An Elephant in the Garden- Young Adult historical fiction

An Elephant in the Garden: Inspired by a true story

Young Adult Historical Fiction 

 

 

“This elephant in our garden was changing to change my life forever, change all of our lives”..

            

This tale is told by an old frail woman living in the nursing, named Lizzie.  She recounts her time as a young lady during World War II.  She tells Karl, a young man brought to visit her in the nursing home about Marlene. 

Marlene is an orphaned elephant.  Lizzie (Elizabeth) and Karl have become quite attached to her at the Dresden Zoo where their mother is a zookeeper.  The book is set in Germany during World War II.  Elizabeth’s father is fighting with the German army on the front.  When Elizabeth’s mother is told by her director that they must shoot and kill all the dangerous animals, so they do not run wild if the city gets bombed, she takes matters into her own hands and moves Marlene into the back garden to save her.  Bombs begin to fall, and Elizabeth’s family home is destroyed.  It is during the middle of winter, and they must flee their city and avoid the Russian troops that are quickly approaching.  Oh yea, they must complete this covert mission with a giant elephant tagging along.  The family walks with other refugees left to travel through the woods on their own.  They almost freeze to death, but they make it to Aunt Lotti’s and Uncle Manfred’s home.  Their family is not there, but they are met with a stranger in the barn whose aircraft has been shot down.  What will happen next when they are face to face with the enemy?

This novel is based loosely on the dual true stories of zookeepers who saved their charges during the war and the Feb 1945 devastating fire bombing of Dresden, Germany by Allied Forces.  

 

I would suggest this book for grades 4^th-7^th grade.  I would suggest as an activity to write a journal as the main character Lizzie, her mom or the elephant Marlene.  The students would write in the journal as the character’s point of view after reading sections in the book.  How would they feel? What would they do? What do they predict will happen? 

 

Click this link for a short clip of the theater adaptation of this children’s story

https://youtu.be/8F_mSIMQGdA