Small as an Elephant

Title: Small as an Elephant
Author: Jennifer Jacobson

Publication Date: 2011

Number of Pages: 275

Part of a Series: No
 

Subject Heading(s): 

Abandoned children -- Juvenile fiction

Mothers and sons -- Juvenile fiction

 Self-reliance -- Juvenile fiction

Survival -- Juvenile fiction

 Elephants -- Juvenile fiction

Geographical Setting/ Time Period:  Arcadia National Park, Maine campsite, now

 

Main Character(s): Jack, a small boy, abandoned by his mother
 
Plot Summary:

Jack’s mother has always been unpredictable but when Jack and his mom go on a camping trip to Acadia National Park in Maine, she abandons him with no way to contact her and very little money for food. Contacting authorities might get his mom in trouble and he might be placed in the custody of the state so Jack determines he must find his way back to his home in Boston with his only companion a small toy elephant. He loves his mom and she at times is loving and fun but other times she thinks and talks very fast and she forgets Jack. On the trip to Acadia Jack wanted to stop and see Lydia, the only elephant in Maine. His mom wouldn’t stop and Jack holds on to the hope he will yet see Lydia. Finding ways to survive and keep moving are an intense adventure. The author does an excellent job of describing Jack’s thought processes, explaining his fears and his past experiences with his mentally ill mother. The resolution is hopeful but realistic.

Appeal:

The book is appropriate for 5^th through 8^th grades and addresses in an unflinching way the difficulties of living with a mentally ill parent. Jack is a very compelling protagonist and the story holds the reader’s interest.

Brief quote: "Elephants can sense danger. They're able to detect an approaching tsunami or earthquake before it hits. Unfortunately, Jack did not have this talent. the day his life was turned completely upside down, he was caught unaware.
Prizes or Awards: Sequoyah
Reviewer=s Name: Denilyn Jordan

Adapted from Saricks, Joyce G. and Nancy Brown. Readers= Advisory Service in the Public Library 2nd.Chicago: ALA, 1997.