book review when you trap a tiger

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When you trap a tiger.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 5 Reviews
• Kids Say 3 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Superb family tale of loss has mystery, folklore, sadness.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Tae Keller's When You Trap a Tiger won the 2021 Newbery Medal. It's about an 8-year-old Korean American girl named Lily and her family. Having recently and suddenly moved away from California to be closer to her halmoni (grandmother), Lily must be brave and trap a tiger --…

Why Age 8+?

The first couple of times Lily meets the magical tiger are a little tense (with

A girl is called a "QAG" or "Quiet Asian Girl," which is a stereotype. The term

Any Positive Content?

Positive themes of family, bravery, courage, and perseverance in face of mystery

Lily is a fantastic half-White, half-Asian lead, and her worldview is wonderfull

Representations and descriptions of Korean American family life ground the Korea

Violence & Scariness

The first couple of times Lily meets the magical tiger are a little tense (with one small jump scare) and could scare some younger viewers. A few references to a car crash in the rain that killed a father. A car almost hits a magical tiger in the road but swerves and misses it at the last second. A shadow monster forms into a tiger woman in a fairy tale. An older woman is made fun of by some boys while her granddaughter is present. The girl then puts mud in a cupcake and gives it to one of the boys; he eats some of it. A father yells "Shut up!" at his son in a grocery store. An older woman mentions how in the past, "Japan and United States do wrong things" to Korea.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

A girl is called a "QAG" or "Quiet Asian Girl," which is a stereotype. The term is used throughout the novel.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

Positive themes of family, bravery, courage, and perseverance in face of mystery, uncertainty, and family loss. Strong messages of taking over your own story, of how to do deal with loss, grief, fear, sadness. Gives a voice to those who've been called "quiet," shy, and worse. Loss is a part of life but so are love, family, friends, history, and hope for the future.

Positive Role Models

Lily is a fantastic half-White, half-Asian lead, and her worldview is wonderfully presented, revealing her doubt, courage, and intelligence. Lily confronts many challenges, is incredibly resourceful and brave, and, in helping her grandmother, risks a great deal. Over her journey, Lily will cast off her sister Sam's stereotype of her as a "QAG" ("Quiet Asian Girl"), and she'll encourage everyone to tell their own story. Her grandmother is well liked in her community; everyone knows, respects her. She's a soft, warm presence but can also be stern, assertive. Sam is confident and out to do the right thing, even if she doesn't show it. She supports Lily when she's most in need. Lily's mother is a good, hard-working parent. The librarian is pleasant and encouraging, and Ricky is open to a fault, positively nerdy, and a good friend.

Educational Value

Representations and descriptions of Korean American family life ground the Korean folklore mystery. Korean foods like kimchi, rice cakes, and mandu (dumplings) are made, eaten. Characters often discuss Korean mythological creatures (e.g., magical tigers) and traditional stories. A few references to the history of Korean people being "a sad one" and "full of sad stories." A woman says, "Long, long ago, Japan and United States people do wrong things to our country." Some references to well-known Korean folklore and mythology.

Parents need to know that Tae Keller's When You Trap a Tiger won the 2021 Newbery Medal. It's about an 8-year-old Korean American girl named Lily and her family. Having recently and suddenly moved away from California to be closer to her halmoni (grandmother), Lily must be brave and trap a tiger -- only this tiger is magical, and conventional traps might not work. Lily is an inquisitive, brave, and intrepid girl on a quest to uncover a mystery and save her family. The novel has fun with magical realism, Korean folklore, and the imagination of an awesome hero, and it also deals with death, family loss, and grief. There are a few tense moments with the magical tiger that might briefly scare younger readers, and a few references to a car crash that killed a father. A different father scarily yells "Shut up!" to his son at a grocery store. A girl is called a "QAG" ("Quiet Asian Girl") and ponders the stereotypical term throughout the book. An older woman mentions how "Japan and United States do wrong things" to Korea. The novel has positive themes of courage in the face of uncertainty, perseverance in the midst of despair, and personal and cultural integrity through loss and grief.

Where to Read

Parent and kid reviews.

• Parents say (5)
• Kids say (3)

Based on 5 parent reviews

Subtle LGBT themes

Too advanced for kids under 12, lgb, what's the story.

In WHEN YOU TRAP A TIGER, Lily and her big sister, Sam, leave California to go live with their halmoni (grandmother). The sisters had lives in California (especially 14-year-old Sam), and they aren't exactly excited that their mother made the decision without telling them. But the girls suspect that their mother isn't telling them everything about what's going on with Halmoni. Lily wants to get to the bottom of it, but Mom isn't budging, Sam doesn't want to help, and there seems to be a magical tiger that may or may not want to eat Halmoni, just like in the old Korean folktales Halmoni would tell them when they were much younger children. The only problem is, Lily is the only one who sees the tiger. With the help of a new friend, some luck, and perseverance, Lily is determined to trap this tiger once and for all. What's the worst that could happen?

Is It Any Good?

There's a kind of magic in this book that goes beyond the sum of its parts: a coming-of-age story; an #ownvoices narrative of loss, grief, and triumph; and a modern folktale all in one. When You Trap a Tiger has a strong girl lead who's brave, complex, and diligent, and a strong representation and depiction of Korean American home life, culture, and traditions. There's mystery, intrigue, and plenty of reasons to race through the pages. The writing is fast, genuine, and rich, and there are plenty of references to Korean and American folklore. By the end, it isn't merely a story of losing family, but a story about what happens when you keep the stories of others alive, stories of people, family, difficulty, success, tragedy, and the future. In a way, it's a kind of new folktale that merges old ideas with modern ones, blends Korean mythology with modern American folklore, and achieves a kind of beauty all its own. Subtle nods to Where the Wild Things Are , If You Give a Mouse a Cookie , and Goodnight Moon appear in Lily's remembering of Halmoni's Korean folklore stories, creating a kind of meta-narrative where this novel is doing what its story is about. When You Trap a Tiger shows how you can make new stories and new folklore your own. Be aware, though: It packs a serious emotional punch.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how When You Trap a Tiger explores grief and sadness. Each family member is shown dealing with them in different ways. How does Lily's journey differ from her sister Sam's or their mother's?

Why might Lily's older sister, Sam, have a complicated reason for calling her younger sister a "QAG," or "Quiet Asian Girl"? How does Lily's view of this term change over the course of her journey?

Do you think Lily and her family are the descendants of the people in Halmoni's stories? Do you think the magical tiger is real? Do these questions matter? Why, or why not?

Book Details

• Author : Tae Keller
• Genre : Family Life
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Brothers and Sisters , Great Girl Role Models
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Random House Books for Young Readers
• Publication date : January 28, 2020
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
• Number of pages : 304
• Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
• Award : Newbery Medal and Honors
• Last updated : September 27, 2021

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When You Trap a Tiger

297 pages, Hardcover

First published January 28, 2020

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Community reviews.

Audio book source: Libby (library borrow) Story Rating: 4 stars Narrators: Greta Jung Narration Rating: 4 stars Genre: Middle grade Length: 7h 22m

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Newbery Medal Winner

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Winner

WHEN YOU TRAP A TIGER

by Tae Keller ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 28, 2020

Longing—for connection, for family, for a voice—roars to life with just a touch of magic.

A young girl bargaining for the health of her grandmother discovers both her family’s past and the strength of her own voice.

For many years, Lily’s Korean grandmother, Halmoni, has shared her Asian wisdom and healing powers with her predominantly White community. When Lily, her sister, Sam—both biracial, Korean and White—and their widowed mom move in with Halmoni to be close with her as she ages, Lily begins to see a magical tiger. What were previously bedtime stories become dangerously prophetic, as Lily begins to piece together fact from fiction. There is no need for prior knowledge of Korean folktales, although a traditional Korean myth propels the story forward. From the tiger, Lily learns that Halmoni has bottled up the hard stories of her past to keep sadness at bay. Lily makes a deal with the tiger to heal her grandmother by releasing those stories. What she comes to realize is that healing doesn’t mean health and that Halmoni is not the only one in need of the power of storytelling. Interesting supporting characters are fully developed but used sparingly to keep the focus on the simple yet suspenseful plot. Keller infuses this tale, which explores both the end of life and coming-of-age, with a sensitive examination of immigration issues and the complexity of home. It is at one and the same time completely American and thoroughly informed by Korean culture.

Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-5247-1570-0

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: Sept. 28, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2019

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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by Tae Keller ; illustrated by Geraldine Rodríguez

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THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL

From the school for good and evil series , vol. 1.

by Soman Chainani ; illustrated by Iacopo Bruno ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2013

Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic.

Chainani works an elaborate sea change akin to Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (1995), though he leaves the waters muddied.

