The Elephant's Girl
- Downloads：1769
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-08-24 09:51:40
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Celesta Rimington
- ISBN：0593121252
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
A magical adventure for fans of Katherine Applegate and Jennifer Holm about a girl with a mysterious connection to the elephant who saved her life。
An elephant never forgets， but Lexington Willow can't remember her past。 Swept away by a tornado as a toddler， she was dropped in a nearby Nebraska zoo， where an elephant named Nyah protected her from the storm。 With no trace of her family， Lex grew up at the zoo with her foster father， Roger; her best friend， Fisher; and the wind whispering in her ear。
Years later， Nyah sends Lex a telepathic image of the woods outside the zoo。 Soon， Lex is wrapped up in an adventure involving ghosts， lost treasure， and a puzzle that might be the key to finding her family。 Can Lex summon the courage to discover who she really is--and why the tornado brought her here all those years ago？
An elephant never forgets， but Lexington Willow can't remember her past。 Swept away by a tornado as a toddler， she was dropped in a nearby Nebraska zoo， where an elephant named Nyah protected her from the storm。 With no trace of her family， Lex grew up at the zoo with her foster father， Roger; her best friend， Fisher; and the wind whispering in her ear。
Years later， Nyah sends Lex a telepathic image of the woods outside the zoo。 Soon， Lex is wrapped up in an adventure involving ghosts， lost treasure， and a puzzle that might be the key to finding her family。 Can Lex summon the courage to discover who she really is--and why the tornado brought her here all those years ago？
Reviews
Elizabeth A。G。
，
Although written for the middle-grade reader， this book will appeal to the "child" in every adult who reads it。 Well written story with magical realism， including the presence of ghosts and mental telepathy， but also grounded in the reality of discovering who a child is and becomes， memory， family and community ties， feelings of loss and being an outsider to others， true friendship， the invisible but not unheard messages from the wind， and the connections that exist between humans and the animal Although written for the middle-grade reader， this book will appeal to the "child" in every adult who reads it。 Well written story with magical realism， including the presence of ghosts and mental telepathy， but also grounded in the reality of discovering who a child is and becomes， memory， family and community ties， feelings of loss and being an outsider to others， true friendship， the invisible but not unheard messages from the wind， and the connections that exist between humans and the animal world。 Anyone who enjoys their companionship with an endearing pet can understand the magical experiences that Lexington Willow has with the elephant， Nyah， who protected and saved her when she was a young child during the tornado storm that took away her family and leaving her on the grounds of the Lexington Zoo in Nebraska with lost memories of who she is。 The entire Zoo becomes Lex's family after the search for who she is and for her parents is unsuccessful。 The author writes the story from now twelve-year-old Lex's point of view and the reader becomes intimately involved in her thoughts and feelings as the magical messages she receives from Nyah's eyes sends her on a quest of discovery。 All the characters are well delineated。 The setting of the Zoo and the surrounding land is a haven for Lex， but the story also leads her into the outside world to which she is unaccustomed and fearful， but which leads her to self discovery and strength。 This is a heart-warming， uplifting story that includes the childhood desire for adventure and mischief on the way to discovering the world about them。 In telling this story， the author is also telling the story of the plight of animals in captivity （in this book of elephants） and the need for sanctuaries to provide freedom， space and safety for their continuing existence。 At the end of the book the author provides many references to other books about the safety， humane treatment for elephants and includes information about how seemingly wild animals do communicate with each other and with humans - further reading！ 。。。more
Ann
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2022-2023 Mark Twain Preliminary Nominee
Jessa
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I would give this three and a half stars it was a cute fun read。
Ellen
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An engrossing， magical， mystery-adventure about an orphan girl looking for her past and a lost treasure， with themes of changing relationships， courage & determination over fear， defining family & true friendship， and identity & belonging， which I will recommend to fans of Katherine Applegate and Kate DiCamillo。
Kim Stence
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Sweet story！ I love a good mystery and this one delivers。
Elizabeth
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Such a nice novel about a girl who was orphaned during a Nebraska tornado and then raised by a zoo employee。 Magic realism at its finest。 I know lots of 4th and 5th graders who will love this book。
Angie
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How lovely。Like describing the story it almost seems a little 🤨 but then you read it and it’s just lovely。Plus the author graduated from BYU！
Becky
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Ah， cute mystery with a spirit， little girl and her best friend， not counting the elephant。
Mindy Taylor
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Really enjoyed the book and story
Rhonda Rankin
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My granddaughter Ivy Valentiny gave me this book。 Thank YOU I love it。 Review to follow
