The Girl Who Stole an Elephant

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Perfect for readers aged 8-12, this is an adventure fans of Middle-Grade reads won’t want to miss. Farook has painted a vivid and entrancing new world for us in The Girl Who Stole an Elephant, and promises more fantastical adventures to come.

This was a very enjoyable middle grade full of adventure! This book was full of diversity in characters as well as culture, which is always refreshing in any genre—but especially in middle grade books. Our cast of characters, specifically our three main friends, made the story what it was and were pretty well developed. There was also a lot of useful information in this story about the jungle, its inhabitants and their lifestyles. I enjoyed the lush descriptions of the jungle and the general setting that the trio finds themself in. It was interesting positioning Nour as a newcomer to town, which allowed for explanation of some of the things that Chaya and Neel took for granted as normal. Not really! To start off with, I was very interested in writing a mystery and that’s what I did. It didn’t have the kind of action that The Girl Who Stole an Elephant has. But I do love writing unexpected twists, and that’s something both stories have in common. I learnt to write lots of action on the job. The character of Chaya, the setting of Serendib, the situation that she was in, they all demanded that there be lots of action. How could I not take advantage of that waterfall, or the leopard, or the bandits! Chaya is so brilliantly headstrong! Was she inspired by anyone in particular? 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? For an even better way to find EYFS resources, discover tailored suggestions, and much more - visit the EYFS resource HUB! GO TO EYFS HUB

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Chaya, a no-nonsense, outspoken hero, leads her friends and a gorgeous elephant on a noisy, fraught, joyous adventure through the jungle where revolution is stirring and leeches lurk. Will stealing the queen’s jewels be the beginning or the end of everything for the intrepid gang? With cover illustration by David Dean. 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.

I love reading Middle-Grade as an adult for many reasons, but the biggest is nostalgia. Some of my favorite formative books are about tweens facing overwhelming obstacles, yet somehow overcoming them. To me, that’s what makes a MG book work. As tweens are facing big changes both inside themselves and the bigger outside world beyond their guardians’ influence, these are the stories that can both encourage and enlighten them most of all. A well-written Middle-Grade novel, like The Girl Who Stole an Elephant doesn’t just transport the reader to another time and place, but challenges them to think. As a grown-up kidlit fan, I don’t face quite the same issues as my younger peers, but I still feel that same sense of adventure, and the same excitement I felt reading these kinds of stories as a tween. The Girl Who Stole an Elephant is such a great adventure story! Did you always want to write something with loads of action?Chaya is a rebellious child. Daughter to the headman of her village, she’s a free spirit who takes trinkets from the rich to help those in need. Except one day she goes too far, and steals the Queen’s jewels - leading to an escape into the jungle with her friends. And the King’s elephant. 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. 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. Farook’s dazzling debut novel follows the stubborn jewel thief Chaya, her friends and the titular elephant through the Sri Lankan jungle in a beautifully paced story of friendship and revolution. – i 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.