Every four years, two children, one regarded as particularly nice and the other particularly nasty, are snatched from the village of Gavaldon by the shadowy School Master to attend the divided titular school. Those who survive to graduate become major or minor characters in fairy tales. When it happens to sweet, Disney princess–like Sophie and  her friend Agatha, plain of features, sour of disposition and low of self-esteem, they are both horrified to discover that they’ve been dropped not where they expect but at Evil and at Good respectively. Gradually—too gradually, as the author strings out hundreds of pages of Hogwarts-style pranks, classroom mishaps and competitions both academic and romantic—it becomes clear that the placement wasn’t a mistake at all. Growing into their true natures amid revelations and marked physical changes, the two spark escalating rivalry between the wings of the school. This leads up to a vicious climactic fight that sees Good and Evil repeatedly switching sides. At this point, readers are likely to feel suddenly left behind, as, thanks to summary deus ex machina resolutions, everything turns out swell(ish).

Pub Date: May 14, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-06-210489-2

Page Count: 496

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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NOWHERE BOY

by Katherine Marsh ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 7, 2018

A captivating book situated in present-day discourse around the refugee crisis, featuring two boys who stand by their high...

Two parallel stories, one of a Syrian boy from Aleppo fleeing war, and another of a white American boy, son of a NATO contractor, dealing with the challenges of growing up, intersect at a house in Brussels.

Ahmed lost his father while crossing the Mediterranean. Alone and broke in Europe, he takes things into his own hands to get to safety but ends up having to hide in the basement of a residential house. After months of hiding, he is discovered by Max, a boy of similar age and parallel high integrity and courage, who is experiencing his own set of troubles learning a new language, moving to a new country, and being teased at school. In an unexpected turn of events, the two boys and their new friends Farah, a Muslim Belgian girl, and Oscar, a white Belgian boy, successfully scheme for Ahmed to go to school while he remains in hiding the rest of the time. What is at stake for Ahmed is immense, and so is the risk to everyone involved. Marsh invites art and history to motivate her protagonists, drawing parallels to gentiles who protected Jews fleeing Nazi terror and citing present-day political news. This well-crafted and suspenseful novel touches on the topics of refugees and immigrant integration, terrorism, Islam, Islamophobia, and the Syrian war with sensitivity and grace.

Pub Date: Aug. 7, 2018

ISBN: 978-1-250-30757-6

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Review Posted Online: June 10, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2018

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The bookshelf, when you trap a tiger: a journey into magical realism.

Hello! I'm Sloane, and I am reviewing When You Trap A Tiger by Tae Keller. I read this book a few years ago, and was reminded of it when I saw it sitting on my bookshelf, waiting to be opened again. Although it's mostly intended for middle-grade readers, it's a fantastic book!

Our main character is Lily. At the beginning of the book, Lily goes with her mother and sister to move in with her grandmother, or her halmoni. They had been living in California, and decided to move because Lily's halmoni is ill. When a magical tiger presents herself from her halmoni's Korean folklore, and her halmoni reveals that she stole something from the tigers, Lily has to uncover more hidden secrets buried deep in time. She makes a new friend and hatches a plan to trap the tiger, in hopes she'll get answers to heal her halmoni. Lily stands up for herself after being invisible for so long, occasionally accompanied by the mysterious, riddle-speaking tiger. I also enjoyed Lily's narration and the side stories of the other characters, such as Sam, Lily's sister.

As someone who loves fantasy novels, one thing I love about this book is its elements of magical realism. It could almost be considered realistic fiction, but the fact that there is a literal magical speaking tiger adds a mystical spark to the story, emphasizing the themes with this supernatural element. It's the kind of magic where, after finishing the book, you start to think: "Wait, did that really happen? Or was it all a huge metaphor?" The ending left me shocked, and you know what it feels like to finish a book, especially one with a shocking ending.

Overall, When You Trap A Tiger is a captivating book filled with magic and stories. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy or realistic fiction. I had a fun time revisiting and reviewing this book!

I like how you described the book as having elements of magical realism. I thought that description was interesting because it talks about how the book could be realistic fiction, but there is also supernatural elements. I also enjoyed how you introduced us to the possibility of the supernatural elements being a metaphor or if they actually happened in the story. That offers a unique perspective that is up to the reader to interpret.

Oh my gosh, this sounds like such an exciting book! But seriously, does the protagonist ever catch a tiger in a bottle as the cover implies, or does she just talk to them nicely, or something... Sounds like a great read, I will definitely read it when I have the chance!

I'm a fan of fantasy novels, and this book sounds very interesting. I wonder how the protagonist tries to "trap" the tiger, and why her halmoni stole something from the tigers. I also wonder if the book incorporates more Korean folklore than just the tigers, similar to the Kane Chronicles. I'll read it and find out when I get the chance.

In Korean folklore, there's a story about a grandmother who gives rice cakes to a tiger to prevent it from eating her. I wonder if the plot of this story has anything to do with that story. Overall, the book sounds very interesting.

Huh. Is there a place I can view this entire story?

Hey Sloane! From how you've described this book, it definitely sounds entertaining and like a fun-easy read to relax and spend your free time on. Although, you did catch me a little off guard when you were hopping from various topics, for example going from explaining why they moved, and then out of the blue saying the main character turned invisible. I guess that's something I'll only find out if I read it! And I'm sure your review has sparked it's own little magic ideas in many of your readers.

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Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Book review: when you trap a tiger by tae keller (2020).

Just like the 2018 Newbery medal winner,  Merci Suarez Changes Gears , this is a mediocre and surface-level story about a young non-white girl and a beloved grandparent, only this time with a bit of a fantastical twist. Compared with the high standard set by Newbery winners of decades past, this one is largely unremarkable and forgettable. The writing is very commercial and conversational, with lots of tween-friendly dialogue and not much in the way of figurative language, other than a beaten-to-death tiger metaphor. It is impossible for me to accept that this book was the most distinctive of 2020, even given the very small number of new middle grade books I read last year. 

As always, though, I can easily find all the "woke" elements that must have made this book so appealing to the committee. In the scene where Lily first visits the public library, the teen girl who works there (who later becomes the object of Lily's older sister's crush) tells her that she doubts they have any books on Korean folktales because "this town is pretty white." This makes sure to blame not the librarian who purchases the books, but the entire white population of the community for apparently excluding Lily's entire culture from the shelves. (I also don't buy that a public library doesn't have Korean folk tales. The folk tale sections of every library I've worked in have been robust and diverse regardless of the color of the majority of patrons' skin. If this specific library doesn't have them, the author needs a more nuanced explanation.)

A few pages later, Lily meets Ricky, an excitable middle schooler who doesn't have many friends and is awkward in social situations. Within two sentences, Ricky has been painted as sexist because he tells Lily he's "never met a girl who likes tigers before." Ricky is shown to be insensitive later in the book as well, when he mocks Lily's grandmother for her cultural customs. When he apologizes, he is not only portrayed as an idiot (he can't pronounce halmoni, even after being corrected) but he also actually uses the phrase "hostile environment." I'd hate to be a boy reading this story; with Ricky representing the male sex, he won't walk away feeling particularly good about being male. The talking tiger in the story also makes a comment about gender when Lily assumes she is a boy: "Typical. You hear one story about a male tiger and think we're all the same? Humans are the worst." Not the most uplifting message for the 8-to-12-year-old audience.

I also really felt uncomfortable with some of the story's messages. I didn't like the constant feeling that the reader was being led to reject old stories and to celebrate writing new ones to replace them, as it reminds me of the way libraries are starting to remove older titles for dubious reasons. I also really hated the idea that "sometimes people feel trapped in their own skin and they have to leave" as an explanation for why Ricky's mother (a stay-at-home mom) abandoned her family. Stay-at-home motherhood is not a trap, and I don't like being asked to empathize with someone for escaping it by basically neglecting her role as a mother entirely. I also felt that this book took a very bleak view on death, commenting that after someone dies, "the person you loved is gone" and not really leaving any room for Halmoni's suffering to have any meaning.   

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Book Review

When you trap a tiger.

• Beginning Readers , Drama , Fantasy

Readability Age Range

• 8 to 12 years old
• Random House
• 2021 Newbury Medal winner; Winner of the Boston Globe Horn Book Honor Award for Fiction and Poetry; Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature

Year Published

When young Lily, as well as her mom and sister, move in with her sick grandmother, Lily starts seeing things right out of her grandmother’s Korean folktale stories. In particular, she spots a huge magical tiger: a here-and-gone talking beast that wants to make a deal. If Lily can help the tiger find some once-stolen items, it portends Grandmother’s recovery. But should anyone make deals with magical tigers?

Plot Summary

Lily’s teenage sister, Sam, calls her a QAG : a stereotypical Quiet Asian Girl. And as much as Lily hates that her sister teases her with that acronym, she has to admit that the derogatory term kind of fits. You see, Lily’s always had that special ability to disappear, to be ignored or overlooked in a room full of people. She doesn’t make a fuss, she doesn’t draw people’s attention, she doesn’t even make friends all that easily. She stays quiet.

