It's been years since I read this book. I had borrowed it from my mother's friend's daughter and it was one of the first slice-of-life children fiction that I fell in love with. The plot was simple, and it was because of that simplicity that it's complicated. And I loved it. This book was released in 1996, during my transition from primary to high school and it was probably a book that was in the high school library, as the cover feels very familiar. But I don't remember reading it, at least the story did not feel familiar, as I certainly would not have kept reading. 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.

At first she doesn't care that other people are upset and unnerved by Tulip's bizarre games, but as the games become increasingly sinister and dangerous, Natalie realises that Tulip is going too far. At first sight this has many aspects of fairy tales -- a princess in a palatial dwelling, a changeling-like child whom she befriends, a child-beating ogre figure, mind-reading, and so on -- but don't search for a happy ending, or indeed any ending that is as neatly resolved as fairytales are: this is a story which has much that the reader can believe as being all too realistic, despite some magical trappings. Characters: I adored the characters. Each of them had their own depth, even if there weren't actually that many. The peerless vigour of Fine's writing, and the provocative question of whether our society is even trying to catch its 'evil' ones as they fall, make this an extraordinary powerful novel. As Natalie discovers more of Tulip’s unfortunate home life and apparent unhappiness, she finds herself ever more faithful to her friend, albeit out of pity more so than out of solid friendship. Eventually their relationship becomes less agreeable and through observing a sinister array of doings on Tulip’s part, Natalie soon realises she cannot befriend her any longer and begins to separate herself.For a kid living in a big literary city like Edinburgh or London, meeting authors might not be such a big deal. Authors tend to work hard to promote their books and the ones I know do as many events as they can. But let me tell you, rural Aberdeenshire in the 80s was not a hotbed of literary discovery, and you coming to town meant a lot. I think that was the point when I realized writing could be a career. Maybe one day, I could be a writer too. Anne Fine’s work has been translated into forty five languages. In 2003 she became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was awarded an OBE. Anne has two grown up daughters, and lives in County Durham. And adult readers may also pause to consider how even grown-ups can be powerless to change situations, either because of their own inadequacies or because systems aren't in place to allow justice to be done. Through moral ambiguities, challenges and personal courage we are led along the narrative path this novel hastens to take us. Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2010-11-23 19:21:54 Boxid IA134802 Boxid_2 CH122801 Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark II City Boston Donor

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. But Natalie also, is neglected by her parents. yes, it might not seems as obvious and perhaps is not as bad, but her parents do neglect to give her attention. If they had given her the attention she needed and taken a proper interest in her life then maybe they would see the bad influence Tulip had become, maybe they would notice how unhappy their daughter was. So yes, this book makes a point about the adults. It asks if the adults or the children should have helped or prevented the situations.She skives off school, cheeks the teachers and makes herself unpopular with her classmates by telling awful lies. In the USA, The Tulip Touch was chosen as an ALA Notable Children's Book; the Booklist Editor's Choice - "Top of the List" Fiction; Bulletin, Blue Ribbon List, 1997; School Library Journal's "Best Books of '97"; River Bank Review"Children's Book of Distinction", Arizona Library Association Young Readers Award 200 Nomination. This book looks at the weird and wonderful ideas and actions of Tulip through the eyes of her friend Natalie. The girls attend the same school and enjoy a close friendship, much to the dismay of Natalie’s parents and teachers. Tulip likes to test boundaries, both at school and within her friendship with Natalie. Their friendship is tested on the greatest level when Tulip takes her pranks to extreme heights and sets fire to a shed. Although Natalie knows that this behaviour is wrong, she still does not tell the police about Tulips actions. Anne Fine does a superb job at describing a sexually/emotionally/ physically abused child in Tulip and an equally good job at describing the fascinated yet increasingly more repelled but trapped friend in Natalie.

The Tulip Touch grapples with the topical question of what turns children into criminals. It engrossingly chronicles a childhood friendship with a disadvantaged girl who goes to the bad. This novel will make children aged between 11 and 14 think about the dangers of peer pressure and the collective responsibility of society for unhappy children. As always, Fine teaches her lessons by making her readers feel."This lends itself well to a Book Club for Two with an adult. There is so much implied in this writing, adults will see a lot more danger than girls do. So, it’s important to tread lightly and let them lead the way. For example, an adult will be troubled by the description of Tulip’s mother but to most children they perceive nothing more than her being ‘unhappy’ in a non-specific way.