Small as an Elephant

By Jennifer Richard Jacobson
(Candlewick, Hardcover, 9780763641559)

Publication Date: March 8, 2011

Other Editions of This Title: Compact Disc, Compact Disc, MP3 CD, MP3 CD

Categories: Animals - Elephants, Social Issues - Depression & Mental Illness, Family - Parents

Selected by Indie Booksellers for the Spring 2011 Kids' Next List

“Over Labor Day weekend, 11-year-old Jack's mom takes him camping in Maine. When he wakes up that first morning and finds her gone along with the car and all their food, he knows he'll have to find his own way home. Jack's mother has always been unpredictable, but if she's 'spinning' she won't be making good decisions, and if he turns himself in, Social Services will probably make him live with his grandma. This is a great read about a young boy's determination to see things through to the end, and his realization that, although he was abandoned, he was never really alone.”

-- Jamie Schildknecht, The Rediscovered Bookshop, Boise, ID

Description

Jack’s mom is gone, leaving him all alone on a campsite in Maine. Can he find his way back to Boston before the authorities realize what happened?

Ever since Jack can remember, his mom has been unpredictable, sometimes loving and fun, other times caught in a whirlwind of energy and "spinning" wildly until it’s over. But Jack never thought his mom would take off during the night and leave him at a campground in Acadia National Park, with no way to reach her and barely enough money for food. Any other kid would report his mom gone, but Jack knows by now that he needs to figure things out for himself - starting with how to get from the backwoods of Maine to his home in Boston before DSS catches on. With nothing but a small toy elephant to keep him company, Jack begins the long journey south, a journey that will test his wits and his loyalties - and his trust that he may be part of a larger herd after all.

About the Author

Jennifer Richard Jacobson is the author of several books for children and young adult readers, including the Andy Shane early chapter books, illustrated by Abby Carter. She lives in Cumberland, Maine.

Praise For Small as an Elephant…

"I believe in Jack and his ability to understand his mother in shades of gray. I believe in his ability to be fiercely independent: to try and try and try . . . and at the same time to recognize that he needs others. That others are right there, waiting to catch him."
- Jennifer Richard Jacobson — Quote

This book is on these lists:

Mcheever's Wish List by mcheever
Rtravis's Wish List by rtravis
Carley's Wish List by carley
Jnmuz's Wish List by jnmuz
Dnm4503's Wish List by dnm4503
Reeanntaylor's Wish List by reeanntaylor
Loves_to_sing's Wish List by loves_to_sing

All lists >>

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