So, when Lily, Sam and their mother all pack up and move from California to their grandmother’s home in Sunbeam, Washington, Lily doesn’t say much. Sam complains openly. On the hour. But Lily takes things in stride. If nothing else, she’ll get to see her Halmoni , her Korean grandmother, and hear her stories once again. Halmoni weaves the most wonderful stories—some plucked from Korean folklore, others snatched out of imagination—that have always seemed magical and mysterious to Lily.

But when Lily and her family pull into Sunbeam—in a pouring torrential rain, no less—Lily sees a tiger. No, not just a tiger, this is a Tiger : a huge, obviously magical beast that no one else in the car can see. And the young girl starts to worry that either something is terribly wrong; or that perhaps the stress of leaving their home, after her father’s recent death, is making her just a little crazy.

When they all slosh wet and soggily into Halmoni’s house and get to see and hug the old beloved woman, though, Lily quickly realizes that something is terribly wrong. Her grandmother is obviously frail and sick. And it’s equally clear that they haven’t all arrived just for a visit.

Lily starts to piece things together after Halmoni tells her another broad and fanciful story. It’s a story about herself as a younger woman, and the power of stories … and of stories stolen . And when Lily is paid another visit by the now talking magical tiger, she realizes that her grandmother stole some forgotten stories long, long ago. The tiger suggests that they are the reason that her grandmother is falling ill. The mystical beast even offers Lily a bargain for her Halmoni’s life if she helps find those hidden-away precious things.

But can anyone truly trust a magical tiger? For that matter, should any sane person even believe in such outlandish deals? And what will happen if you do?

Lily doesn’t have any answers for any of that. But … she does believe.   

Christian Beliefs

Lily’s mom talks about Halmoni’s failing health and says, “It’s in God’s hand now.” Sam responds, “But what if I don’t believe in God?” Later Lily overhears her mother quietly praying and asking God not to take her mother yet.

Other Belief Systems

A magical mysticism swirls around all of Halmoni’s Korean folklore stories. They’re tales of struggles against magical shapeshifting creatures, they usually include two sisters who represent the sun and the moon, and they generally involve conversations with a “sky god.”

Part of Lily recognizes that these stories can’t be true and could be allegorical tales meant to deliver lessons about making wise choices or to communicate important things about Korean culture. But another part of the young tween wants to believe in the supernatural aspects of those stories. She wants to believe that there is a magical tiger who can solve her problems and make her grandmother well again. And in that light, Lily secretly works at trapping the tiger and making it follow through on its growling promises.

Halmoni also follows some Korean spiritual traditions. She insists, for instance, that the family must set aside portions of food for “spirits and ancestors” in a ceremony called kosa at mealtime. The tiger also observes, “Story magic is powerful. Powerful enough to change someone.”

Authority Roles

Lily’s mom is loving and kind. And she does everything she can to try and get work while caring for the family around her. You can tell that she also carries a great emotional weight after recently losing her husband in a traffic accident. But Mom is resilient and holds everything together throughout. Halmoni, on the other hand is a guiding force of wisdom, even in the midst of her illness. She hands out small bits of common sense and Korean grandmother wisdom even to the members of the local community. And the townspeople love her for it.

When Sam and Lily ask Halmoni about something she says to a near stranger, she tells the girls: “Everybody has good and bad in them. But sometimes they so focused on sad, scary stories in life that they forget the good. When that happen, you don’t tell them they are bad. That only make it worse. You remind them of good!”

We hear of a local mother who grew frustrated and left her family. And how the woman’s young son blames himself for not doing enough to make her want to stay. In another one of Halmoni’s stories, she tells of her own mother leaving the family when she was just a girl.

Profanity & Violence

No foul language. We learn that Halmoni is struggling with a rare brain cancer. It causes her to be violently ill and have bouts of total memory loss during which she makes some irrational choices. During one of those bouts, she drives her car off the road with the girls in the back seat, even though she isn’t supposed to be driving. We also hear a brief mention of the fact that Lily’s dad was killed in a car accident.

Over the course of the story, we watch as Lily becomes much more “tigerlike” herself. The emotional strain of her grandmother’s illness makes her react in ways that even her family members are surprised by. She gets angry more quickly and lashes out at several points, smashing bottles up against a wall and throwing books in a library.

Sexual Content

Lily and her sister, Sam, meet some young people their own age at a nearby local library. One of them is a teen girl named Jensen whom Sam has a crush-like reaction to. Later we see that the two girls become huggingly close, and Lily realizes that they are now a couple.

Discussion Topics

Get free discussion questions for other books at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books .

Have you ever been worried about someone else or afraid that they might die? How did you handle it? Or if not, how do you think you would handle it? As Christians do you think there are things that God gives us to help us in those moments? Are there promises that we can rely on?

Why do you think Lily started seeing the tiger? What did it represent for her? And what do you think the Tiger and Halmoni meant when they said that stories have power or that stories can be dangerous?

Lily makes friends with a boy named Ricky, and he’s being tutored for a class he kept failing. Was there a reason, do you think, why Ricky kept failing that class?

When you have a sad day, or when you feel upset about changes that happen, do you ever talk to anybody about it? Are some people easier to talk to than others? Why? Do you think talking helps?

What did you like most about this book?

Additional Comments

This Newbury Medal winning book has some compelling things to say about dealing with the death of a loved one. It also explores cultural differences and the need to respect and learn from cultures other than your own. But parents should know that there are some potential spiritual and some light same-sex attraction issues here that they may need to talk through with their younger readers.

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Review by Bob Hoose

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Best Books for Kids » Ages 9-12

When you trap a tiger, by tae keller.

***Winner of the 2021 Newbery Medal***

“Long, long ago, when tiger walked like man…” Thus start the folktales which Halmoni (grandmother in Korean) has been telling Lily and her older sister since they were little girls. Now that Halmoni is ageing and Lily is coming of age, a magical tiger appears straight out of Lily’s favourite tale to strike a bargain: healing for Halmoni if she releases the history she has kept bottled up. A sparkling novel about the power of stories.

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Look Inside

When You Trap a Tiger

(Newbery Medal Winner)

By Tae Keller

By tae keller read by greta jung, category: children's middle grade books, category: audiobooks | children's middle grade books.

Jan 03, 2023 | ISBN 9781524715731 | 5-3/16 x 7-5/8 --> | Middle Grade (8-12) | ISBN 9781524715731 --> Buy

Jan 28, 2020 | ISBN 9781524715700 | 5-1/2 x 8-1/4 --> | Middle Grade (8-12) | ISBN 9781524715700 --> Buy

Jan 28, 2020 | ISBN 9781524715717 | 5-1/2 x 8-1/4 --> | Middle Grade (8-12) | ISBN 9781524715717 --> Buy

Jan 28, 2020 | ISBN 9781524715724 | Middle Grade (8-12) | ISBN 9781524715724 --> Buy

Jan 28, 2020 | 443 Minutes | Middle Grade (8-12) | ISBN 9780593155455 --> Buy

Buy from Other Retailers:

Jan 03, 2023 | ISBN 9781524715731 | Middle Grade (8-12)

Jan 28, 2020 | ISBN 9781524715700 | Middle Grade (8-12)

Jan 28, 2020 | ISBN 9781524715717 | Middle Grade (8-12)

Jan 28, 2020 | ISBN 9781524715724 | Middle Grade (8-12)

Jan 28, 2020 | ISBN 9780593155455 | Middle Grade (8-12)

443 Minutes

Buy the Audiobook Download:

• audiobooks.com

About When You Trap a Tiger

WINNER OF THE NEWBERY MEDAL • WINNER OF THE ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR CHILDREN’S LITERATURE • #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Would you make a deal with a magical tiger? This uplifting story brings Korean folklore to life as a girl goes on a quest to unlock the power of stories and save her grandmother. Some stories refuse to stay bottled up… When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, a magical tiger straight out of her halmoni’s Korean folktales arrives, prompting Lily to unravel a secret family history. Long, long ago, Halmoni stole something from the tigers. Now they want it back. And when one of the tigers approaches Lily with a deal–return what her grandmother stole in exchange for Halmoni’s health–Lily is tempted to agree. But deals with tigers are never what they seem! With the help of her sister and her new friend Ricky, Lily must find her voice…and the courage to face a tiger. Tae Keller, the award-winning author of The Science of Breakable Things , shares a sparkling tale about the power of stories and the magic of family.  “If stories were written in the stars … this wondrous tale would be one of the brightest.” — Booklist , Starred Review

Listen to a sample from When You Trap a Tiger

Also by tae keller.

About Tae Keller

TAE KELLER was born and raised in Honolulu, where she grew up on purple rice, Spam musubi, and her halmoni’s tiger stories. She is the Newbery Medal-winning author of When You Trap a Tiger and The Science of Breakable Things. She lives in… More about Tae Keller

Product Details

Category: children’s middle grade books, category: audiobooks | children’s middle grade books, you may also like.

