The Elephant Thief by Jane Kerr - OPTIONAL

Kerr, Jane The Elephant Thief, 320 pages.  Chicken House (Scholastic), APRIL 2018.  $17.  Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (some danger).

Boy, a young pickpocket on the streets of Edinburgh, is under the thumb of an evil master.  Then one day he gets involved in an auction of wild animals – a private zoo that needs to be sold off.  A man talk him into bidding on the elephant for him – and Danny wins!  But now he only has ten days to get that elephant from Edinburgh to Manchester England, or more than Boy will be in trouble.  Even if he wins the race, can Danny ever really be free?

Here is your next choice for a read aloud, whether for a classroom read or for bedtime.  I felt like each chapter ended in a great tension or cliffhanger that works so well in a group setting.  Unfortunately most kids don’t seek out historical fiction to read on their own, so that won’t fly off the library shelves on its own.  It’s too bad, because Boy’s story is full of action and heart.

EL – OPTIONAL.  Cindy, Library Teacher