Amy McCord
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I enjoyed the mysteries woven into this story of a girl who was found in a zoo's elephant enclosure after a tornado。 Who is she？ Who were her parents？ The fantastical realism side of the book also brings in a ghost whose own mystery will lead to all the answers。 I enjoyed the mysteries woven into this story of a girl who was found in a zoo's elephant enclosure after a tornado。 Who is she？ Who were her parents？ The fantastical realism side of the book also brings in a ghost whose own mystery will lead to all the answers。 。。。more
Emily
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Sweet， sweet story。 ❤
Kary
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2022 Children's Sequoyah Master List。 2022 Children's Sequoyah Master List。 。。。more
Melanie Dulaney
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What a wonderful book！ Celesta Rimington’s debut novel is a heart-warming story of finding family that has the unexpected elements of a ghost， missing money， and a girl who not only communicates with the wind， but with an elephant and a ghost。 Such diverse components might yield a confusing snarl of a plot， but Rimington’s book flows smoothly and quickly with few pauses in the action as 12 year old Lexington tries to help a ghost find her missing treasure as well as reunite the elephant who save What a wonderful book！ Celesta Rimington’s debut novel is a heart-warming story of finding family that has the unexpected elements of a ghost， missing money， and a girl who not only communicates with the wind， but with an elephant and a ghost。 Such diverse components might yield a confusing snarl of a plot， but Rimington’s book flows smoothly and quickly with few pauses in the action as 12 year old Lexington tries to help a ghost find her missing treasure as well as reunite the elephant who saved her life with the rest of her herd。 Along the way， friendships are both strengthened and formed and family bonds are redefined。 Well-defined main characters， a thoroughly described setting， and a clear climax make this not only a terrific read for students in grades 4-7， but an excellent choice for a class read aloud or small group literature circle。 Highly recommended with no reservations in areas of profanity， sexual content， or violence。A 2021-2022 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee 。。。more
Alyssa
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 It was sad and mysterious。 I loved it。
Brennan Boucher
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*2021-2022 VSBA Intermediate Book* One of my new favorites！ Loved this story of family， loss， friendship， and identity。 It does deal with grief and loss of identity following a tornado。 It does mention death and ghosts。 The story of Lexington Willow is a story for all to read。 It is beautiful。 And the details about the African Elephants and their story was amazing！！
Christine
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What a great read！ I loved the mystery/ghost story element and the life lessons that Lexington learns。 The author's note gives ideas and resources for further research on elephant communication and other issues。 What a great read！ I loved the mystery/ghost story element and the life lessons that Lexington learns。 The author's note gives ideas and resources for further research on elephant communication and other issues。 。。。more
Sherry
，
4。5 stars， for sure！ I loved this beautifully written story （and learned a little about elephant communication in the process， thanks to some awesome end notes！）。 If I wasn't such a literal gal， I could probably suspend my disbelief a little more， roll with the fantastical parts， and bump this up to five stars， and I know lots of folks can。 The author calls this genre "magical realism"， which is perfect。 I know the upper grade elementary kids I work with will adore this one！ 4。5 stars， for sure！ I loved this beautifully written story （and learned a little about elephant communication in the process， thanks to some awesome end notes！）。 If I wasn't such a literal gal， I could probably suspend my disbelief a little more， roll with the fantastical parts， and bump this up to five stars， and I know lots of folks can。 The author calls this genre "magical realism"， which is perfect。 I know the upper grade elementary kids I work with will adore this one！ 。。。more
Carol Wheeler
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I just loved this book。 It was warm and lovely， a beautiful story about a girl finding her strength and her family。 The visual descriptions made it easy to see in my imagination， and the relationships between the characters were authentic。 A really enjoyable read。
Bonni
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This is a sweet， nicely told story。 Some of the fantasy elements threw me off at first， but once I became comfortable with the rules， I enjoyed the story more。 I would love to talk with another reader about the wind's role in the story as it was one of the fantasy elements I struggled with throughout the story。 Was the wind supposed to be a character， a symbol， a plot device， part of the setting， or all of the above？ The wind didn't seem to follow rules in the same way as the ghost sightings and This is a sweet， nicely told story。 Some of the fantasy elements threw me off at first， but once I became comfortable with the rules， I enjoyed the story more。 I would love to talk with another reader about the wind's role in the story as it was one of the fantasy elements I struggled with throughout the story。 Was the wind supposed to be a character， a symbol， a plot device， part of the setting， or all of the above？ The wind didn't seem to follow rules in the same way as the ghost sightings and elephant thoughts。 。。。more
Danette