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Winner of the Boston Globe Horn Book Honor Award for Fiction and Poetry “Roars to life with just a touch of magic .” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review “A  heartfelt reminder of the wonder and beauty in our everyday lives.” — Booklist, starred review “ Deeply moving…  vulnerable and mythic storytelling in the vein of Erin Entrada Kelly and Kacen Callender.”  — School Library Journal,  starred review “Keller’s ( The Science of Breakable Things ) #OwnVoices journey through Korean mythology begins with a fantastical quest and slowly transforms into a tale about letting go and the immortality that story can allow.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review “It’s a complex, satisfying story, one that foregrounds family and healing alongside a love for Korean folklore .” — The Bulletin,  starred review “This beautiful book reminds us that, even in a world filled with stolen stars, crafty tigers, and family secrets that spring from folklore, the most powerful magic of storytelling is the story we decide to tell about ourselves.”  — Kat Yeh, author of The Truth About Twinkie Pie “An intoxicating mix of folktale, fantasy, friendship and love (and tigers!). Through a series of challenges–and also a lot of laughter–Lily (a.k.a. Lily Bean, Eggi, Little Egg) finds out what she is made of. She is a character who’ll stay with me–and whom I already miss!” —Marie Myung-Ok Lee, author of Finding My Voice and Somebody’s Daughter “ An ambitious and bewitching brew of Korean folklore, magical realism, and classic coming-of-age story,  When You Trap a Tiger  is a tender tale as unique as it is universal. Keller’s writing shimmers with magic, heart, and hope.” —Ali Standish, author of Before I Was Ethan Praise for Tae Keller’s The Science of Breakable Things : Named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, Kirkus Reviews , and the Chicago Public Library! “A compassionate glimpse of mental illness accessible to a broad audience.” — Kirkus Reviews , starred review “A winning story full of heart and action .” — Booklist , starred review “ Holy moly!!! This book made me feel.” —Colby Sharp, editor of The Creativity Project “Natalie is an engaging narrator whose struggles at home and with her peers ring true.” —Deborah Hopkinson, award-winning author “ Inspiring, emotional, and heartwarming .” —Melissa Savage, author of Lemons

Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APLA)-Literature Award WINNER 2021

Newbery Medal Winner WINNER 2021

Georgia Children’s Book Master List NOMINEE 2021

Vermont Golden Dome Book Award NOMINEE 2021

Washington Evergreen Young Adult Book Award NOMINEE 2022

ALSC Notable Children’s Books SELECTION 2021

Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year SELECTION 2021

Chicago Public Library Best Books SELECTION 2020

Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices SELECTION 2021

Kansas State Reading Circle Award SELECTION 2020

Texas Lone Star Reading List SELECTION 2021

Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book HONOR 2020

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• Mar 8, 2022

A Book Review on "When You Trap a Tiger” by Tae Keller

*This book review contains spoilers

"When You Trap a Tiger” by Tae Keller is a Newbery Medal winner, and a beautiful coming-of-age story. I was absolutely in awe over Keller’s word choices and ability to make ordinary things seem so full of life. Keller has this magnificent, leave-you-breathless gift of incorporating personification into her writing. While many authors have to remind themselves to include this powerful literary device, it seems second nature for Keller.

"When You Trap a Tiger” is a story about one family’s journey from learning about their grandmother’s illness to learning how to deal with her death. Lily, the main character, is able to see and speak with a magical tiger, straight from her grandmother’s stories. When that tiger tells her that she can help heal her grandmother, Lily embarks on a journey to do everything in her power to help.

What makes this book unique is the family’s Korean heritage. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that features a Korean family and their beautiful fairy tales/legends. Not only did I learn a little about Korean culture, I also learned a few Korean words.

Recommended Age Group?

The publisher’s recommended age group is 8-12. I agree with this age range, but

would probably choose to wait until age 9 or 10 to read this novel. I also wouldn’t hesitate to read this with 13 year olds, as the themes relate really well to 13-year-old issues.

Illness and death make up a large theme in this novel. Not only is Halmoni (Lily’s grandmother) ill, years ago, Lily’s father also passed away in a car accident. The family is in a constant state of learning how to deal with the pain of losing loved ones. There are also themes of identity and finding out what you’re capable of. Friendship and family are also important themes that run throughout the entirety of this novel.

In the author’s note, Keller says, “...somewhere along the way, I’d started dividing my blood into parts.” In many ways, this novel is a reminder for people to embrace their cultural heritage and be proud of the skin you’re in.

Classroom Approved?

This book is classroom-approved, but best suited for grades 4-8.

A few things to note: there is some seldom used mild language in this book. Also, Lily’s teenage sister, Sam, finds herself building a relationship with her female friend, Jensen. This relationship isn’t talked about in-depth, but I mention it because some teachers try to avoid books with crushes or dating.

This book would make for a great read-aloud, as Keller’s writing style is very unique! The alliteration and personification alone will get your student’s attention, and the story will have them guessing and wondering the whole way through.

As always, it is recommended that you pre-read the book before reading it to your students.

Check out our No-Prep Novel Study for

Tae keller's "when you trap a tiger".

YA Book Reviews |

• Apr 9, 2022

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller (book review)

GENRE: Middle Grade Fantasy LENGTH: 287 pages PLOT Lily, her mom, and her sister move in with her ailing Halmoni (grandmother). Her Halmoni is being sickened by a magical tiger because she stole the tiger's stories. Lily must trap the tiger in order to save her Halmoni.

Lily considers herself an invisible girl but throughout her journey of trying to save her grandmother she discovers her bravery. She has some angry outbursts but they are a result of her desperation to save her ailing grandmother. They read as very realistic to someone experiencing this hopeful yet hopeless situation.

Sam is Lily's big sister and unlike Lily she can't see the magical tiger. Like so many siblings the two were once extremely close but have grown apart over the years. That rift between the sisters persists throughout most of this novel. Even still, the love between them is evident even as they struggle to understand one another. Again, this read as a very authentic relationship.

Ricky is Lily's best friend and he is enthusiastic and energetic. He is Lily's main support in the novel. Though both fumble with Lily being impatient and Ricky insensitive at times, I liked their friendship. It was something Lily really needed and Ricky gave an otherwise sad story a little serotonin boost.

The true heart of this story is Lily's relationship with her Halmoni (grandma). I lost my grandma in 2016 and, much like Lily's grandma, mine's death was not swift or unexpected but still devastating all the same. Lily's traditions with her grandma and the warmth she associates with her grandma's house, as well as bearing witness to her grandma's decline, all resonated deeply with me. I found myself tearing up at multiple points in the novel. Halmoni is wise and loving. I believe anyone who has been lucky enough to have had a close relationship with their grandma will find this book to be an emotional journey.

NARRATIVE STYLE/PACING The novel is told from the first person perspective of Lily. The novel, of course, incorporates Korean culture including mythology, some language/words and foods. I am a self proclaimed fairy tale fanatic. I personally enjoy learning about other cultures' fairy tales/mythology through books like this that adapt and add to them. I think it's such a fun, engaging way to learn about a culture and their stories. I also liked how the theme/lesson of the fairy tales played into/matched the novel's plot.

Something I noticed was that there were a couple of key scenes which highlight the western lens through which many tend to view the world. There is one scene where a librarian compares a Korean fairy tale to Little Red Riding Hood. There is yet another where Lily's new friends refer to her Halmoni has a witch for her beliefs. These scenes really stood out to me because they show how harmful our ignorance can be to those who hail from other cultures with which we may be unfamiliar. Scenes like these in novels can serve as lessons for us to be more open minded and willing to learn. That makes me especially happy that this book is targeted at a young demographic because hopefully those who read it will take something important away from it.

The novel is quite short but that doesn't take away from its emotional impact. It never felt like Lily's character growth was sacrificed for the short length, either. The only thing I would have liked more of was backstory of the relationship between Lily and her sister and why they grew apart. The story has, in my humble opinion, one of the most perfect endings I've read in a lot time.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I don't cry often while reading books but I found myself tearing up towards the end of this one. The love between a grandmother and a granddaughter is one that transcends culture. That loss is one you heal from but the ache always remains. Fantasy is my favorite genre and I generally gravitate more towards novels set in fantasy/alternate worlds. However, there is something equally as enchanting and mesmerizing about an author who uses fantasy and mythological elements and puts them in a real world setting. I especially feel this way when they are so intricately interwoven into the story being told as they are here.

FINAL RATING: 4.75 ⭐️

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Children's Literature at UMN

Book review: when you trap a tiger by tae keller.

Review by: Shelby Dale DeWeese

What would you do if you met a magical tiger?

This is the situation that 12-year-old Lily finds herself in when she, her mother, and her sister Sam move from California to Washington state to live with Lily’s sick halmoni (grandmother). When they arrive in Washington, a magical tiger straight out of Halmoni’s Korean folk tales shows up to strike up a deal with Lily, but the stakes are high. Halmoni has been bottling up the hard stories of her past to stave off sadness, but now Halmoni is very sick, and the tiger will only heal her if Lily releases the bottled stories. When time begins to run out, Lily and Sam have to challenge themselves, find the tiger, and make a difficult decision. 

