Review: The Elephant’s Girl

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All of my opinions are my own!

The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington
Published by Crown Books for Young Readers on May 19, 2020
Genres: Children's, Middle Grade
Pages: 336
Source: NetGalley
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From the Publisher
An elephant never forgets...but Lexington Willow can't remember her past. When she was a toddler, a tornado swept her away from everyone and everything she knew and landed her near an enclosure in a Nebraska zoo, where an elephant named Nyah protected her from the storm. With no trace of her family, Lex grew up at the zoo with her foster father, Roger; her best friend, Fisher; and the wind whispering in her ear.

Now that she's twelve, Lex is finally old enough to help with the elephants. But during their first training session, Nyah sends her a telepathic image of the woods outside the zoo. Despite the wind's protests, Lex decides to investigate Nyah's message and gets wrapped up in an adventure involving ghosts, lost treasure, and a puzzle that might be the key to finding her family. Can Lex summon the courage to hunt for who she really is--and why the tornado brought her here all those years ago?

My Thoughts
I love animal stories, and The Elephant's Girl does not disappoint. The story begins surrounding the mysterious arrival of a young girl in an elephant enclosure following a destructive tornado. Despite efforts to find her family, no one knows her identity. A zoo employee gains guardianship over her and names her Lexington, after the name of the zoo.

As the story unfolds, I was drawn into the mysterious and confusing world where Lex exists. Her unique connection to the elephants was fascinating and her discovery of a secret hooked me. I couldn't put this story down!

I loved the play of realistic fantasy in this book. While ghosts and mysterious communications enter the story, Celesta Rimington does it in a really creative and imaginative way. I enjoyed how the mystery developed throughout the story. I was cheering for Lex and thankful that she had people who cared for her that would help her discover who she was and where she came from. Family is important!