Rob Horton is 12 years old and lives with his father at the Kentucky Star Hotel in Lister, Florida. Ever since his mother died six months ago, he has a sadness so big he imagines that he can stuff it in a suitcase. He has a secret too, would you believe a real tiger locked in a cage in the woods? You'll find out more about Rob Horton, his sadness and his secret when you read "The Tiger Rising" nominated for a National Book award for children's literature and our next selection for Talking Volumes, the joint book club of MPR, the Loft Literary Center and the Star Tribune. Kate DiCamillo is the author of The Tiger Rising. She has a flair for children's stories that involve animals, her first book, Because of Winn-Dixie, featured a friendly dog and got a friendly nod from critics and librarians who gave it a Newbery honor award.