The Tulip Touch: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|1996 children's novel by Anne Fine}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} |
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{{Infobox book |
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Natalie lives with her family, her Dad who is a hotel manager, and her mother, who lavishes attention on her younger brother Julius. They go to live at a hotel called 'The Palace' and Natalie meets a strange, silent girl called Tulip, cradling a kitten. At first Tulip comes across as a misguided youth with a hard background. But as the story continues Tulip's actions leave us with no excuse. Nobody wants to be around Tulip but her outlandish behaviour doesn't matter to Natalie. At first she finds Tulip exciting and she doesn't care that other people are upset by her pranks. But then Natalie realises that Tulip is going too far. |
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| name = The Tulip Touch |
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| image = The_Tulip_Touch_cover.jpg |
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| caption = First edition (UK) |
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| author = [[Anne Fine]] |
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| country = United Kingdom |
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| language = English |
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| illustrator = <!-- none --> |
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| series = <!-- none --> |
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| release_number = <!-- none --> |
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| genre = [[Children's literature]] |
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| publisher = [[Hamish Hamilton]] |
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}} |
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'''''The Tulip Touch''''' is a [[children's literature|children's]] novel written by [[Anne Fine]] and published in 1996. The book raises questions of morality and accountability, as well as exploring the question of nature versus nurture. It won the [[1996 Whitbread Awards|Whitbread Award]] and was Highly Commended for the [[Carnegie Medal (literary award)|Carnegie Medal]]. |
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She becomes Tulip's friend easily and she finds that she is 'addicted' to Tulip. Meanwhile, Tulip just uses Natalie as no one wants to be around her. |
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==Plot== |
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An overall great read though slightly disturbing. Not for young children. :) |
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The story begins as Natalie Barnes, a girl who lived in hotels all her life, and her parents move to stay permanently in The Palace Hotel, where her father will be the manager. They meet Tulip Pierce, a charming, introverted girl who tells imaginative yet unbelievable stories - embellishments which Natalie's father refers to as "the Tulip touch".<ref name="pubweekly">{{cite news|author=<!--no author-->|title=Children's Book Review: The Tulip Touch by Anne Fine|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-316-28325-0|accessdate=27 March 2019|work=[[Publishers Weekly]]}}</ref><ref name="eren">{{cite journal |last1=Eren|first1=Zerrin|title=Violence against Children in Realistic Novels for Children: The Tulip Touch by Anne Fine, Secrets by Jacqueline Wilson|journal=[[School of Language and History - Geography|Faculty of Languages and History-Geography]]|date=1 January 2017|volume=55|issue=2|pages=235–250 |url=http://dtcfdergisi.ankara.edu.tr/index.php/dtcf/article/view/643/154|accessdate=28 March 2019|publisher=[[Ankara University]]|location=[[Ankara]]|language=English, Turkish|issn=2459-0150}}</ref> |
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Tulip is seldom seen in Natalie's new school. As their relationship grows, Natalie notices the slight change in her friend's behaviour. Tulip was always unpopular and disliked amongst the other children, but that wasn't all. Soon, her games change from awkward and annoying to sadistic and often dangerous, such as tormenting strangers or endangering Natalie's younger brother Julius. Natalie finds out that Tulip's father is abusive to Tulip and her mother. Natalie's family are initially sympathetic towards Tulip, knowing the extent of the abuse to which Tulip and her mother are subjected. However, as her behaviour becomes more dangerous and erratic, Natalie's parents encourage her to end the friendship for their own good. |
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Although other people seem mundane in comparison to Tulip's spontaneity and wild imagination, Natalie makes new friends. Meanwhile, Tulip's behaviour has grown more violent, stabbing bus seats and burning litter bins. When Tulip is not invited to the big Christmas party at The Palace, she manages to burn down the hotel, endangering Natalie's family and their guests. |
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At the close of the novel, Natalie has moved to a new hotel with her family and things are going well for them. Her family, teachers, and the community all criticise Tulip, but Natalie feels immense guilt over what happened. Although she was too young to recognise the signs of abuse, Natalie wonders why the adults in their lives never helped Tulip.<ref name="eren"/> |
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==Major themes== |
