When You Trap a Tiger

When Lily has to move to Sunbeam with her mother and older sister to live with Halmoni, her sick grandmother, she embarks on a magical journey that revolves around tigers—bringing her family’s history and Korean folktales to life. Complex figurative language and rich themes around family, loss, and grief blend with relevant themes about exploring racial and gender identity, allowing intermediate- and secondary-level readers to engage with this novel through journal writing, creative writing, class discussions, and role playing in the classroom or literature circles. They may also be encouraged to explore their ideas by predicting, brainstorming, and asking and answering questions during dialogue.