Small as an Elephant

by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

Age group: 10+
Genre: Realistic fiction
Rating: ****` (4.5 stars)

Jack Martel is going camping with his mother in Maine when one day he wakes up and she isn't there. This isn't exactly unusual - his mom has an illness, and back in Boston she did this sometimes. But there's a big difference from being safe in your own house and being in a small campground with only $14.63 and no food. School is starting in Boston, and Jack knows people are going to notice he's not there. He sets off on a journey to find his mother, but it's going to be hard - sure enough, his friends and family notice he's not in Boston and soon everyone's looking for him. But if they find him, they will have to take him away from his mom because of her illness. He has to lay low while trying to get back to Boston and find his mom - and it's not easy.
I thought this was a really interesting book because it takes place in cities and towns. Usually survival stories are in woods or some other rural, mostly uninhabited area, but Small as an Elephant isn't. The problems for this type of survival story are VERY different. For example, Jack has to deal with the problems of having no money, and whether or not he can trust certain people, which don't really need to be worried about in the woods. Because of that, this book stands out from the other survival novels out there. I also thought this book had an interesting plot, where the mother isn't as straightforward. I liked how the story was more weaving instead of going in a straight line. There are also many elephant references throughout, which sort of adds a solid standing point for Jack as he searches for his mother. Excellent book.