Tangerine by Edward Bloor

This one's a student recommendation. I have a student, Dalton, who started the year telling me he didn't like reading. So, when he spotted Tangerine and got really excited about me reading it, I knew I had to bump it up the list. After reading it, I can see why Dalton liked it so much.

The main character, Paul Fisher, is a pretty normal 7th grader. However, he has some vision issues. They don't seem to bother him much and he sees well enough to be a decent goaltender in soccer. He also, mysteriously, can't remember what happened to his vision and he's terrified of his brother Erik.

Erik is the family star. He can kick a field goal from 50 yards out and their dad pours all time, hopes, and efforts into supporting his eventual football career.

The whole family moves to Tangerine, Florida where things take a turn for the bizarre. Tangerine is the lightning capitol of the country and part of the middle school gets swallowed in a giant sinkhole. Paul just wants to play soccer, but soon gets involved in intrigue.

What I liked about this book is that I was never sure what the story was about. At first it seemed like uprooted kid adjusts to new school. Then it seemed like kid follows middle school soccer dream. Then a multicultural story about kids from different backgrounds finding their commonality. It keeps going. There's a lot going on in this story, and while I predicted the eventual outcome, it was a great ride getting there.

Good for middle and high school readers. Set up as an epistolary novel written in journal entries. Strong themes in culture relations, ethical dilemma, and sports. Should appeal to a broad audience but clearly aimed at boys.