The Girl Who Stole an Elephant

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Did not take long to read, and I found the setting and characters refreshing, with a 'twist' my son was desperate for me to reach and a satisfying ending. A great read for classrooms with short chapters, strong female characters and lots of action. This is the sort of book that gets into the action straight away and keeps going at a relentless pace. With 48 very short chapters, it is ideal to share with a class and will definitely have children begging you to read on. Chaya, a nobleman’s rebellious, outspoken, no-nonsense daughter, just can’t resist the shiny temptations the king’s palace has to offer. But playing Robin Hood for her impoverished community doesn’t come without risks, and when Chaya steals the queen’s jewels from a bedside table—a messy getaway jeopardizes the life of a close friend. It's the beginning of an adventure in which Chaya will show resourcefulness, Neel his bravery and loyalty, and the titular elephant of course makes an appearance as well. For an even better way to find EYFS resources, discover tailored suggestions, and much more - visit the EYFS resource HUB! GO TO EYFS HUB

And I really do not like reading a book in which the main character acts as if they have figured out everything and sees everyone as stupid.This book was given as a gift to my seven-year old daughter, and I found the cover appealing enough to want to read it. For a child, this one's a really good, fast-paced adventure, with lots of twists and turns and hair-raising moments when you think all is over for the heroes. I liked the feistiness and strength of character of the three main female characters (even Nour, who initially comes across as a bit of rather silly baggage), and there's a lot to say for a heroine who keeps having to rescue the hero (if one could call Neel that).

She studies people well. She gets a bit obnoxious at times. And she gets a bit problematic towards the end. She's impulsive and a bit rash. A good, daring adventure, for the middle school set written by someone who is familiar with the landscape she is writing about, because she was born and raised in Sri Lanka. She's mischievous. She's fearless. She's living her life. But she steals! And what we need to know is the reason why she does so and what bigger problems it might be leading to. Yes. It’s not very unusual in the part of the world I come from. I wouldn’t do it now. There was this one time we were on holiday in a rural part of Sri Lanka and the house we stayed in had its own resident elephant. She had been part of the dowry of the lady who owned the house. The elephant seemed quite happy mooching about the large grounds with her mahout, but she must have led a very lonely life as elephants are such social creatures. Did you always know the role Ananda would play in the story?

The Girl Who Stole an Elephant positively rustles with the textures of rural Sri Lanka. It introduces an author keen to write a love letter to her culture, and upend preconceptions too More like this, please. – Observer

A successful juvenile by the beloved New Yorker writer portrays a farm episode with an imaginative twist that makes a poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl. The story centres around Chaya, the brave and no-nonsense lead character, and her two companions – Neel and Nour. Chaya steals trinkets from people who are too rich to even notice they are missing and uses them to help those in need. However, her decision to steal the Queen’s jewels unwittingly plunges herself, her friends and her family into real danger. The thrilling adventure that ensues is breath-taking and the pace never lets up until the story reaches its exhilarating conclusion. I read an early version of this book. Aimed at readers aged 9-12, this thrilling adventure through the jungle touches on themes of loyalty, bravery and friendship. Robin Hood meets The Explorer, in the wonderfully vivid/exotic island setting of Serendib, which is beautifully described throughout.

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For an even better way to find KS1 resources, discover tailored suggestions, and much more - visit the KS1 resource HUB! GO TO KS1 HUB Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry. Chaya, wishing to help her friend get money to recover from his injuries, steal jewels from the Queen. As a result, her best friend gets arrested, a runaway ensues and she befriends the King’s (stolen) elephant. What I especially like is that people keep assuming that Neel, the boy, has been doing all the thieving, rather than giving her credit. Sometimes this works in her favor, but other times, it just makes those in authority throw everyone into the same kettle of fish, so to speak. The Girl Who Stole an Elephant is such a great adventure story! Did you always want to write something with loads of action?

Thank you. Bringing the landscape to life was actually one of the easiest parts of writing the book. And because it is a work of fiction I could take some liberties with the geography and features to serve the story. The three way chats, in which they are joined by other animals, about web spinning, themselves, other humans—are as often informative as amusing, and the whole tenor of appealing wit and pathos will make fine entertainment for reading aloud, too. A glorious fast-paced adventure through the jungle. I love Chaya’s spirit and determination and the friendships that are built along the way. I feel I am there with Chaya and her friends. The Girl Who Stole an Elephant is adventuring at its best; a mystery, a jewel thief, and an escape into the jungle with an elephant at your side. – Gill Lewis, author of Sky Hawk Chaya is a strong female lead. Surrounded by people who underestimate girls, Chaya manages to get away with an awful lot. She’s feisty, brave and sometimes difficult, making her a breath of fresh air compared to many other female characters. When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.in Schools Catalogue 2023–24, 1461 in Education Catalogue 2023–24 and 656 in UK Primary September 2023 Format