One Amazing Elephant

Gr 4–6—If your mother were a trapeze artist and your grandparents traveled with a circus, you might imagine that you'd get such perks as free cotton candy, the chance to befriend sideshow performers, and behind-the-scenes tours. While this lifestyle might excite most tweens, Lily Pruitt views the circus as dangerous. She fears even being near her grandparents' beloved elephant Queenie Grace and dislikes that the demands of circus life have separated members of her family. Rather than travel with the performers, Lily lives with her father on Magic Mountain Campground, leading a quiet, simple life with her paints, her Christmas traditions, and her yearly visits from her grandparents and mother. Following a tragic death in the family, Lily flies to Gibtown, FL, where circus performers flock in the winter months. During this visit, Lily overcomes fears, learns forgiveness, and befriends a boy with alligator skin. The author's use of changing perspectives between Lily and Queenie Grace provides readers with a deep understanding of and empathy for the elephant's experience. Through Queenie Grace's senses and Lily's interpretation of social cues, readers gain a heightened awareness of the many characters in Gibtown. High's deeply emotional yet realistic novel untangles Lily's twisted relationship with her mother and shines a light on the lasting impact that relationships between humans and animals can have, even through death.