The best middle grade novels featuring elephants

Not one but two elephants star in this novel voiced in poetic vignettes by Ivan the gorilla. The animals are held in neighboring “domains” in a grotesque suburban mall setting. Ivan’s heart and mind drive the story, but compassion is made real by Stella, the older elephant. Her relationship with Ivan sheds light on their desperate circumstances. Ruby, the baby elephant, serves as a little beacon of hope, drawing the best from Ivan. Inspired by a true story, this book raised so many questions in my mind—about animal captivity, home, friendship, family, and community.

I love historical fiction, and I love stories within stories and this novel is both! It’s set at the end of World War II, just after the Allied bombing of Dresden. We’re following 16-year-old Elizabeth, her Mutti, her little brother Karli, and a downed Swiss-Canadian airman as they flee to safety near Heidelberg in the company of—yes, really—an elephant! A story of survival, of endurance, of building lives. The human relationships, in a dark and dangerous time, are brightened by the unexpected presence of one remarkable animal. 

In Serendib—doesn’t the name alone ring with poetry?—we meet the young thief of this title, Chaya, who steals from the rich to help the poor. In the company of Neel, her loyal friend, and Nour, the daughter of a rich merchant, Chaya finds herself being hunted by the king’s soldiers for stealing the queen’s jewels. And oh, yes, she also walked off with Ananda, the royal elephant. The ancient Sri Lankan setting is vividly drawn—with jackfruit and papayas as well as snakes and leeches. The elephant is in turn the object of theft, the vehicle by which the kids escape into the jungle, a sentient, perceptive animal presence, and an important ally. Surprise twists, adventure, and action in a rare, stunning setting. 

I was lucky enough to read this book when it was still a manuscript. It’s the story of 10-year old Hastin, driven by poverty but also by his impulsiveness and youthful optimism. Running away from home to make money to help his mother and sick sister, Hastin ends up far from his village in India, and in the clutches of a cruel circus owner. He also becomes keeper to a baby elephant, Nandita. As an outsider to the setting of this book, Lynne Kelly dug in, persevered, and did the hard work of writing the story with respect and care. The baby elephant is a pure delight. 

Linda’s a graduate of the MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults, Vermont College of Fine Arts, where I’ve taught since 2006. I love it when my reading mind seems to make a conversation out of the books I’ve read. For me, this novel seemed to be speaking to all the other books on this list—through the large, tender presence of the elephant, Queenie Grace, especially in the chapters written in her first-person voice; the growing affection between the child, Lily, and the elephant; the shifting family dynamics, so that blame and guilt give way to communication and empathy; all kinds of chains and ways to loosen them and be free. I even found a surprising little nugget of historical information in the author’s note.