Does a connection with nature help children’s education?

The Elephant in the room

by Holly Goldberg Sloan

OUT IN MARCH 2021!

Published by Bonnier Books
£6.99
ISBN: 9781800780002
Pages: 250

Author contact details:
www.hollygoldbergsloan.com

@HGoldbergSloan

Publisher contact details:
@bonnierbooks_UK

@PicadillyPress

Under 100

characters summary:

Loyalty and longing combine to show a young girl a new way of surviving her life and helping others to do the same.

The first line:

What Sila Tekin would remember about that afternoon was that she had been wearing her favourite shirt.

My review:

Once in a while a new book arrives and blows me away. This one did exactly that, but I feel like I have been trampled on by an elephant instead! It is such a wonderful and uplifting story, one that is so full of hope, even though the main characters have been (or are going) through difficult times. I think that this book should become a staple in classrooms in England for Upper Key Stage 2/Key Stage 3 children to learn about diversity, struggle, acceptance and friendship. Without a doubt, this is my favourite book that I have read this year, and I was really sad when it came to an end – I felt like a relationship had ended. On the other hand, with lockdown in process across the world, this book is perhaps strangely fitting for modern times, as people are trapped across the world in their own homes; however I felt lifted by the story, knowing that by the end, a closer connection to nature is really what everyone needs. I don’t know if there is any evidence out there about places like forest schools, and how they affect a child’s education, but I would be interested to find out if there is a correlation or not.

The main premise of the story is that Sila’s mum has been forced away from America (where the family have lived since Sila was born) back to Turkey, and she is now unable to return due to changes in paperwork. Sila and her dad settle into a strange monotonous way of surviving without her, but Sila’s life begins to slide downwards as she struggles to cope without her mum, or without anyone to talk to about her problems.

Luckily, her dad and her meet a man called Gio (who has won the state lottery, but is far from happy) when her father goes to fix his truck. A strange turn of events leads to him buying an elephant from a travelling circus and employing Sila, and a boy from her school (called Mateo) to look after her.

I love how the different character’s thoughts are expressed uniquely (including the elephants!) and with clear differences: the three main characters (Sila, Gio and Mateo) each have their own difficulties and worries, that might not seem much to the other, but they learn to work together.

Where I received the book:

Picadilly Press – thank you for the early proof copy.