At the start of the novel, Lily is what Sam calls a “QAG,” or a “Quiet Asian Girl.” Lily is so quiet and shy that she often feels invisible. Once, at the end of fourth grade, a boy in her class asked her, “Where did you come from? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before.” Sam is furious that their mother made them, so she’s agitated that Lily doesn’t share her anger and is just being a “QAG” as usual. But now that there’s a magical tiger in the mix, Lily must put herself out there. She makes friends at the local library as part of her search for information on tigers and Korean folklore, and she makes a bold decision about how to respond to the tiger.

When You Trap a Tiger weaves together realism and supernatural elements beautifully and succeeds as a moving and engaging novel. Lily finds her agency and voice by reconnecting with her halmoni and her Korean culture. Near the novel’s end, Lily begins to understand how the bottled-up folk stories have changed her, and how they might save her family in ways she didn’t expect. Maybe Lily is not as invisible as she thought.

Shelby Dale DeWeese (she/her/hers) is a writer and educator currently pursuing her M.Ed. and Initial Teaching License in English/Language Arts. She lives in Minneapolis with her spouse and their two rabbits, Beatrice and Ramona. 

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Colorful Book Reviews

The best children's (and adult) books featuring every kind of person.

Review: When You Trap a Tiger

“I feel for the mugwort in my pocket, but it’s gone – and in a flash of orange and black, the tiger disappears, too.” page 147

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller. Random House, New York, 2020. MG fantasy, 298 pages. Lexile: 590L . AR Level: 4.1 (worth 8.0 points) .

Lily, her older sister Samantha, and their mother have left California to live with Halmoni (grandmother), which Sam resents and Lily quietly accepts.  But as they arrive, Lily begins to see something nobody else does – a tiger who can talk and walk through buildings and strike bargains, who wants something from her family.

I had gotten this book, read and enjoyed it, started a review, and was in my second reading when… it won the Newberry. All of a sudden everyone was reading and reviewing it! I frequently am surprised by, or disagree with, the Newberry awards – but it isn’t often my reaction is disbelief that others chose a book I personally loved .

After it won, what I had been writing to try and convince people to read this didn’t make sense any more. People read Newberry books for decades even if they aren’t very good. So I sat on this post for months, unconvinced my review would be useful. After a book gets popular, ownvoice reviewers typically speak to specific strengths and weaknesses better than I possibly could.

As you can guess by the post you’re currently reading, I eventually decided to finish the review. Partly in order to add this to my next diverse MG fantasy recommendation list, partly because the work was already begun, and partly because diverse middle grade fantasy is one of my interests. Since much of the review had to be scrapped to fit the changing circumstances, it left some wordcount free for me to explain.

Now back to the book, a gorgeous story that will resonate with introverted fantasy lovers . It feels weird to call something set in the suburbs an urban fantasy, but this is an unusual read on several counts. Keller has created a unique blend of multiple subgenres of speculative fiction.

While Lily and her family are fully American, their Korean heritage is sprinkled throughout.  I especially loved the use of Korean words for family relationships as they are so much more detailed than English descriptors. This was a reverse of Jenny Han ‘s Lara Jean – instead of being raised in a mostly white environment, Lily is surrounded by Korean culture.  We don’t even find out that her deceased father was white until page 163.

Her grandmother’s town is predominately white, but that’s called out.  Her family laughs about the Asian restaurant and white people are described as much as non-white characters.  She is aware of whiteness, but grounded in her Korean family.   I actually appreciated this perspective even more than the fantasy aspects of this novel, and that’s saying a lot!

This story utilizes magical realism with just a touch of fantasy, and I found Keller’s methods of incorporating different storytelling devices fascinating on a technical level and effective as a reader. The way in which she uses a Latine fantasy genre to tell a deeply Korean story within a white American setting is both masterful, and a potential look at what the future of MG fantasy could hold.

This particular book is universal in its specificity , utilizing techniques from different genres with characters firmly grounded in their own identity having experiences and feeling emotions that are relatable across humankind. All of which can probably be summarized by saying – I heartily agree that this book is worthy of notice.

The content warnings do include some spoilers, which I will limit to the next two paragraphs. Halmoni is slowly dying of a cancerous brain tumor. Characters break in to a house and library, sneak around at night, and hide things from each other. Hallucinations and mental illness briefly come up – generally not too poorly treated but I did wish explanation had been included of what steps to take next if someone does see or hear things not to be there. While that might have ruined the magic, it certainly could have been included in an author’s note or other back matter. Although it’s not common, I have had students at this age who were having visual or auditory hallucinations.

Indeed, these felt a lot like a representation of Lily’s anxiety, and that’s ultimately how I personally read this element of the text. There is a minor LGBTQ subplot – Sam has a girlfriend and Lily is mostly oblivious until she sees them snuggle and realizes that they are a couple. That realization is four paragraphs near the end of the book, and all the rest is fairly ambiguous (honestly in between reads I forgot that even happened), so I wouldn’t consider it especially diverse in that aspect.

Magical realism as a whole tends to be polarizing, and I have rarely met other fantasy fans who share my lukewarm feelings about the technique. Because this book won the Newberry, many people are going to read it, and some are bound to hate it. In particular, whenever genre fiction, or lately diverse books, win they tend to be subject to much more vehement and intense criticism. I doubt this book will have universal appeal, but When You Trap a Tiger does have crossover potential for fantasy fans who don’t mind some gritty realism or contemporary fiction readers okay with mystique. Recommended.

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Author: colorfulbookreviews

I work in a library by day and parent the rest of the time. I am passionate about good books representing the full spectrum of human diversity for every age group and reading level. This blog is my attempt to help parents, educators, and librarians find the best children's books authored by or featuring characters of color. View all posts by colorfulbookreviews

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Author Interview and Book Review: When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

• February 7, 2020
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Please Note: I received an electronic review copy and was monetarily compensated in exchange for a book review and an interview with the author. I promise that this compensation in no way affected my opinions or review.

Title When You Trap A Tiger Author Tae Keller Pages 304 Pages Target Audience Middle Grade Genre & Keywords Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Fabulism Publication Date January 28th 2020 by Random House Books For Young Readers Find It On Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound

FIVE STARRED REVIEWS! This uplifting story of a girl who discovers a secret family history when she makes a deal with the magical tiger from her grandmother’s stories brings Korean folklore to life. Some stories refuse to stay bottled up… When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, a magical tiger straight out of her halmoni’s Korean folktales arrives, prompting Lily to unravel a secret family history. Long, long ago, Halmoni stole something from the tigers. Now they want it back. And when one of the tigers approaches Lily with a deal – return what her grandmother stole in exchange for Halmoni’s health – Lily is tempted to agree. But deals with tigers are never what they seem! With the help of her sister and her new friend Ricky, Lily must find her voice…and the courage to face a tiger. Tae Keller, the award-winning author of The Science of Breakable Things , shares a sparkling tale about the power of stories and the magic of family. Think Walk Two Moons meets Where the Mountain Meets the Moon !

1. The act of storytelling and the power of the stories as a source of connection and comfort are central themes in When You Trap A Tiger . What stories, books and/or authors have you found empowering and have influenced your life in a positive way?

I still remember the feeling I had when I first learned to read on my own. Empowering is exactly the right word. I felt the rush of independence, being able to escape into story worlds all by myself.

And I remember feeling honored, in a sense, when I read powerful books. I wouldn’t have been able to articulate this at the time, but I think I was reacting to the way masterful storytellers really trust their readers. Reading a novel is an act of collaboration; the writer crafts the story, and the reader brings it to life. I loved reading books by Lisa Yee, Kate Dicamillo, and Margaret Peterson Haddix because their trust felt like a gift.

2. When You Trap A Tiger is your second middle grade novel, following your debut, The Science of Breakable Things , which was published in 2018. What about writing for this particular age group do you find special and inspiring?

Science was the first time I’d ever attempted middle grade. Before that, I’d written all kinds of shelved YA stories — but my middle grade voice surprised me.

When I write YA, there’s a level of distance — I think because that’s how I felt as a teenager. I put up walls and boarded myself up from the world. In middle school, I hadn’t yet developed that armor. Everything was raw and immediate — the good and the bad, I felt it all so deeply. And because of that, I think my middle grade voice is more honest.

It’s often rewarding to return to that self, that girl who was not afraid to feel. It can be scary, too, to feel that vulnerable again, but I think that means I’m on the right track.

3. How did writing When You Trap A Tiger differ from (or align with) your experience writing The Science of Breakable Things ?

With Science , I never expected my writing to be published. I wrote that book after I graduated college, partially in an attempt to distract myself from the job search. I never imagined that writing would become my job.

