people have been trying to cross. They have a guide, guiding them through the mountains with his donkey who is good at sensing danger. Tiger finds a fish who she keeps safe in a pot because it was the most beautiful fish she had ever seen. She carries it the whole journey to the border keeping the fish safe. They come into trouble when a group of rebels try take them away but they all scramble away and regroup together (Tiger, her parents, and the guide with his donkey). They escape the danger and continue on the journey. They finally get to the border and the guard lets them in but is not suppose to, he does it anyways because they told him that they were humanitarians who helped people. The fish that Tiger kept she gives it to the guard who puts the fish in a river that never dries up. The guide with his donkey goes separate ways, his job was complete. It was very sad, because the guide was sort of like another family member, the guide's family all died when a missile hit his home, he was the only one left. I would recommend this book it is so moving because Tiger who is a little girl had to make this long journey back to her own country, helping people less fortunate with her parents. Filled with symbolism it tells us a strong message of never giving up because the fish still survived the journey with little water and kept on living even when water was sparse. It shows how something so little can be so strong.
Thanks, Kate, for this wonderful recommendation. A beautiful book. Well done. This is one of the best books I have read in quite a while. Not recommended for children under the age of nine. There is death and suffering involved, but if you want to introduce your children to what people in undeveloped countries experience, and if you want to talk about sacrifice and hope, this is, as I said, a beautiful book.The story unfolds from the unique perspective of young girl whose age we do not know and whose parents are aid workers doing work we guess has to do with teaching and healing. They leave it too late to flee their village in an unnamed underdeveloped country when the war turns in their direction. A man, who we only know as "The Guide" leads them in a perilous journey over the mountains to a bordering country. Just before they depart the village in haste, the little girl rescues a fish from a puddle that is quickly drying up.The conspicuous lack of specific detail heightens the action rather than detracts from it. The scene is stripped down to bare essentials as is the country and the point of the work. This is one of those books where readers find truths and see things that are special to their point of view. I’d like to know what you discovered.The pivotal scene follows. If you want to read the book, stop here.“What will I do with him, when I go? I asked. “I know I was going to let him go, but I am scared….”“When you do not see him anymore, you do not know that he is all right, that he is still there, is that it?” asked the Guide.I nodded.“Your mother, when she is not around, does she no longer love you?” he asked. “Of course she does,” I answered.“This love, can you see it?” he asked. “No, of course not.”“But it is there. The same as hope,” he said, gently.I thought for a moment and then nodded, surprised. The Guide made the most complicated things seem simple.
Do You like book Fish (2004)?
I don't know why I thought that this would be a light hearted read about a journey involving a fish. It was so much better than I expected; it was a very real, harrowing journey of survival. Set in an unknown country during a time of war, Tiger and his/her parents are missionary’s who must make their way to safety across the border. Taking only what they can carry, they make their journey with a guide, his donkey and a small fish kept in a pot with a lid in Tiger's backpack. A trek to the border finds them turned away and a much longer walk to the next point leads them through dangerous waters, rough terrain, uncertain men and near starvation. Filled with symbolism for hope and perseverance, Fish was a standout (and my son begged me to keep reading it to him which was the real seal of approval).
—Melissa
Tiger's parents are aid workers in a foreign country wrecked by war. They had to leave their hometown to a refugee camp due to political problems and war.On the day of the family's departure, Tiger rescues a fish from muddy waters and insists that they take it along. The fish is secured in a jar strapped to Tiger's back and becomes a symbol of hope as the family, along with a guide, makes their long travel to the border. Food and water are low, and they encounter with "fighting mens" which gets in their way to safety. I liked this book because this book made me feel sad for the characters and i felt like helping them in some way. People who like short fiction books should read this.
—jackie sze
RL 980. Tiger, the child of foreign aid workers, has lived most of her life with her parents in a village helping refugees. Then the war threatens the peace in their already impoverished village, and her parents stay to help as many people as they can. By the time they are able to leave, the nearest border is closed-- and the family is forced to take a treacherous trek through arid mountains with only a donkey and a local guide. Throughout, Tiger is determined to keep a small fish alive that she rescued from the mud just before their journey.Beautiful symbolism and parallels in this short book. Would lend itself nicely to a book discussion. Grades 4-7.
—Kate Hastings
