2024 the best seller book review

Price: $8.99 - $6.99
(as of Nov 17, 2024 08:23:31 UTC - Details)

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.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Square Fish; Reprint edition (October 8, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250034140
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250034144
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10+ years, from customers
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 890L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ Kindergarten and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.15 x 0.55 x 7.6 inches
Reviewer: Ralph
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Heartwarming
Review: This book was like a good dessert. I looked forward to when I could rest and enjoy the story. I enjoyed all of the characters.

Reviewer: Jenna Seaver
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Marvelous!
Review: Truth may be stranger than fiction but it is also true that truth can be more magical than fiction. This book is magical! How hope and love transcend fear in the most dreadful conditions of war. Highly recommend!

Reviewer: M&M and Me
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A YA WW2 Story with a truly unique POV
Review: The American book market is, its fair to say, absolutely saturated with WW2 fiction for both children and adults. There are many good stories out there - starting with Anne Frank, of course, and moving on through contemporary classics such as Number the Stars and The Book Thief. This sweet tale deserves a junior status alongside the greats.Based loosely on the dual true stories of zookeepers who saved their charges during the war and the Feb 1945 devastating fire bombing of Dresden, Germany by Allied forces, The Elephant in the Garden delivers the shattering history of the Allied destruction of Dresden with the sweet touch of an elephant named Marlene. Marlene, orphaned during the war and looked after by “Mutti,” comes home to the spend the evenings in the family garden to help the young (4yo) elephant cope with the loss of her mother. Her handler, known only as Mutti, has two children and has been working at the zoo to help make ends meet while her husband is fighting at the Russian front.Marlene, with her elephantine wisdom and kindness, brings much joy to the family as 1945 begins, and through a series of events, unwittingly helps her adopted family escape the firebombing of Dresden over the weekend of Feb 13-15, 1945. Now homeless and without any resources, the family begins an astonishing journey across southern Germany as they first try to escape the Dresden attacks and then decide that they would do anything not to fall into the clutches of The quickly advancing Soviet Army. Their flight westward is filled with unexpected adventures, a bit of suffering, and encounters of the most unexpected kind. All along, Marlene provides comfort, friendship, and transport for the youngest child, Karli, who suffers from asthma and a leg deformity.All in all, this is a sweet but not saccharine tale that introduces a horrific event of the Second World War for which the “good guys” are entirely responsible, offering middle grade students an opportunity to think about the costs of war, the meaning of sacrifice, and whether and how to label “good guys” and “bad guys” even in the midst of the last “good war” America fought. Definitely worth a read and discussion. I do wish there had been more specificity regarding events and timelines - to show where the family traveled and when events occurred would have been helpful - and really brought home the fact that the family fled a great distance fearing not only the bombing runs but also the actions of the Soviets as they advanced towards Berlin, setting up the historical context for understanding some of the key factors that explain how and why the US and the Soviets went from wartime allies to bitter enemies in less than two years.A well written and engaging tale. Perfect for early middle grade students or those who really want to learn about the war but can’t handle the death and destruction that accompanies most sources; The Elephant In the Garden has a feather light touch when it comes to key moments of death and destruction, which I know will be greatly appreciated by my own middle grade reader.

Reviewer: S Linnens
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Elephant Tale
Review: I enjoyed this story very much. At first, I thought this was a children's book and almost stopped reading. I soon realized it was a story of heroism, love and hopeful happy endings in war-torn Europe.

Reviewer: Dragonhead Retreat
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Fall into an amazing story.
Review: … and hear story of war from totally different perspective. Innocent lives destroyed, unexpected heroes & fate.I listened to the novel in my kindle, off & on, for 2 days.Will go look for more by this amazing author.

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Loved this story
Review: What a fabulous read. I enjoyed every word. I wish the author had given more detail about which parts were true

Reviewer: Jason Lampart
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great for the imagination
Review: Great kids book.

Reviewer: Alicia Small
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great read
Review: I really enjoyed this book. It has an authentic feel and seems to do a good job portraying the difficulty of war time with the things that would keep one putting one foot in front of the other. Has me curious for more information on the story that inspired it as well.

Reviewer: Julia Wilson
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: An Elephant In The Garden by Michael Morpurgo is a powerful dual timeline novel that I just could not put down. It is perfect for ages ten years and over. Whatever your age, this is a beautiful novel that will educate and entertain.The story is set in present day in a nursing home and also looking backwards to Dresden in 1945.An old lady is dismissed as having dementia when she talks about the elephant in her garden. Only a young boy recognizes it as true and longs to hear her tale.We witness the dreadful destruction of Dresden by the Allies. Michael Morpurgo writes powerfully about the fires of hell that engulf the town. Like the story of Lot in the Bible, the family must move forwards and not look back.Families come in different shapes and sizes. This family is a mother, two children and a baby elephant. The elephant is an orphan and views the human mother as her mother. The baby elephant brings out the mothering instincts in the human mother.Along the way there are dangers in the form of the landscape of winter, the Russians, the Nazis, soldiers and civilians. The band of four must work together in order to survive.We see that not all Germans are Nazis. Young men fighting on both sides are battle weary and just want to go home.A mother’s love is all encompassing. I found this quote very powerful. “She [mother] took me into her arms then, and hugged the anger out of me.”I always enjoy Michael Morpurgo’s novels. An Elephant In The Garden is a very powerful and entertaining read.

Reviewer: Tine
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Toll als Englischlektüre imOriginal mit 14 Jährigen zu lesen, die parallel auch im Geschichtsunterricht den 2. Weltkrieg behandelt haben!

Reviewer: Jan C.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: An unusual setting, the story features a German family during World War II. We don't often read things from that perspective but you will instantly like these characters and be drawn in to their hardships, family relationships and unique war experiences (which include an elephant!). It is historical and educational but not dry with moments of sadness, humour, danger and love. I highly recommend it for tweens and adults alike.

Reviewer: Anna Yaroshenko
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Great book

Reviewer: Sol
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Una historia de supervivencia en la Alemania del final de la 2ª GM, de mantener los valores por encima de la locura de la guerra y de como salvar a un elefante puede ayudar a salvar a otros. Me ha encantado.