Book description
"A deeply perceptive look at the universal fear of abandonment." — Booklist (starred review)
Ever since Jack can remember, his mom has been unpredictable, sometimes loving and fun, other times caught in a whirlwind of energy and “spinning” wildly until it’s over. But now she is gone, leaving him all…
Why read it?
1 author picked Small as an Elephant as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Small as an Elephant is a book that I read aloud to my sons, but I needed as much as they did.
This story of 11-year-old Jack who is abandoned by his bipolar single mother and left to fend for himself in Acadia National Park is totally accessible and captivates young readers because of its emphasis on survival, but also delves into hard issues like mental illness and abandonment. I first learned about the book during a middle school English teachers’ discussion of “favorite books ever.”
From Dana's list on middle grade written that tackle grief.
If you love Small as an Elephant...
The Name She Gave Me
A heartbreakingly beautiful novel in verse about adoption, family, friendship, and love in all its many forms, perfect for fans of Robin Benway and Jandy Nelson, from the acclaimed author of Three Things I Know Are True.
Rynn was born with a hole in her heart—literally. Although it was…
Want books like Small as an Elephant?
Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Small as an Elephant.
Share your top 3 reads of 2025!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,366
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like Small as an Elephant, you might also like...
THE END - Alpha
When a man with power believes he's God, mankind doesn't have a prayer.
In a world ravaged by chaos and despair, where faith itself is under siege, one man’s thirst for power threatens to plunge humanity into darkness.
The End: Alpha thrusts readers into the year 2113, where Constantine…
A School for Unusual Girls
A spy school for girls amidst Jane Austen’s high society.
Daughters of the Beau Monde who don’t fit London society’s strict mold are banished to Stranje House, where the headmistress trains these unusually gifted girls to enter the dangerous world of spies in the Napoleonic wars. #1 NYT bestselling author…
