Fish [Hardcover]

L.S. Matthews (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

My story starts the day that my parents told me we must leave our adopted home forever. Because of the soldiers and the drought we barely had enough to eat and we could no longer stay to help the people in our village.

Right before we were leaving I saw a fish in a small brown puddle and I knew I had to take it with me. The journey would be hard to get across the mountains—to the safety of the border and the people there who could help us. Yet when I put the fish in the pot I never realized what we would have to face. It never occurred to me to leave Fish behind.

A subtle and sophisticated exploration of life, the strength of humanity, and survival in an unforgiving world, Fish is a story that will teach those who doubt that, when hope is almost extinguished, miracles can happen.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In L.S. Matthews's inspiring story of altruism and human resilience, a young (presumably British) child of undetermined gender flees with Mum and Dad, a guide, a donkey, and a rescued fish when war comes to the desolate, desperate village where his/her parents are aid workers. Fish tracks the family's harrowing journey to a safe boundary, a trek with dangerous challenges that force the youngster, nicknamed Tiger, to rapidly evolve beyond the "silly little child" Tiger felt he/she was. Readers will find parallels between Tiger protecting the rescued fish; the gentle, intuitive guide looking out for Tiger's family; and the parents risking their safety for the impoverished villagers.

Tiger's first-person narrative is often amusing and genuinely childlike, keeping the episodic story buoyant despite the harsh realities of fleeing on foot through an inhospitable landscape. When Tiger's feet are rubbed raw and bloody from walking, he/she observes, "I was pleased that the damage was so impressive. You know how much something can hurt, but there's nothing to show for it, sometimes." The fact that the specific war-torn country is not named creates several awkward moments ("...we didn't come from the country we were living in now"). Otherwise, Fish, Matthew’s first book, is the riveting survival story and thoughtful coming-of-age tale of the brave, likeable Tiger, who proves to be as tough as his/her name. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8–Tiger's Mum and Dad are aid workers in a remote unnamed country that has been devastated by drought, flooded by rains, and besieged by political conflict. The villagers have fled across a neighboring country's border as war looms. Tiger has just rescued a fish from an evaporating pond-turned-puddle on the morning that his family and their Guide are preparing to evacuate. So begins a staggering journey of indomitable odds across a hostile land. The simple innocence of Tiger's first-person narration enriches this tale. His perspective reduces the insurmountable perils of war and famine into believing in a foreseeable future. The travelers' tenacious will and perseverance are dramatically emphasized against the threatening landscape. Tiger's care for Fish is instinctive and unfaltering. As water and supplies dwindle to nothing, there is never a question about saving the creature. To compromise its survival is to question the travelers' own. The pace is exciting and filled with crises and adventure. Readers learn to love and respect the Guide and his faithful donkey for their skills in scaling the treacherous mountain paths. They will be compelled to read on, mystified, worried, ever watchful, and willing for a righteous triumph. This novel has multiple dimensions that balance hardship with unwavering faith and gives hope within the darkness. Graced by a child's vantage point, it is a story that celebrates the human spirit and inherent kindness.–Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY
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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (June 8, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385731809
• ISBN-13: 978-0385731805
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,941,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a simple story about a child and a fish., July 7, 2004

By 

A Customer (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fish (Hardcover)

Tiger is the child of humanitarian aid workers living in a country torn by famine and war. When their government asks them to evacuate the country, the family must make a difficult trek across the mountains to make their way back home.

The day they leave their village, Tiger rescues a fish that is slowly suffocating in a mud puddle. As the family can only take what belongings they can carry on their backs, Tiger's choice to carry the fish seems absurd. But as the mud puddle is quickly drying up, Tiger is worried that the fish will die.

"'All the animals here have died --- and lots of the people,'" says Tiger's father. "'One fish is just one fish after all.'"

However, Tiger's parents, and the Guide who takes them across the border, help Tiger transport the fish. First the fish is carried in a cooking pot, then in a water bottle, and eventually in Tiger's mouth. The people who they meet along the way think what Tiger is doing is strange, but they are also impressed by the compassion the child has for another living creature.

FISH is L.S. Matthews's first book. The focus and simplicity of this tale make it appealing to a broad range of readers. Tiger narrates the book. It is never clear whether Tiger is a boy or a girl. This makes it easier for the reader to identify with Tiger and perhaps also with the adventures that Tiger and the fish encounter.

This book is a simple story about a child and a fish. It is also about trying to make a difference, even if it is just in the life of one being. What Tiger does for the fish is no different from what Tiger's parents do as aid workers. Each makes a difference in the world one life at a time.

--- Reviewed by Sarah A. Wood

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice, April 18, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Fish (Hardcover)

It was a nice tale about a boy called Tiger. Or at least, by their guide. Tiger and his family have to move to their neighboring country, and it is a long way to the border. They struggle as they climb the mountains, and travel through muddy river beds. Fish was an interesting book and it had a very nice story. It just didn't draw me in as well as other books have.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just a fish story, November 21, 2005

By 

C. Betz "elementary librarian" (Dallas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fish: A Novel (Audio Cassette)

Narrated by a child of indeterminate gender,this seemingly simple allegory tells more than a story of child and fish. Tiger is the child of aid workers living in a country devastated by war and famine. As the family evacuates, Tiger rescues a fish that is slowly suffocating in a puddle and, even though the family may take only what they can carry on their backs, the fish is placed in a pot and carried along on the journey. The parallel stories of a quiet, gentle guide leading the family safely, the parents' selfless aid to a war-torn country, and Tiger's steely insistence that Fish should survive under such harsh circumstances create a multi-layered novel celebrating the human spirit.