Available:*
Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mq326327 | eBook | EBOOK | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
AN INDIE NEXT PICK AND AN AMAZON BEST BOOK OF THE MONTH!
#1 bestselling author James Patterson and award-winning author Ellen Banda-Aaku deliver an unforgettable story of a girl, an elephant, and their life-changing friendship--perfect for fans of The One and Only Ivan , Pax , and Because of Winn-Dixie .
Clever, sensitive Jama likes elephants better than people. While her classmates gossip--especially about the new boy, Leku--twelve-year-old Jama takes refuge at the watering hole outside her village. There she befriends a baby elephant she names Mbegu, Swahili for seed.
When Mbegu's mother, frightened by poachers, stampedes, Jama and Mbegu are blamed for two deaths--one elephant and one human. Now Leku, whose mysterious and imposing father is head ranger at the conservancy, may be their only lifeline.
Inspired by true events, The Elephant Girl is a moving exploration of the bonds between creatures and the power of belonging.
"Emotionally thrilling and richly satisfying." - Kirkus Reviews
"This powerful novel...is thoroughly grounded in Jama's bravery, moral strength, and genuine love for the animals that share her home." - Publishers Weekly
Author Notes
James Patterson is the world's bestselling author. The creator of Max Einstein and Middle School , he founded JIMMY Patterson to publish books that young readers will love. He lives in Florida with his family.
Ellen Banda-Aaku is an award-winning author and producer. She has lived, studied, and worked in Ghana, South Africa, and Zambia, and currently lives in the UK with her two children.
Reviews (1)
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this powerful novel based in true events, Maasai 12-year-old Jama Anyango's life is irrevocably changed when she befriends a herd of elephants near her Kenyan village. As her best friend begins to focus on crushes, Jama, who longs for "the same freedom and power" as boys have, instead seeks refuge in the gorgeous natural landscapes around her, disobeying her widowed mother's rules that she stay near the village. An assured first-person perspective connects readers with Jama as she bonds with the elephant herd at a watering hole she loves, particularly a baby elephant whose birth she witnesses and whom she names Mbegu. But poachers roam the land, looking to kill elephants for their tusks, and the neglect of a seemingly corrupt wildlife ranger further threatens the elephants' safety. After a tragic accident, Jama's courage is put to the test, and her home life and well-being are imperiled, when the other villagers seek to kill Mbegu in revenge. Patterson and Banda-Aaku's well-developed, vividly set story is thoroughly grounded in Jama's bravery, moral strength, and genuine love for the animals that share her home. An authors' note discusses elephant poaching. Ages 10--14. (July)