Bibliographic Citation.

Draper, Sharon M. Tears of A Tiger, New York: New York, Simon Pulse 1994.

Intended Audience:

Tears of a Tiger is intended for a young adult audience. The book focuses on some of the issues that teens struggle though, such as death at a young age, peer-pressure to drink alcohol, and suicide. This book can be used to spark interest not only in reading, but the ability to relate to characters in the book. In turn, the teens who read this book can make connections from the characters to their own lives. One of the greatest intentions of Tears of a Tiger is to open up communication between young adult readers and their teachers about pressing issues that they may face in their lives.

Summary:

The book starts out after the drinking-and-driving accident already occurred. There are some initial reactions, prayers, and then the three other boys, who were in the car during the accident, try to go back to their normal lives. Andy struggles with guilt that he places on himself for killing his best friend, Rob. Throughout the book, others are supportive of what happened and the mistake that Andy makes, however, Andy continues to blame himself until he destroys his relationships with his friends and loved ones. In the end Andy takes his life and there is a strong reaction from the community.

The Relationship of the Book to the Program

This book is well placed in a program where students need to connect to the author’s style of writing. The book provides lots of slang and is driven on teenage conversations with each other. The easily recognizable themes that occur throughout the book make Tears of a Tiger an excellent way for readers to think critically and find a sense of self-identification through analysis of the dialogue. The book relates too many of the controversies that teenagers have with their lives, such as drinking and driving, peer pressure, suicide and the importance of having friends who stand by you.

Potential Problems:

Tears of a Tigerbrings to light some issues that parents may want to address with their teens. The themes of drugs, death, and suicide may afflict family-values within the school system. These themes are meant to be looked at critically and with an open-mind. The idea of justifying these actions will be addressed and related to the real world so that the students can understand why these events took place and understand that some inappropriate behavior takes place in this book. The realistic dialogue and the feelings that are shared between characters make Tears of a Tiger a great way to learn about pressing issues that affect many teens in our community.

Collection of Information About the Book:

Summary along with a vivid description of the style that the book is written in.

Details, reviews, and ratings.

Teaching Objectives:

Tears of a Tiger will be used to identify themes that can be presented in novels, but in a more realistic and relatable way to the students. The themes of teenage lifestyles will be addressed as well as the choices that they decide to make and the consequences that can follow. This book will also be used to help build confidence in readers to analyze books with a careful eye towards literature.

Methods of assessment for Tears of a Tiger can include building a profile of the main character, Andy, and comparing him to the real lives and feelings of the students. Tears of a Tiger allows the students to analyze the text analytically and engage in meaningful discussions of real-life events. Students should also be able to get something out of this book that can help them give ideas back to the community through the means of informing peers of the consequences of drinking-and-driving

Suggested Student Activities:

The students can get a good idea of what Tears of a Tiger is about by doing a research project on drunk driving or suicide. Making a poster that has statistics on it can be hung in the school, helping show students the reality of the affects that drugs and suicide have in America.

Other:

Awarded the Coretta Scott King Award