Rob Horton is a young boy whose mother has recently died. His father uproots him from everything he knows and takes him to Lister, Florida to live in a seedy motel. Rob keeps all of his emotions locked up inside and will not share his feelings with anyone. When ugly red blisters appear on Rob’s legs at school, the principal fears it is a contagious infection and sends him home. On his way home, while walking through the misty Florida woods, Rob is shocked to find a real-life tiger pacing back and forth in a cage. On the same day, Rob meets Sistine Bailey, a girl who is outgoing and readily displays her feelings.

Reproducible chapter questions, plus comprehension questions, a story summary, author biography, creative and cross-curricular activities, complete with answer key.

Novel by Kate DiCamillo.

List of Skills

Vocabulary Development:

1. Using content clues

2. Locating descriptive words/phrases

3. Listing synonyms, antonyms, homonym

4. Use of capitals and punctuation

5. Identifying syllables

6. Listing compound words

7. Determining alphabetical order

8. Use of singular/plural nouns

9. Developing dictionary skills

10. Identifying parts of speech

11. Identify an analogy

12. Identifying an idiom

13. Identifying a simile

14. Identifying alliteration

15. Identify onomatopoeia

16. Identify personification

Setting Activities:

1. Identify the details of a setting

Plot Activities:

1. Complete a Story Map

2. Determine the role of others in one’s personal growth

3. Identify the climax of a novel

4. Identify conflict in the story

5. Develop a Storyboard

6. Identify point of view

7. Predict an outcome

Character Activities:

1. Determine character traits

2. Compare two characters

3. Relating personal experiences

4. Understand concepts: coping with loss, friendship

Creative and Critical Thinking:

1. Research

2. Create a Reader’s Theatre presentation

3. Write a letter to a character from the novel

4. Conduct an interview

5. Create an Observation Chart

6. Write a description of personal feelings

7. Create a poem

Art Activities:

1. Design a cover for the novel

2. Develop a Storyboard

3. Design a poster

Overall Expectations

The students will:

• develop their skills in reading, writing, listening, and oral communication.

• use good literature for developing skills: reasoning and critical thinking, knowledge of language structure, vocabulary building, and use of conventions.

• become meaningfully engaged in the drama of literature through a variety of types of questions and activities.

• identify and describe elements of stories (i.e. plot, main idea, characters, setting)

• learn about the dynamics of grief, anger, and isolation, coping with the loss of a parent, forging healthy relationships, accepting responsibility for one’s actions.

• learn the healthiness of expressing one’s feelings/needs to those close to us.

• relate events and feelings found in the novel to the student’s own lives and experiences.

• appreciate the importance of friends and how relationships can contribute to personal growth.

• appreciate that the growth of one’s character is often the result of opportunities and trials that come into one’s life.

• learn the importance of dealing with adversity and developing perseverance in the face of difficult experiences.

• state their own interpretation of a written work, using evidence from the novel and from their own knowledge and experience.