# Tiger Eyes > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tiger_Eyes > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tiger_Eyes.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_Eyes > Source revision: 1354703972 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1981 young adult novel by Judy Blume For the extended play, see [Tiger Eyes (EP)](/source/Tiger_Eyes_(EP)). Tiger Eyes First edition Author Judy Blume Language English Genre Young adult literature Publisher Bradbury Publication date 1981 Publication place United States Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback) Pages 224 pp ISBN 0-87888-185-9 OCLC 7552139 LC Class PZ7.B6265 Ti ***Tiger Eyes*** is a [young adult](/source/Young_adult_literature) [novel](/source/Novel) written by [Judy Blume](/source/Judy_Blume) in [1981](/source/1981_in_literature) about a 15-year-old girl attempting to cope with the unexpected death of her father. In 2012, the novel was adapted into a [film of the same name](/source/Tiger_Eyes_(film)), directed by Judy's son, [Lawrence Blume](/source/Lawrence_Blume), and starring [Willa Holland](/source/Willa_Holland) as Davey Wexler. ## Plot summary Davis “Davey” Wexler, along with her mother, Gwen, and her little brother, Jason, have just attended the funeral of her father, Adam, who was shot to death in a holdup at their [7-Eleven](/source/7-Eleven) convenience store in [Atlantic City](/source/Atlantic_City). After lying in bed for days on end and not eating, Davey starts her tenth year of school, but faints on her first day from anxiety. She goes for a checkup, and the doctor explains Davey is having panic attacks. Davey's mother, Gwen, decides they need to get away for awhile and takes up an offer from Adam's older sister, Bitsy, and his brother-in-law Walter to come stay with them in [Los Alamos](/source/Los_Alamos%2C_New_Mexico), [New Mexico](/source/New_Mexico). A few days before they are scheduled to return to Atlantic City, Gwen receives news their store has been further vandalized, and she decides they're going to stay in Los Alamos through the end of the school year. Bitsy and Walter, who were unable to have children, start treating Davey and Jason like their own kids, which causes tension between them and Davey. They're overprotective, and Davey becomes more upset when her mother just sits back and allows them to parent her. During this time, Gwen gets a job at the Los Alamos National Laboratory as a temp. She begins seeing a therapist named Miriam and convinces Davey to see her as well. Meanwhile, Davey explores the town on her aunt's bicycle. One day, she goes to a canyon and climbs down. There, she runs into an older boy who calls himself Wolf. Davey calls herself Tiger when they introduce each other. She also becomes a [candy striper](/source/Candy_striper) at the hospital with her new friend, Jane, and meets a cancer patient who turns out to be Wolf's father. The inspiration from Wolf and his father changes Davey for the better. Wolf's father eventually dies from cancer, and Wolf leaves. Another story is Jane's alcoholism and Davey's desire to help her get sober. Also, in three different parts Davey describes the evening her father was shot and killed, which causes her in the beginning of the book to completely freak out when Jason experiences a nosebleed from the altitude. She carries a paper bag with her, which is revealed to contain the clothing she was wearing when she found her father and held him until he died; the clothing was soaked with his blood. After a session with Miriam, she finally breaks down and is able to mourn her father. She eventually buries the clothing and a bread knife she carried for self-defense in a cave in the canyon where she met Wolf. Eventually, against Bitsy's wishes, Gwen decides to return the family to Atlantic City to begin a new life. Walter helps them buy a car for the trip home. Gwen gets a job in one of the hotels, thanks to the credentials she gained while working at the lab, and with the aid of her friend, Audrey. Once they're back home, Davey often wonders if anyone will know how much she had changed, but realizes some changes happen deep down and only you know about them. ## Controversy Judy Blume states in her book *[Places I Never Meant to Be](/source/Places_I_Never_Meant_to_Be)* this was the only book she has written she has voluntarily censored. In the original draft submitted to her editor, the character Davey masturbates while thinking about Wolf. Her editor pointed out the book was likely to be read by many more young readers if the scene was left out. After agonizing over the decision, [Blume](/source/Judy_Blume) agreed and removed the passage. This book is on the [American Library Association](/source/American_Library_Association) list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000 at number 89.[1] ## Film Main article: [Tiger Eyes (film)](/source/Tiger_Eyes_(film)) A film version of the novel, directed by the author's son [Lawrence Blume](/source/Lawrence_Blume),[2] started production in October 2010 and was released at the 15th Annual [Sonoma International Film Festival](/source/Sonoma_International_Film_Festival) on April 12, 2012. It won the Jury Award for Best Feature in the [Palm Beach International Film Festival](/source/Palm_Beach_International_Film_Festival). [Willa Holland](/source/Willa_Holland) is cast as Davey, [Tatanka Means](/source/Tatanka_Means) as Wolf and [Amy Jo Johnson](/source/Amy_Jo_Johnson) as Gwen Wexler.[3] It was released on June 7, 2013 both in art house cinemas and video-on-demand. ## See also - [Children and Young Adult Literature portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Children_and_Young_Adult_Literature) - [1980s portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:1980s) - [Novels portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Novels) - [List of most commonly challenged books in the U.S.](/source/List_of_most_commonly_challenged_books_in_the_U.S.) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000](http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedbydecade/1990_1999/index.cfm) from [American Library Association](/source/American_Library_Association) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["'Tiger Eyes' movie in the works"](http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/Movies/2010/10/19/Tiger-Eyes-movie-in-the-works/UPI-68551287499215/). UPI.com. Retrieved December 22, 2010. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Tiger Eyes (2011)"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1748260/). IMDB.com. Retrieved December 22, 2010. ## External links - [Judy Blume's website](https://web.archive.org/web/20091225032943/http://www.judyblume.com/margaret.html) v t e Works by Judy Blume Fudge series Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great Superfudge Fudge-a-Mania Double Fudge Characters Peter Hatcher Fudge Hatcher Novels The One in the Middle Is the Green Kangaroo Iggie's House Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Then Again, Maybe I Won't Freckle Juice It's Not the End of the World Deenie Blubber Forever... Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself Wifey Tiger Eyes Smart Women Just as Long as We're Together Here's to You, Rachel Robinson Summer Sisters In the Unlikely Event Non-fiction and others The Judy Blume Diary Letters to Judy: What Your Kids Wish They Could Tell You The Pain and the Great One Places I Never Meant to Be Adaptations Forever (film) Fudge (TV series) Tiger Eyes (film) Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (film) Forever (TV series) Authority control databases Open Library --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tiger Eyes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_Eyes) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_Eyes?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.