Small as an Elephant Audiobook

" I thought the writing was great, I enjoyed the elephant imagery and facts, and it is definetly suspenseful. It's hard as a mother to read an account, even if it's fictional, of an 11-year-old alone and lost. If you can get past wanting to scream "ask for help!", you'll like this story. I would say kids aged 10-15 would especially enjoy this adventure. "

" Compelling read. I yearned for Jack to succeed. In the end was satisfied with the ending I did not expect. Bravo! "

" I definitily loved this book. It took me on adventures through an eleven year old's eyes.Emotional and awakening for Jack, a boy struggling from his mother's inconvenient "spinning" times. To me she sounds like she has OCD or some disorder/disability. But, a wonderful somewhat quick read. LOVED IT. "

" I loved this book. Jack is abandoned by his mother who is bipolar while on a camping trip in Maine. He is determined to travel home without exposing that he is alone, a mere child of 11 left to fend for himself. He fears going to the authorities will mean his mother will be sent to jail. This book has a lot of action and lots of voice. The ending is precious. "

" Jack is an amazingly tough yet tender-hearted little boy. He knows his mother is not "normal" but he feels he has to keep their secrets so they can stay together. I won't be a bit surprised to see this on the Newbery lists next year. It has several elements that seem to reappear in many winning titles, the family troubles, the independent child testing his survival skills, and some brief but powerful encounters with secondary characters. "

" As a teacher, I read a lot of young adult fiction. This Maine story will steal your heart! "

" The descriptions of the boy's emotionally reactions to his mother's mental illness felt spot-on, the drawn out not getting found was w/o effect imho. "

" Beautifully written book for kids in grade 5 & 6. "

" This is a must read! The story of Jack, abandoned by his mother in a campground in Maine is a compelling, sad, but ultimately uplifting one. I can't wait to use this one as a read-aloud next year. "

" This book is AMAZING! A must read, especially for parents or people who work with kids. It is a quick read, only took me 3 days. "

" Interesting book about a boy who wakes up to find his mother has left him...at a campground in Maine. It is a sweet book and think it would be an interesting class novel. I'm interested to see what my kids will think of the book. "

" Maine Lupine Award winner 2012. "

" Enjoyable, but unfortunate that the author felt the need to add what Jack learned. The reader should be able to figure that out. "

" I thought this was pretty good. I felt bad for Jack; he's the same age as Amya and I tried to imagine what it would be like for her to have to experience what he went through...pretty sad. But I think things will work out for him in the end. "

" You kind of had to suspend belief a bit to believe this boy could manage for so long on his own or that his grandma wouldn't have intervened earlier in his life. But, that said, it is a touching story and engaging. "

" Heart-warming and heart-wrenching book! Wished I had a box of kleenex at my side as I read it. The author had me cheering for Jack the whole time! "

" This wasn't great, but it was good. I went into it thinking it was a young kids book, but I don't think I would recommend it to my 9 year old. Good story though. "

" This was a lovely story about a boy and his mentally ill mother. It is about love and knowing you are never alone. "

" I loved this book. It takes place in ME and made me both laugh and cry. "

" A beautifully written, moving, spirited story. "

" This is a great book so far! What do you guys think? "

" This was a really well written book. It was all from the perspective of an 11 year old boy who lives through what I suppose is one of this mother's manic episodes. It will pull at the heart of any reader. "

" The tone created by Jacobson is excellent. It rotates from harrowing, dark, scary, happy, funny and adventurous. Few children's books I've read showed the ability to deal with mental illness and the struggle it presents for those involved. This is one of the rare few that handled it excellently. "