Writing Tiger was so much different because I was under contract for the story before I even began it. I knew for sure that people would read my next book. I was brainstorming with my publisher and visiting schools where I was meeting kid readers, and I felt a lot of pressure. I worried about disappointing all these people.

When I eventually learned to separate and silence all those pressures and outside voices, the writing processes were actually fairly similar. Both books went through about twenty drafts, both books had creative ups and downs, both books were simultaneously exhausting and rewarding.

At the end of the day, I write because I love storytelling and I love the creative challenge. I love learning about craft and improving as much as I can. But with Tiger I had to learn a whole new skill. I had to learn to compartmentalize.

4. Navigating mental health in a sensitive and empathetic manner seems to play a fundamental role in your writing, as you explored the topic of depression in The Science of Breakable Things and grief in When You Trap A Tiger . I wish these novels had been published when I was a child, as I have no doubt they would have provided me (and millions of other young readers) with a great deal of comfort and I’m so grateful they exist for young readers today. Why is the subject of mental health in particular so prevalent in and important for you to include in your work?

The thing I’m working toward, in any book, is always empathy — both promoting it to readers who may not relate to a character’s situation, and extending it to readers who do. In fiction, the reader steps so intimately into a character’s mind, and that creates a window into someone else’s world. It is an exercise in empathy. And especially with something like mental health, which is too often misunderstood, empathy is crucial.

For readers who can relate, I want my stories to say: You are not alone. Your feelings are not wrong; your feelings are human.

5. From the food the characters’ eat to the stories and traditions they share, Lily’s Korean heritage is lovingly and beautifully interwoven throughout When You Trap A Tiger . For those who haven’t been lucky enough to read your author’s note at the conclusion of the novel yet, can you share a little about how When You Trap A Tiger came to be and how your own history, heritage and research into Korean womanhood informed the novel?

I had written some of the opening chapters of Tiger right after I finished Science , but I set the story aside because I didn’t feel ready to write it. I was daunted by the idea of working on something that directly addressed my Korean identity, and I knew the story was ambitious; I didn’t think I had the skills to write it yet, and I didn’t think I understood my heritage well enough.

But I was haunted by this story; these mythical tigers wouldn’t leave me alone. So I decided to be a little creatively reckless, and I took the story off the shelf.

The truth was, I wasn’t ready to write it. Not at first. I had to learn a lot along the way, both in terms of craft and history. But the more I dove into my Korean history, the more comfortable I felt in my own skin. Reading through the past was hard at times — there was a lot of brutality during the Japanese occupation, and specifically with the comfort women during the war — but understanding the history of Korea gave me context for how I was raised. Learning those stories made me feel like a more whole version of myself, and so that idea became central to the novel: These painful stories are not always easy to tell, but we need to tell them in order to move forward, in order to heal, in order to be ourselves, fully and wholly.

6. Lily deals with a great deal of change over the course of When You Trap A Tiger as she struggles to cope with moving to a new state, making new friends, and her grandmother’s worsening illness. Is there any advice you could offer to young readers currently grappling with change, however small or large? Is there anything that has helped you better handle change in your own life?

I think adulthood is bittersweet because every adult knows that all things end. This can be comforting in a difficult life stage, it can be heartbreaking in a joyful one, and it can be terrifying, always, because you don’t often know when something will end, why, or what comes next.

And I think middle school is when a lot of kids realize this for the first time. Before that, childhood seems infinite. If you’re ten, one year is 10% of your life. That’s long. School years last forever.

But I think coming of age, at its core, is about understanding the idea of ending. It’s always a little scary, it’s often bittersweet, but we come out the other side.

7. Let’s have some fun! One of my favourite characters, Lily’s new friend, Ricky, texts her a list of his favourite foods to make Lily smile when she’s feeling down. What are some foods or dishes you couldn’t live without?

One of my favorite things about this book is that I got to include all my favorite foods! Naengmyeon, dukk, kimchi. These are the comfort foods I grew up on, and it was so gratifying to put them in a novel.

I’m also a sucker for popcorn. I’ll eat it plain or dressed up in any way, but my favorite is the way we eat it in Hawaii — with Nori shreds and mochi crunch.

8. At the outset of When You Trap A Tiger , Lily is shy and introverted and refers to her ability to become ‘invisible’ as her superpower. Her sister, Sam, often chastises Lily for being a ‘QAG’ (“Quiet Asian Girl”) and Sam actively works to disprove this stereotype by being as outspoken as possible. As someone who personally struggles with confrontation and asserting herself, Lily’s journey to become more confident, honest about her feelings and comfortable taking up space was inspiring and empowering for me. Can you speak a little about what inspired you to include this particular element of the story and what you hope readers will take away from Lily’s journey and the novel as a whole?

I’ve always been a quiet person, and for a much of my life, I felt like that was a big flaw in my personality. Every school year, I went home with report cards that said I needed to learn how to “speak up”, and I hated when my friends called me quiet. In high school, I learned to play the part of an extrovert to fit in, but it never felt natural to me. Because we live in a culture that values noise, it took me too long to realize that being quiet isn’t wrong.

When I wrote Lily’s character development, I wanted to show her growth, but I didn’t want her to fix her problems by becoming loud and outspoken. At the end of the novel, she is still a thoughtful, introverted person, but she learns to find confidence and strength in that.

“I am a girl who sees invisible things, but I am not invisible.”

Lily is so used to being ‘invisible’, she’s convinced it’s her super power. It’s especially difficult to speak up when her outspoken older sister, Sam, is doing enough talking for the both of them. ( “What Sam doesn’t realize is that she’s already rocking our boat. If I rock it, too, the boat will flip. We’ll drown.” ) It becomes difficult to remain quiet, however, when Lily, Sam and their mother move from California to Washington in order to live closer to Lily’s Halmoni (grandmother) to help care for her, and the girls struggle to adapt to a new town, make new friends, and cope with their grandmother’s failing health. It isn’t until the unexpected appearance of a giant, mysterious, talking tiger that only Lily can see and speak to that Lily is able to find her voice. Filled to the brim with Korean folktales, mystical creatures, stories hidden in the stars and much, much more, When You Trap A Tiger is a magical novel that demonstrates how powerful, comforting and inspiring middle grade literature can be.

I feel confident in saying that discovering the work of author Tae Keller will be one of the best things I do in 2020, and it’s only February. After reading (and falling in love with) the author’s debut novel, The Science of Breakable Things , at the beginning of the year, Penguin Random House was kind enough to approach me and ask if I would be interested in reading Keller’s January 2020 release, When You Trap A Tiger , and I couldn’t have been more excited!

One of the Tae Keller’s many strengths as a writer lies in her ability to address difficult topics in a sensitive, empathetic and accessible way. In her debut novel, The Science of Breakable Things , the novel’s protagonist, Natalie, attempts to better connect with her botanist mother and understand her mother’s chronic depression through an exploration of the scientific process. In When You Trap A Tiger , Lily uses her grandmother’s familiar Korean folktales to re-connect with her older sister and parse the trauma and grief she is experiencing because of both the death of her father when she was a child and her grandmother’s worsening cancer and eventual death. Despite the seriousness of the aforementioned topics, however, Keller’s work is never lacking in hope or sensitivity. Keller uses stories and the act of storytelling as a way for Lily to navigate and make sense of immense change, and in doing so teaches young readers that while change and even endings are inevitable, they are by no means something to fear. ( “I don’t yet know the ending, but I will face my story as it changes and grows. Because of Halmoni, I can be brave. I can be anything.” )

Stories also form the basis for Lily’s growing understanding of her grandmother’s past as well as a growing understanding of her Korean ancestry. It becomes clear that Halmoni is reluctant to speak about her past, and she admits to Lily that while the stories she shares with her granddaughters are always positive and end happily, there are other stories she’s reluctant to share because “Some stories are too dangerous to tell. (…) Sometime, they make people feed bad and act bad. Some of those stories make me feel sad and small.” Halmoni tells Lily that she ‘stole’ a number of these stories and hid them away, hoping to free herself and others from the sadness and anger they inspired. Unbeknownst to her Halmoni, Lily comes to believe it is these stories that the mysterious tiger is hunting, and it is only through telling these hidden, ‘stolen’ stories that her grandmother will truly be set free. ( “Maybe keeping those stories secret is a bad thing. Because all those things still happened, even if you don’t talk about it. And hiding it doesn’t erase the past – it only bottles it up.” ) What Lily, and the reader, ultimately learn is that stories have the power to connect, preserve and immortalize, and it is through these stories, tradition and memory that those we love are able to live forever.

There’s so much to love about When You Trap A Tiger , I can’t help but worry that a review will never truly do it justice. Keller’s writing is exquisite, managing to be both profound and beguiling while remaining approachable and easy to understand. The warmth and depth of the personal connections the author draws, whether it be Lily’s loving relationship with her grandmother, her strained disconnection (and reconnection) with her older sister, Sam, or burgeoning friendship with the talkative and inquisitive Ricky, Keller emphasizes the beauty of both biological and found family. The characterization is strong, particularly in the case of Lily, who is a quiet, introverted girl who learns over the course of the novel that you don’t have to speak the loudest or the most to speak volumes.

