“The Power of Story: Inspired by the Classroom”
Hello everyone, my name is Trevor Spisto, and I’m excited to write a blog post for Unleashing Readers about my novel The Tiger and the Crane.
I’m a dual-certified high school history and special education teacher in Staten Island, New York. To my fellow educators, I believe The Tiger and the Crane offers great opportunities for cross-curricular activities in the classroom, a popular initiative within the New York City school system. The book is rich with literacy themes and devices that English teachers can use to structure lessons, while history teachers can dive into the novel’s historical context.
Set in late 19th-century China, the story takes place in an animal village threatened by British poachers encroaching on their land. A crane named Mung ventures beyond the village to scout for danger and discovers an orphaned tiger cub. Believing the tiger could be raised to defend the village, Mung faces resistance from many villagers, led by Ku, a binturong, who argue that the tiger will only bring destruction. Determined to prove that nurturing the tiger is key to the village’s survival, Mung reluctantly promises to convince the cub that he is a goat, easing the villagers’ fears by masking the tiger’s true nature.
My work as a special educator was a point of inspiration for the story, more specifically, my responsibility for writing IEPs, which stands for Individualized Education Programs. These documents outline different teaching approaches that work well for certain students. The act of writing an IEP gives special education teachers unique insight into students that other teachers might not be privy to. For example, writing an IEP requires the case manager’s job is to reach out to parents to gather information about the student. While parents are expected to play a prominent role in providing details for the IEP, the reality can sometimes differ from expectations.
Parent-teacher conferences and phone calls home provide teachers with a window into a student’s life. These interactions offer opportunities to forge relationships with parents, although they are often not particularly extensive. During the IEP process, however, that window becomes much larger. I’ve had spectacular experiences with parents where it became abundantly clear that some of my students come from amazing homes that provide love and support while others come from devastating situations that are no fault of their own. They are young minds trapped in a difficult environment that ultimately shapes their values, morals, behavior, and philosophies that influence everyday decision-making. Analyzing these situations firsthand deepened my understanding of how important a child’s environment is in shaping their character and served as inspiration when writing The Tiger and the Crane.
English teachers will find plenty of material to work with using the book in their classes. All the characters in The Tiger and the Crane are richly developed with motivations and emotions that drive their actions. Teachers can facilitate literary circles around the characters’ reasoning and decisions. Themes such as leadership, fear, kinship, jealousy, manipulation, and the desire for power can be explored, helping students gain a deeper understanding of both the characters and themselves. Additionally, foreshadowing, chapter titles, and the reliability of the narrator can serve as valuable points of analysis for students.
From a historical perspective, the story aligns with units focused on imperialism in the 19th century. A crucial aspect of understanding history is grasping historical context, and The Tiger and the Crane provides a strong foundation that teachers can use to assess students’ comprehension of real events like the Macartney Mission, the Opium Wars, and the Boxer Rebellion. Teachers can also use The Tiger and the Crane to draw parallels between the novel’s characters and indigenous populations, highlighting the effects of imperialism on subjugated peoples. The animals in the story face the encroachment of foreign powers on their lands and struggle with technological disadvantages—challenges that native populations in Asia and Africa also encountered during the 19th century. While these complex topics can be challenging to introduce in the classroom, The Tiger and the Crane presents them in a narrative form that makes them more accessible and engaging for young minds.
The Tiger and the Crane can serve as a valuable tool for teachers but more importantly, it can spark an interest in books among young readers. As educators, we all strive to inspire a love of reading, and I hope this novel becomes a part of the collection of books in a classroom that nurtures that passion in students.
Published October 8, 2024 by Monarex Hollywood
About the Book: The setting of The Tiger and the Crane is an animal village within a vast forest in Qing dynasty-era China. This historical backdrop gives the story a timeless quality, as the clash between the two sides highlights parallels to real-world colonization and its impact on indigenous communities and wildlife. The narrative explores whether Xingfu, the tiger cub, will grow into his nature as a predator or adapt to the nurturing environment of the village. Mung, the red-crowned crane, proposes that Xingfu will assimilate into the village if raised properly, a responsibility he takes on himself. Meanwhile, Ku the binturong and the villagers’ doubts reflect real-world questions about inherent traits versus the influence of upbringing
About the Author: Trevor was born and raised on Staten Island, New York. By nineteen, Trevor penned his first feature-length story, which was developed into an animated film screenplay and later turned into the novel, The Tiger and the Crane. During that time Trevor earned his Master’s in Special Education and began his teaching career.
Beyond writing, Trevor’s passions include immersing himself in great novels, traveling to historically rich destinations, playing games, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Thank you, Trevor, for sharing your inspiration!
