The Elephant in the Room

Christopher Award Winner

“I couldn’t stop reading—I had to find out what would happen. An unusual and lovely real-life fairy tale.” —Linda Sue Park, New York Times Bestselling author of A Long Walk to Water

“A gorgeous and emotional novel. I loved every page.” —Cynthia Kadohata, Newbery Medal-winning author of Kira-Kira

★ “Each character wrestles with love and loss and struggles with decisions about when to act and when to wait; each in their own way has insight into the others, and empathy for them . . . Sila wonders if people are more compassionate because of their own difficult experiences; in this unique, touching book, the answer is yes.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“Using multiple narrative perspectives, [Goldberg Sloan] touches on many weighty topics (grief, autism, deportation, animal cruelty), handling each with sensitivity.” —Booklist

“Sloan captures the importance of compassion and bravery when facing life’s challenges . . . themes of collectivity and community in the face of isolation and stigma are brought to the surface and themselves offer depth to this heartfelt and sincere story.” —Kirkus

“Sloan (To Night Owl from Dogfish) fully builds the emotional interiors of each character, including Veda. This heartfelt tale thoughtfully conveys the agony of family separation, the beauty of nature, and the power of friendship to overcome tremendous difficulties.” —Publishers Weekly

“This beautiful story and the wonderful connections between all of the characters remind readers that very often people and animals come into our lives for a reason and usually just when we need them the most. A perfect title for middle school, fans of animal stories, and a great suggestion for readers looking for books that help deal with loss, heartache, and hope.” —School Library Connection

“The friendship of old man, child, and giant pachyderm is convincing, touching, and just odd enough.” —Horn Book