Stand Tall

by Joan Bauer

Book Overview

Tree is six foot, three and a half inches tall and still growing. He's never really fit in, but with the help of his grandpa and the new girl at school, Tree begins to realize that he can stand tall and be himself, no matter where he is.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 014240148X
• ISBN13: 9780142401484
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: Speak
• Length: 182 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.4" x 6.7"
• Age Range: 10 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 5 and higher

Customer Reviews

Review by Mirit

Stand tall! Standing tall is a metaphor for sticking up for yourself and not letting things such as words hurt you. This book Stand Tall has an amazing message. It shows what happens when people are self-conscious. Then at the same time it shows how the area that you're self-conscious about is a positive feature. It also shows that if you let words or actions get to you then you'll never be happy. I think that the author, Joan Bauer, really captures the character, Tree, Because she seemed very connected to him. Tree was a seventh grader that had some height self-conscious issues. He also had many other issues to deal with during the duration of this book. He seems to not have many friends too. The good things about this book are that Joan was able to have several conflicts going with Tree, but keep them all under control. When he went through very hard times such as when his grandpa needed help with his leg he seemed to struggle until he met a girl named Sophie who seemed to know how to help. She was a strong character that knew what sticking up was all about. Sophie also went through tough times, but had already learned about letting things get to you and how that can really mess up your life. She helped Tree understand that no ones life is perfect and that there are hard times, amazing times, okay times, and many others. This book has good quality writing for a teenage book. This book is easy to read because it's about a teenager so it doesn't use complicated words. The good part about that is that you get to focus a lot on the story. Stand Tall is not a slow reader. It seems very climactic so that you want to keep reading it. Almost every chapter something happens that changes Tree's life in a way. An example of that is when a natural disaster occurs and he has a lot of changes to adapt to. This book is an amazing book and I recommend it to teenagers that need help overcoming self-consciousness and family issues. It helps you get an idea that you're not the only one going through those tough times. It makes people realize that people do care about others and that if you are self-conscious than you should start look at the good things about that area instead of being pessimistic.

Stand Tall

This was a great book! It was about a boy called Tree who stood over six feet tall and is still growing. He lives in Virginia an his parents got divorced a few weeks ago and he still isnt use to the idea of the separation. Tree feels like the house is really empty without his mother and the hutch that she had taken with her when she moved into her new house. Tree's granfather was shot and wounded in the leg in the Vietnam War and was in the hospital getting his leg amputated. Grandpa had to learn how to use a fake leg to walk. When Grandpa comes home Tree and his dad had built a contraption that will get food and other items to Grandpa's chair so that he doesn't have to get up and put his leg into pain very often. Tree's dog, Bradley, has some sort of stroke one day and they almost have to put him to sleep, but then, a cat comes in the vet room and Bradley gets up and chases it. Now they see that Bradley still has some life left inside of him so they get to keep Bradley alive. Then, a flood comes to the town where Tree and his whole family live. They have to spend the night in Tree's school to stay safe. Tree talks the principal into letting the animals into the school basement so that they could be safe as well. One conflict in the story is that Tree is upset that he is horrible at sports even though with him being so tall and his brthers being so good he is expected to be great. This is resolved in the end of the book when he concenrates on an eighth grade girl named Sophie being at his basketball game and made the first basket he had ever made at a game. I would recommend this book to someone who needs a spirit lifter. Even if you don't need a spirit lifter it's still a great book. This book is great for people's self confidence and I would highly recommend it.

A STORY OF HOPE AND ACCEPTANCE

Young people like to fit in. They're often confident if they are like their peers; they hate to stand out in a crowd. It's difficult not to stand out in any crowd when you're 12-years-old and stand 6 feet three inches tall. Plus, you're still growing. And, wouldn't you know? The rangy young fellow has a nickname because of his height - he's called Tree. He's heard all the jokes about being tall; he's heard most of them more than once. Unlike his brothers Tree doesn't excel at athletics even though everyone seems to expect him to be a basketball player. Being taller than everyone else is enough of a problem, but there's another one - Tree's parents were recently divorced so he must divide his time between his mom's new house and his old home where his father and grandfather live. His granddad, a Vietnam war vet, has a great deal to teach Tree about life and courage. Due to an old war wound Granddad has just had part of a leg amputated, yet he never stops encouraging Tree to accept life as it comes and encouraging him to be the best that he can be. Veteran voice performer Ron Mclarty brings a keen understanding to his reading of this story of hope and acceptance. - Gail Cooke

QUITE THE EXCELLENT BOOK!

Tree is six-foot-three, and he's in seventh grade. His parents are divorced. He has to live in a different home every week. His Grandpa, a Vietnam Vet who lives with his dad, doesn't have half of his right leg.It may seem an odd story line, but this one of the better books that I have read. Since it was a gift, I tried to cherish the book with its hardcover price. Forget that. 'Standing Tall' is a tale of triumph, & provides inspiration for those whose parents are divorced, or for those who have been in war. It is not totally a gripping plot, yet it is a gripping book. The story flows excellently even though most of the paragraphs are not much more than a full sentence. I strongly urge you to get this book now. No. Really.

A book for today's turbulent times.

Tree earned his nickname because he is tall and solid, like a Tree - he's 12 years old, 6'3" and still growing. However, life in Tree's world isn't so solid these days. His parents have divorced and his beloved grandfather - a Vietnam vet - just had his leg amputated. Tree compares his life to a war, but finds a way to work through his problems with advice from his grandpa and help from his new friend, a quirky girl named Sophie.Joan Bauer is a perennial favorite of mine and is always guaranteed to make me think. This novel, which talks both about everyday life and war, is quite timely considering the turmoil our country is in. The one passage that struck me the most is this one:"I think important things are worth fighting for, but there's nothing glorious about battle, nothing cool about holding a gun. It's scary and lonely and too many people die young. Never be a person who wants war - hate it with everything you've got. But if you've got to fight to protect people, try to do your job the best you know how. Protecting people is the only reason to ever fight."Those words were spoken by Tree's grandfather, and it summed up my feelings about war perfectly - sometimes necessary, but *never* good. Food for thought. All in all, Stand Tall is a wonderful book that tackles real life problems and offers real life solutions. For young readers that are confused about what to feel these days, Stand Tall would be a perfect book for them to read - perhaps they will find some of the answers they were looking for.