Compassionate, uplifting, and full of heart, When You Trap A Tiger would make a valuable addition to any library, classroom or personal collection and would be a particular gift and comfort to readers struggling with grief and loss. I’m thrilled I was introduced to Tae Keller’s work this year, and even more thankful that young readers everywhere have her empathy and eloquence to guide them.

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Book summary and reviews of When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

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When You Trap a Tiger

by Tae Keller

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About this book

Book summary.

Would you make a deal with a magical tiger? This uplifting story brings Korean folklore to life as a girl goes on a quest to unlock the power of stories and save her grandmother.

Some stories refuse to stay bottled up... When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, a magical tiger straight out of her halmoni's Korean folktales arrives, prompting Lily to unravel a secret family history. Long, long ago, Halmoni stole something from the tigers. Now they want it back. And when one of the tigers approaches Lily with a deal--return what her grandmother stole in exchange for Halmoni's health--Lily is tempted to agree. But deals with tigers are never what they seem! With the help of her sister and her new friend Ricky, Lily must find her voice...and the courage to face a tiger. Tae Keller, the award-winning author of The Science of Breakable Things , shares a sparkling tale about the power of stories and the magic of family. Think Walk Two Moons meets Where the Mountain Meets the Moon !

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Book Awards

Media reviews, reader reviews.

"[Keller's] journey through Korean mythology begins with a fantastical quest and slowly transforms into a tale about letting go and the immortality that story can allow." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Roars to life with just a touch of magic." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "A heartfelt reminder of the wonder and beauty in our everyday lives." — Booklist (starred review) "Deeply moving... vulnerable and mythic storytelling in the vein of Erin Entrada Kelly and Kacen Callender." —School Library Journal (starred review) "It's a complex, satisfying story, one that foregrounds family and healing alongside a love for Korean folklore." — The Bulletin (starred review) "This beautiful book reminds us that, even in a world filled with stolen stars, crafty tigers, and family secrets that spring from folklore, the most powerful magic of storytelling is the story we decide to tell about ourselves." — Kat Yeh, author of The Truth About Twinkie Pie "An intoxicating mix of folktale, fantasy, friendship and love (and tigers!). Through a series of challenges--and also a lot of laughter--Lily (a.k.a. Lily Bean, Eggi, Little Egg) finds out what she is made of. She is a character who'll stay with me--and whom I already miss!" — Marie Myung-Ok Lee, author of Finding My Voice and Somebody's Daughter "An ambitious and bewitching brew of Korean folklore, magical realism, and classic coming-of-age story, When You Trap a Tiger is a tender tale as unique as it is universal. Keller's writing shimmers with magic, heart, and hope." — Ali Standish, author of Before I Was Ethan

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Author Information

Tae Keller was born and raised in Honolulu, where she grew up on purple rice, Spam musubi, and her halmoni's tiger stories. She is the Newbery Medal-winning author of When You Trap a Tiger and The Science of Breakable Things . She lives in Seattle. Visit her at TaeKeller.com

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Down The Hobbit Hole Blog

When You Trap a Tiger Discussion Questions and Review

When You Trap a Tiger Review and When You Trap a Tiger Discussion Questions written by the Hobbit and the Unicorn on 3/8/2021 This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.

Know Before You Read

Book : When You Trap a Tiger Author : Tae Keller Genre : Magical Realism, Coming of Age Length : 298 pages Age suggested : 12+ Release Date : January 2020 Themes : Family, Korean folklore, grief Warnings : The protagonist’s father died before the story begins and another character is in a home where the mom recently left.

Awards: 2021 Newbery Medal 2021 Asian/Pacific American Award For Children’s Literature 2020 Boston Globe Horn Book Honor Award for Fiction and Poetry

Quick Summary of When You Trap a Tiger

Lily and her family move from California to Washington to be with her sick grandmother (halmoni). On the trip there a magical tiger straight out of her halmoni’s Korean folktales arrives. The tiger tells her that halmoni stole stories from them. What will Lily find out about herself and about her family? Can you trust a tiger?

When You Trap a Tiger Review: **SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT**

“Long, long ago, when tiger walked like man…”

Lily and her family (her mother and older sister Sam) are moving from California to Sunbeam, Washington, to live with their halmoni (grandmother). The move is sudden and their mother has not explained a lot. Lily and Sam had always enjoyed hearing stories from their Korean grandmother, but are not sure what is happening.

Their favorite story is about a tiger and two sisters who became the sun and the moon to escape the tiger. On the way there, Lily sees a tiger in the road – which Sam and her mon cannot see. Of course Lily tells Halmoni, and she believes her – and tells her that she stole something from the tigers many years ago, and now they have come to get it back.

Lily now knows that her halmoni is very ill, and the tiger tells her she can help. With the help of her new friend Ricky, Lily builds a tiger trap. Finally facing the tiger, she strikes a bargain – but can you trust what a tiger tells you?

The book melds traditional Korean folktales into a contemporary story as Lily struggles with who she is and with her grandmother’s mortality. The book highlights the importance of stories – even if they are painful. And you may just believe in magical tigers….

Continue reading for more of our When You Trap a Tiger Review

– Why Read When You Trap a Tiger-

The book mixes Korean folklore, magic, family, friendship and love (and of course tigers!). There are a number of topics in this book, and all are handled artfully – loss, grief, family history, identity, and LGTBQ – but at heart is the theme of storytelling. Why are stories important? How do stories root us in family identity and help us know who our family is? How do stories help us find out who we are? Reading this book should change some lives as kids discover the power of story.

-Plot/Story of When You Trap A Tiger –

I was first introduced to magical realism about a year ago. I have quickly become a fan. Using it allows you to blend in multiple elements – in this case, for example, folklore, real settings, magic – without a seam. Using it makes the Korean folklore come alive. We can see how these stories have provided meaning to many generations.

For the stories in this book, we see how these stories have impacted multiple generations of Korean women. And we can see each generation taking old stories and telling those stories in new ways, as the stories are living and are real in a way that we can best see when trapping magical tigers and driving a car are both equally real. In this story, through magical realism we can see that stories can be many things. Some are happy. Some are sad. And we need all of them.

The book has a small set of characters and they are all well done. All of the characters, even those with smaller roles (Ricky’s dad, for instance), are needed in the plot. There are no throw away characters in this story.

A religious note-

At Down the Hobbit Hole Blog, we love books like this that emphasize storytelling because we believe that God made us to love stories.  Stories tell us profound truths – and honor the way that we are made.

As we learn to love story more, we can relate more to God. He tells us a series of stories that make up one grand story in the Bible. And while this book is not inherently focused on telling a Biblical story- it does emphasize the incredible power of good stories, like the ones in the Bible.

Continue reading for our When You Trap a Tiger Discussion Questions

When You Trap a Tiger Discussion Questions

• Which of the tiger stories was your favorite? Why?
• Do you think the tiger was real? Why or why not?
• Find out more about magical realism. Do you like stories that take magical elements and make them part of ordinary life?
• Have you ever moved and had to make new friends? How hard was it?
• Which of the main characters (Lily, Sam, Ricky, Jensen) do you relate to the most? Why?
• Why is the library an important place? How important are stories in your life?

Thank you for reading our When you Trap a Tiger Discussion questions and Review. Before you go, check out these other posts

– American Born Chinese Review

– Blue Parakeet : How to read the Bible as a story

– New Kid and Class Act reviews with Discussion Questions

Down The Hobbit Hole Blog and this  When You Trap a Tiger Review and When You Trap a Tiger Discussion Questions  use affiliate links. We only link products we think you’ll like and you are never charged extra for them. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We also use cookies to gather analytics and present advertisements. This allows us to keep writing discussion questions and telling ridiculous dad jokes. Find our other  reviews  with discussion questions here. Our posts about  faith  here. And our posts about  family  stuff here.

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Now they and their mum are leaving their home to go and live with their grandmother (their Halmoni). Sam is grumpier than ever. They love their Halmoni though with her beautiful clothes and hair, wonderful cooking and amazing stories she told them when they were young.

Suddenly, something from her stories appears on the road as they travel there. A huge tiger stands defiant, staring through the windscreen, right at Lily. But Sam and Mum don’t see it, or Lily’s reaction.

When Lily sees the tiger in Halmoni’s home, she knows trouble is coming. First they learn that Halmoni is very sick, and then Lily learns the tiger isn’t a figment of her imagination. It’s real and it wants something Halmoni stole from it decades before.

Lily knows she cannot tell anyone about the tiger. Mum is busy trying to find a job and worrying about her ill mother. Sam never listens anymore and is sneaking out at night on her own.