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The book was inspired by the highly publicised [[murder of James Bulger]],<ref name="eren"/><ref name="treneman">{{cite news |last1=Treneman |first1=Ann |title=Too scary for grown-ups |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/too-scary-for-grown-ups-1253694.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220620/https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/too-scary-for-grown-ups-1253694.html |archive-date=20 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=July 6, 2021|work=[[The Independent]] |date=1 June 1997}}</ref> a two-year-old boy who was kidnapped, tortured and killed by a pair of ten-year-olds. Like the case, the story raises the question of [[nature versus nurture]] - in other words, are some children born bad, or are evil children the product of their circumstances?<ref name="treneman"/> Fine stated in a 1998 interview that "it was not just the murder itself" that inspired her, "but the ghastly British response to it: 'Lock 'em up and throw away the key'".<ref name="rochman">{{cite journal|last=Rochman|first=Hazel|title=Anne Fine|journal=[[Booklist]]|date=1 January 1998|volume=94|issue=9–10|page=810|url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A20176778/AONE?u=tou&sid=AONE&xid=dcfaefee|url-access=subscription |accessdate=29 March 2019|publisher=[[American Library Association]]|location=[[Chicago]]|via=[[Gale (publisher)|Academic OneFile]]|language=English|issn=0006-7385|oclc=1536781}}</ref> |
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==Reception== |
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The book received some criticism, along with others on the 2021 Carnegie Medal shortlist, for being too "grim" for children.<ref name="treneman"/><ref name="rochman"/> |
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==References== |
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{{Portal|Children and Young Adult Literature}} |
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{{Reflist}} |
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{{Anne Fine}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tulip Touch}} |
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[[Category:1996 British novels]] |
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[[Category:British children's novels]] |
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[[Category:Novels set in hotels]] |
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[[Category:1996 children's books]] |
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[[Category:Novels about child abuse]] |
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[[Category:Hamish Hamilton books]] |
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[[Category:Children's books set in hotels]] |
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Latest revision as of 03:53, 26 May 2023
 First edition (UK) | |
| Author | Anne Fine |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
The Tulip Touch is a children's novel written by Anne Fine and published in 1996. The book raises questions of morality and accountability, as well as exploring the question of nature versus nurture. It won the Whitbread Award and was Highly Commended for the Carnegie Medal.
Plot
[edit]The story begins as Natalie Barnes, a girl who lived in hotels all her life, and her parents move to stay permanently in The Palace Hotel, where her father will be the manager. They meet Tulip Pierce, a charming, introverted girl who tells imaginative yet unbelievable stories - embellishments which Natalie's father refers to as "the Tulip touch".[1][2]
Tulip is seldom seen in Natalie's new school. As their relationship grows, Natalie notices the slight change in her friend's behaviour. Tulip was always unpopular and disliked amongst the other children, but that wasn't all. Soon, her games change from awkward and annoying to sadistic and often dangerous, such as tormenting strangers or endangering Natalie's younger brother Julius. Natalie finds out that Tulip's father is abusive to Tulip and her mother. Natalie's family are initially sympathetic towards Tulip, knowing the extent of the abuse to which Tulip and her mother are subjected. However, as her behaviour becomes more dangerous and erratic, Natalie's parents encourage her to end the friendship for their own good.
Although other people seem mundane in comparison to Tulip's spontaneity and wild imagination, Natalie makes new friends. Meanwhile, Tulip's behaviour has grown more violent, stabbing bus seats and burning litter bins. When Tulip is not invited to the big Christmas party at The Palace, she manages to burn down the hotel, endangering Natalie's family and their guests.
At the close of the novel, Natalie has moved to a new hotel with her family and things are going well for them. Her family, teachers, and the community all criticise Tulip, but Natalie feels immense guilt over what happened. Although she was too young to recognise the signs of abuse, Natalie wonders why the adults in their lives never helped Tulip.[2]
Major themes
[edit]The book was inspired by the highly publicised murder of James Bulger,[2][3] a two-year-old boy who was kidnapped, tortured and killed by a pair of ten-year-olds. Like the case, the story raises the question of nature versus nurture - in other words, are some children born bad, or are evil children the product of their circumstances?[3] Fine stated in a 1998 interview that "it was not just the murder itself" that inspired her, "but the ghastly British response to it: 'Lock 'em up and throw away the key'".[4]
Reception
[edit]The book received some criticism, along with others on the 2021 Carnegie Medal shortlist, for being too "grim" for children.[3][4]
References
[edit]
- ^ "Children's Book Review: The Tulip Touch by Anne Fine". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ a b c Eren, Zerrin (1 January 2017). "Violence against Children in Realistic Novels for Children: The Tulip Touch by Anne Fine, Secrets by Jacqueline Wilson". Faculty of Languages and History-Geography (in English and Turkish). 55 (2). Ankara: Ankara University: 235–250. ISSN 2459-0150. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ^ a b c Treneman, Ann (1 June 1997). "Too scary for grown-ups". The Independent. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
- ^ a b Rochman, Hazel (1 January 1998). "Anne Fine". Booklist. 94 (9–10). Chicago: American Library Association: 810. ISSN 0006-7385. OCLC 1536781. Retrieved 29 March 2019 – via Academic OneFile.