Elephant Touch -- Middle Grades Novel About Loss & Healing

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Lately I have been sharing many middle grade novels. To be honest I am behind in my reading and have several more to share soon. However today I get to share one of my favorite ones of recent reads. It is a book about recovering from extreme loss. The book is Elephant Touch by Susan R. Greenway. It is recommended for ages 10 to 12. 

From the Publisher:

For fans of Sara Pennypacker’s Pax and Ali Benjamin’s The Thing About Jellyfish, Elephant Touch is a contemporary middle grade novel about overcoming grief that will touch the hearts of its readers.

Since the sudden loss of her mother, Quinn has been inconsolable. Her aunt brings her to volunteer at a Thai elephant sanctuary, hoping it will be a healing experience—but when Quinn learns about the previous abuse of the elephants she’s there to help, she’s overcome with even more grief.

While crying alone by the river one day, Quinn has a magical encounter with an adult elephant. She marvels at the elephant’s show of compassion, and they develop a strong connection. But when an orphaned baby elephant, also grieving her mother’s death, arrives at the sanctuary in fragile health, Quinn is afraid to get involved. To help save the baby elephant’s life, she must be courageous and use her newfound ability to connect with the elephants—not to mention accept the support of her new human friends. If she can channel her grief into action, she just might find the community and support she’s been missing. But can she find the courage to do it?

From Me:

This book is beautiful. The story is so real. Quinn is stuck in her grief and guilt. Her father and aunt do not know how to help her as they are dealing with their own grief and loss. Her aunt has the idea that she needs a change of scenery and a place to think about something besides the loss of her mother, so she takes Quinn to Thailand to an elephant sanctuary. They are there for two weeks as volunteers. At first Quinn does not want to be there. She hates hearing about the abuse the elephants have faced in their lives. She reacts to everything. But the elephants bring out something else in her. As one seems to get her grief and support her, she wants to learn more. She also grows more with her aunt, and she realizes how lucky she is to have her. The story is touching and deals with the emotions of loss, grief as well as desire to help and a bit of a new friendship and possibly love interest. It is a coming of age book that has so much packed into it. 

This book is a wonderful read full of emotion and an interesting story in itself. It has some adventure and mystery but is also about healing and finding oneself when lost in the sea of grief. I can see many kids loving this book and also see many class discussions around it. It is among my favorite reads of the year.