With a new friend’s help, and courage Lily never knew she had, she begins to stand up for herself and her Halmoni. She is prepared to make a deal with the big cat for Halmoni’s life.

But first, stories must be shared and understood before any changes can be made. Lily soon realises the biggest changes will be within herself.

This is a beautiful story grounded in Korean culture and the power of women through myth, legend and stories, shared through generations.

Winner of the prestigious US Newbery Medal 2021 , this not only explores Korean cultural identity, its main character is trying to cope with many challenges, one being the loss of a close bond with her older sister Sam. After losing their father in an accident many years before, Sam has drifted away from her remaining family of Lily, Mum and her Halmoni (grandmother).

Lily is now trying to find where she fits not only within her family, but outside of it, and suddenly another anchor (Halmoni) is shifting due to illness. Lily is shy, quiet and troubled with a lot to deal with and understand, but the love for her Halmoni gives her the strength to fight back and aim to take control of her life.

Beautifully written after much research into Korean storytelling and myth, this author has given not only bi-racial readers a treasure of a story, but anyone who is lucky enough to read it.

Author – Tae Keller

Age – 9+

Winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature

(2020, Korean, Bi-racial, Winner of Newbery Medal 2021, Award Winner, Asian/Pacific/American Awards for Children’s Literature, Story, Stories, Myths, Legends, Generations, Family, Grandmother, Halmoni, Korean Culture, New friend, Grief, Loss, Fear, Dying, Illness, Sick, Library, Animals, Tigers, Bargains, Deal, Siblings, Deal, Stolen, Thief, Tales, Secret, Growing up, Magic)

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When You Trap a Tiger

75 pages • 2 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-9

Chapters 10-18

Chapters 19-27

Chapters 28-36

Chapters 37-46

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Summary and Study Guide

When You Trap a Tiger is a middle grade contemporary novel with fantasy elements published in 2020. Author Tae Keller received the 2021 Newbery Medal for the book—the story of middle schooler Lily Reeves , her older sister Sam Reeves , and their mother moving in with the girls’ Korean halmoni (grandmother) when she falls ill. In an attempt to save her grandmother’s life, Lily makes a deal with the mysterious tiger stalking Halmoni, and as a result, learns more about her family and Korean heritage. This guide refers to the 2020 Penguin Random House edition of the novel.

Plot Summary

It is the summer between sixth and seventh grade for Lily. Lily, her older sister Sam, and their mother are moving from their sunny beach town in California to rainy Sunbeam, Washington. Mom says they must move in order to spend more time with her mother, the girls’ Korean halmoni (grandmother) who immigrated to America long ago. The story opens as Mom drives through a rainstorm to Halmoni’s house. Mom and Sam bicker in the front seat; Lily stays quietly “invisible” in the back. Suddenly, Lily sees a large tiger in the road with no rain falling on it. Lily fails to get Mom’s attention, and the tiger walks off unseen by anyone but her. She can’t wait to tell Halmoni, well versed as she is in Korean myths, magic, and spirits. Halmoni tells a surprised Lily that the tiger is real and wants something she herself once stole. The older woman says the kosa they offer (a meal for the spirits) before dinner will protect Lily.

Lily wishes to hear more and recalls her favorite tiger story—one Halmoni used to tell back when the girls lived with her following their father’s death in a car accident. In Lily’s favorite story, a tiger eats the halmoni of two little girls, then disguises itself as their halmoni to trick them into letting it into their home. The sisters flee across the world, begging a sky god to save them. In exchange for a story, the sky god allows Eggi (the younger sister) to ascend to the sky via a staircase where she becomes the sun, and Unya (the older sister) by a rope, where she becomes the moon. The sky god banishes the tiger.

Later that night, Lily discovers Halmoni sick in the bathroom. Halmoni tells Lily that she once stole stories in the form of stars and hid them away in secret jars; these stories were sad and dangerous, so Halmoni took them to protect herself and others. Now, covetous tigers hunt her, wanting the stories back. The next day, Halmoni becomes ill on a trip to the grocery store, and Mom makes her go to the hospital. That night, Lily sees a huge tigress in the house while everyone else is asleep. It offers her a deal: Halmoni will feel better if Lily returns the stories. She refuses. The next day, Mom tells her that Halmoni has brain cancer and will die within months or weeks.

Bereft, Lily decides she must protect Halmoni. She goes to the library across the street to read up on tigers. A boy named Ricky enthusiastically offers to help build a tiger trap when he learns of Lily’s interest in doing so. The two move a pile of Halmoni’s boxes into a ring-shaped enclosure in the basement and secure it with a rope. Lily trips over one of the boxes and it breaks, revealing three odd glass bottles, dark and corked: Halmoni’s star jars. Lily sneaks into the basement that night to wait for the trap to work and falls asleep.

Lily wakes to find a tigress trapped. At the tigress’s behest, she agrees to open the star jars and hear their stories. The first night, the tigress tells the story of a half-tiger girl who tried to save her baby from the same fate; she abandons her baby and trains to replace the aging sky god (in exchange for the infant’s humanity). The next day, Halmoni has an upsetting episode of confusion in a restaurant; Lily knows time is running out. The tigress’s story that night follows the baby becoming a half-tiger despite the deal her mother made. The infant flees from her caretaker, her own halmoni ; the halmoni sends her jars of love across the sea.

The next day, Lily is terrified when Halmoni briefly fails to recognize her. That night, Lily tells Halmoni that she plans to open the third star jar to heal her—but the older woman tells her the jars came from a flea market; no magic can save her. Crushed, Lily smashes the star jars against a wall. Halmoni collapses; paramedics take her and Mom to the hospital. Lily and Sam are forced to stay behind as the latter is too scared to drive in the rain.

In her grief, Lily seeks the tigress’s help once more; it keeps the road around the car rain-free. At the hospital, Halmoni asks for a story and Lily tells her one. She completes the tigress’s stories with a twist: The two sisters of Halmoni’s own tiger story find a new sky god in the tiger-mother who abandoned her baby. The sky god invites the sisters to open her daughter’s star jars (the ones sent by her halmoni when she fled the land). The girls do, and the stars become stories of their own halmoni and previous generations of women.

After Halmoni dies, the family grieves. They turn the community’s library bake sale into a kosa honoring Halmoni, and many from town attend. When Lily takes a moment to rest, Sam approaches and asks her to tell another story.

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Featured Collections

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Newbery Medal & Honor Books

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When You Trap a Tiger: (Newbery Medal Winner) Library Binding – January 28, 2020

Purchase options and add-ons

• Print length 304 pages
• Language English
• Grade level 3 - 7
• Lexile measure 590L
• Dimensions 5.75 x 0.96 x 8.56 inches
• Publisher Random House Books for Young Readers
• Publication date January 28, 2020
• ISBN-10 1524715719
• ISBN-13 978-1524715717
• See all details

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Customers find the book lyrical, evocative, and well-written. They also describe the characters as charming, vivid, and whimsical. Opinions differ on the emotional tone, with some finding it sweet and tender, while others say it's very sad.

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Customers find the book lyrical, evocative, and bittersweet. They also appreciate the great life lessons, sweet story about family love, and fascinating cultural foundation. Readers say the book mixes magic with the realities of real life and provides a glimpse into the beautiful Korean culture.

"...I have not cried for years after reading a book, but this book touched my soul ." Read more

"...Easy read and entertaining from the start. The essence of family and personal strength makes it a great story to read with a child" Read more

"I love this story that mixes magic with the realities of real life ...." Read more

"...We also laughed. We all loved this sweet story about family love ...." Read more

Customers find the book very well written, lyrical, and evocative. They also say it's a great read aloud with their daughter.

"...It is powerfully written , gripping story of three generations of Korean women in America and their gradual understanding of their relationships...." Read more

"Absolutely loved this book. Easy read and entertaining from the start...." Read more

" This author is amazing . We ran right out and got more of her books. Everyone will find something to relate to in this story...." Read more

"...Everyone was well thought out and well written , so good job to Tae Keller...." Read more

Customers find the characters charming, vivid, and endearing. They also say the book deals beautifully with evergreen themes of love, loss, and change.

"...The story and characters just grab you in a way that makes you want to keep going with it...." Read more

"...This book was a joy to read.The characters are so real in this book. I loved the grandmother...." Read more

"... Very endearing ." Read more

"...a lyrical and evocative book, perfectly bittersweet, dealing beautifully with evergreen themes of love and loss and change." Read more

Customers are mixed about the emotional tone of the book. Some mention that it's a sweet story, while others say it'd be very sad.

"...Sweet story... sad ... about the tender relationship of children and their grandparents. Letting go of those we love is ever easy." Read more

"it is a good book, but very sad at the end . Someone dies and that is sad, so the book is sad." Read more

"...beautifully written about sick grandma but its not depressed .. it is well done for our kids...." Read more

"...It's a lyrical and evocative book, perfectly bittersweet , dealing beautifully with evergreen themes of love and loss and change." Read more

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