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Elephant in the Garden
Little Karl often went to work with his mom at the nursing home, to play with friends and to socialize with the residents. One day, he ended up in the room of a resident named Lizzie. She was notorious for trying to convince people of her pet elephant in the garden, but nobody believed her… Until she met Karl. Lizzie spoke with Karl and his mom, and relayed the whole story the best that she could. As she spoke, the vivid detail and brightness in her face and voice revealed the authenticity of her memory.
It was Lizzie's 16th birthday when she first saw Marlene, the recently orphaned Elephant. In Dresden Germany during World War II, Lizzie's Mother, Mutti, was a zookeeper at the local zoo. Due to the consistent bombing nearby, the zoo had decided to euthanize all the animals to prevent a possible mass escape during an invasion. Mutti convinced the zoo to let her keep Marlene safe at home during the night, always keeping an eye on her. Marlene had such a close bond with the family, and her uplifting spirit was believed to have saved the livelihood of her family during this hard time. While a bombing run destroyed the town overnight, Marlene helped the family escape to safety with the Americans. Read this exciting book, based on a true event, for yourself to learn of the important story that Lizzie had to tell. 224 pgs, pb. Note: There were a couple of curse words said by soldiers in the story.
Lizzie and Karl's mother is a zoo keeper; the family has become attached to an orphaned elephant named Marlene, who will be destroyed as a precautionary measure so she and the other animals don't run wild should the zoo be hit by bombs. The family persuades the zoo director to let Marlene stay in their garden instead. When the city is bombed, the family flees with thousands of others, but how can they walk the same route when they have an elephant in tow, and keep themselves safe? Along the way, they meet Peter, a Canadian navigator who risks his own capture to save the family.
As Michael Morpurgo writes in an author's note, An Elephant in the Garden is inspired by historical truths, and by his admiration for elephants, "the noblest and wisest and most sensitive of all creatures." Here is a story that brings together an unlikely group of survivors whose faith in kindness and love proves the best weapon of all.
Product Format: | Paperback |
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Brand: | Square Fish |
Grades: | 5-9 |
ISBN: | 9781250034144 |
Length in Inches: | 7.6875 |
Width in Inches: | 5.25 |
Height in Inches: | 0.5 |
Weight in Pounds: | 0.4 |