One Amazing Elephant

by Linda Oatman High (Author)

One Amazing Elephant
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

A poignant middle grade animal story from talented author Linda Oatman High that will appeal to fans of Katherine Applegate's The One and Only Ivan. In this heartwarming novel, a girl and an elephant face the same devastating loss--and slowly realize that they share the same powerful love. Twelve-year-old Lily Pruitt loves her grandparents, but she doesn't love the circus--and the circus is their life. She's perfectly happy to stay with her father, away from her neglectful mother and her grandfather's beloved elephant, Queenie Grace.

Then Grandpa Bill dies, and both Lily and Queenie Grace are devastated. When Lily travels to Florida for the funeral, she keeps her distance from the elephant. But the two are mourning the same man--and form a bond born of loss. And when Queenie Grace faces danger, Lily must come up with a plan to help save her friend.

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School Library Journal

Gr 4-6--If your mother were a trapeze artist and your grandparents traveled with a circus, you might imagine that you'd get such perks as free cotton candy, the chance to befriend sideshow performers, and behind-the-scenes tours. While this lifestyle might excite most tweens, Lily Pruitt views the circus as dangerous. She fears even being near her grandparents' beloved elephant Queenie Grace and dislikes that the demands of circus life have separated members of her family. Rather than travel with the performers, Lily lives with her father on Magic Mountain Campground, leading a quiet, simple life with her paints, her Christmas traditions, and her yearly visits from her grandparents and mother. Following a tragic death in the family, Lily flies to Gibtown, FL, where circus performers flock in the winter months. During this visit, Lily overcomes fears, learns forgiveness, and befriends a boy with alligator skin. The author's use of changing perspectives between Lily and Queenie Grace provides readers with a deep understanding of and empathy for the elephant's experience. Through Queenie Grace's senses and Lily's interpretation of social cues, readers gain a heightened awareness of the many characters in Gibtown. High's deeply emotional yet realistic novel untangles Lily's twisted relationship with her mother and shines a light on the lasting impact that relationships between humans and animals can have, even through death. VERDICT Hand this to animal lovers and readers looking for a tear-jerking family drama.--Mary-Brook J. Townsend, Episcopal Collegiate School, Little Rock, AK

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

High's (Planet Pregnancy) well-balanced novel about love, forgiveness, and the tightrope walk of friendship and family is centered in Gibsonton, Fla., "the strangest town in the nation." Unlike the flamboyant circus side of 12-year-old Lily Rose Pruitt's family--including her dear Grandpa Bill, dubbed "the Giant" at more than seven feet tall, and her estranged mother, Trullia, a trapeze artist--cautious Lily bottles up her emotions and avoids risks: "Keep it inside. That's my motto." Lily lives with her father in West Virginia, but when her grandfather dies unexpectedly, she flies to Florida alone for the funeral. There, she confronts her fear of the Amazing Queenie Grace (her grandfather's elephant), forms friendships and makes a few enemies, tries to protect Queenie Grace from harm, and eventually comes to terms with her mother. The chapters alternate gracefully between Lily's and Queenie Grace's perspectives, and High effectively sketches how Lily gradually champions the elephant and recognizes larger issues around the ways performers abuse circus animals. Ages 8-12. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (Feb.)

Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Linda Oatman High
Linda Oatman High is the author of the picture books Barn Savers (illustrated by Ted Lewis), Beekeepers (illustrated by Doug Chayka), and The Christmas Star (illustrated by Ronald Himler). Her novels include Maizie; Hound Heaven; The Summer of the Great Divide; and A Stone's Throw from Paradise. She lives in Narvon, Pennsylvania.

Ted Lewin has illustrated more than one hundred books for children, including Peppe the Lamplighter by Elisa Bartone, for which he was awarded the Caldecott Honor; and The Always Prayer Shawl by Sheldon Oberman, which received the National Jewish Book Award. Mr. Lewin lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife Betsy.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780062455833
Lexile Measure
580
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
HarperCollins
Publication date
February 14, 2017
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039030 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Death & Dying
JUV002080 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Elephants
JUV031010 - Juvenile Fiction | Performing Arts | Circus
Library of Congress categories
Human-animal relationships
Death
Grandfathers
Elephants
Circus
Grief
Grief in adolescence
Grief in animals

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