ENCHANTED STORIES: The Elephant's Girl

The Elephant's Girl
By Celesta Rimington
New York: Crown Books for Young Readers, 2020. Fiction.

Lexington Willow has lived in the Lexington Zoo since she was found there as a little girl after a tornado tore through the town. With the help of a "misplaced spirit" (ghost), a zoo employee named Roger found Lex safely in the protection of an African elephant named Nyah but with no clues about her identity. Now, seven years later, Lex lives with Roger inside the Lexington Zoo where she fills her day visiting Nyah and the other elephants, exploring the zoo with her best friend and fellow zoo resident Fisher, and communicating with the wind - which has spoken to her since she was found as a child. As she begins to wonder more about where she came from, she seeks help from the wind, her communications with Nyah, and the cryptic advice of the misplaced spirit Miss Amanda; and in the process, she uncovers a secret much bigger than she could have imagined.

This novel is a perfectly poignant balance of magical realism and fantasy with a healthy dose of elephant information - including extended backmatter about elephants in North American zoos. A good read for fans of The One and Only Ivan or Because of Winn-Dixie, this found family story makes use of a compelling mystery to propel readers to a satisfying, if bittersweet, ending. And, if you need any more incentive to add this book to your "to-read" pile, this novel is Utah author Celesta Rimington's debut.

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