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A sweet story。I didn't expect there to be a ghost or two （misplaced spirits）。The book touches on grief， adoption， bullying， friendship， and elephant conservation。Read to my girls at bedtime。2021 A hardcover book A sweet story。I didn't expect there to be a ghost or two （misplaced spirits）。The book touches on grief， adoption， bullying， friendship， and elephant conservation。Read to my girls at bedtime。2021 A hardcover book 。。。more
Emily Wallace
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A great genre-defying book for middle school students。 I mean what section of our genrefied library would it go in？ This book could go in the animal section。 I mean it takes place in a zoo。 Elephants are a big part of the story。 There is a wonderful mystery going on。 Who are her parents？ What is the treasure？ Then， there is the ghost。 Yep， a ghost and it works with the story。 My scary/horror readers would like it。 （Even though this ghost isn't creepy） Basically all the elements of my most popula A great genre-defying book for middle school students。 I mean what section of our genrefied library would it go in？ This book could go in the animal section。 I mean it takes place in a zoo。 Elephants are a big part of the story。 There is a wonderful mystery going on。 Who are her parents？ What is the treasure？ Then， there is the ghost。 Yep， a ghost and it works with the story。 My scary/horror readers would like it。 （Even though this ghost isn't creepy） Basically all the elements of my most popular genres in one book。 I Can't wait to book talk this one！ 。。。more
Jill Ramig
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Lexington was found after a tornado safely with a zoo elephant。 Unable to locate her parents she is raised by the zoo engineer。 The wind always speaks to her now and her connection to the elephants is unbreakable。 Nia， her elephant savior leads her to a ghost that helps her solve the mystery of her parentage。
Katie
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"The Elephant's Girl" was a sweet， whimsical book about family， friendship， and identity。 It's a bit slow-paced compared to your average MG book， which will be an obstacle for some students， and the mystery isn't prominent enough to really call this a mystery， but I quite enjoyed it。 I especially liked the themes of adoption， and the way the adoption process is shown as emotionally difficult and confusing， but not unhealthy。 It was nice to see a foster situation that isn't abusive or neglectful "The Elephant's Girl" was a sweet， whimsical book about family， friendship， and identity。 It's a bit slow-paced compared to your average MG book， which will be an obstacle for some students， and the mystery isn't prominent enough to really call this a mystery， but I quite enjoyed it。 I especially liked the themes of adoption， and the way the adoption process is shown as emotionally difficult and confusing， but not unhealthy。 It was nice to see a foster situation that isn't abusive or neglectful represented in children's literature。 I also enjoyed themes of friendship， and loved how Rimington explored being friends with someone who is different from you。 While I enjoyed this touching book， I don't know that it adds anything left unsaid to the genre or stands out from all the other touching MG literature。 I will be interested to see if kids enjoy it or not。 。。。more
Tiffany
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Sequoyah 2021Reads like a realistic fiction books but definitely has elements of fantasy。 I loved Lex， the main character。
Michelle
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The Elephant's Girl was ok。 I listened to it on audiobook from the library。 It's a good enough story。 I just struggle with magical realism in seemingly realistic middle grade books。 I did love Lex's relationship with Nyah， the elephant。 I don't think I will add this to my classroom library。 The Elephant's Girl was ok。 I listened to it on audiobook from the library。 It's a good enough story。 I just struggle with magical realism in seemingly realistic middle grade books。 I did love Lex's relationship with Nyah， the elephant。 I don't think I will add this to my classroom library。 。。。more
Julie
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I don't usually read a lot of magical realism， but I enjoyed Lexington's story。 I thought the premise of the story was quite unique and clever。。。a girl who was rescued by an elephant during a tornado， and the mystery element of the story。 I have students who like reading mysteries and I think they will enjoy trying to solve the mystery of the box， the elephant， the RV， and Lexington's past。 For teachers and parents - I think a great extension activity for this book would be researching how eleph I don't usually read a lot of magical realism， but I enjoyed Lexington's story。 I thought the premise of the story was quite unique and clever。。。a girl who was rescued by an elephant during a tornado， and the mystery element of the story。 I have students who like reading mysteries and I think they will enjoy trying to solve the mystery of the box， the elephant， the RV， and Lexington's past。 For teachers and parents - I think a great extension activity for this book would be researching how elephants communicate。 。。。more
Audrey
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3。5 stars。 A cute mystery with a light touch of fantasy。
Katie Proctor
，
This was sweet and fun and magical and a solid middle grade book with a found family element。
Alice Fleury
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The cover is beautiful。 Living in a Zoo， Lexington was found by Roger with the elephants after a devastating tornado fabulous middle grade story。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Elephant's Girl
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Elephant's Girl&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Elephant's Girl&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0