75 pages 2 hours read

Tae Keller

When You Trap a Tiger

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2020

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.

Important Quotes

Quotation Mark Icon

“Really there’s no way I saw a giant tiger appear—and disappear—in the middle of the road.”


(Chapter 1, Page 7)

On her way to her halmoni’s (grandmother’s) house in Sunbeam, Washington, Lily sees a massive tiger in the road. Her mother and sister Sam do not see it, and the tiger walks away after looking at Lily. The tiger’s appearance marks the inciting incident of the book, this quote demonstrating Lily’s self-doubt in what she thinks she saw. It will also introduce the importance of sharing sightings, stories, with Halmoni—whether real or not.

Quotation Mark Icon

“But Halmoni was always doing weird things without explaining any of it. She’s full of secrets. This house is full of secrets.”


(Chapter 3, Page 19)

With this quote, Lily discovers that she and Sam have very different recollections of the years they lived with Halmoni just after their father’s death. Lily remembers those years as magical and comforting; now she sees that Sam’s suspicions and sadness convolute any happy memories she did have. Sam thinking Halmoni’s attention to spirits is “weird” comes as a shock to Lily, who accepts the older woman’s beliefs without question. This quote provides some backstory and characterization for Sam.

Quotation Mark Icon

“Lily, crazy not a good word. Not a thinking word. You seeing truth because you are a special one, and that not make you crazy, okay?”


(Chapter 4, Page 32)

Halmoni rejects Lily’s concern that she’s “crazy” for seeing a tiger in the road. She attributes to Lily special qualities that make her a candidate for seeing things beyond what others can. At this point of the book, Lily doesn’t credit herself with this quality; in fact, she doesn’t mention many positive traits in regards to herself at all.

Related Titles

By Tae Keller

Study Guide

logo

Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone

Tae Keller

Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone

Tae Keller

Study Guide

logo

The Science of Breakable Things

Tae Keller

The Science of Breakable Things

Tae Keller