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 Jack never thought his mom would take off during the night and leave him at a campground in Acadia National Park, with no way to reach her and barely enough money for food. Any other kid would report his mom gone, but Jack knows by now that he needs to figure things out for himself - starting with how to get from the backwoods of Maine to his home in Boston before Social Services catches on. With nothing but a small toy elephant to keep him company, Jack begins the long journey south, a journey that will test his wits and his loyalties - and his trust that he may be part of a larger herd after all.
This is a quick read that's intense and emotional. Jack wakes up in his tent with his mom gone. He has only $14, no food, no supplies, no help. He doesn't feel like he can go to an adult and ask for help because they would find out about his mom's illness and take him away from her. So, he tries to figure things out on his own. But, as you can imagine, he kind of makes a mess out of it. Can you imagine being an 11 year-old and having to deal with this type of situation? Can you imagine doing this to a child, your own child? These are the questions that I thought about as I read the book.
This is one of those books that I think is thought-provoking for an adult, but am always curious if it will appeal to children. I'll have to wait and see...
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