Thought for the Day:
“If you stuff yourself full of poems, essays, plays, stories, novels, films, comic strips, magazines, music, you automatically explode every morning like Old Faithful. I have never had a dry spell in my life, mainly because I feed myself well, to the point of bursting. I wake early and hear my morning voices leaping around in my head like jumping beans. I get out of bed to trap them before they escape.”
~ Ray Bradbury ~
Gifts for My Writer Friends:
I have become a world-class procrastinator when it comes to my writing. It’s nice to know I’m not alone. The post HERE by Tamar Sloan on Writers Helping Writers is worth a look if you have any procrastinating tendencies.
I am always in awe when I read a truly fresh, brilliant metaphor. Writers Helping Writers has a great post HERE on the topic of metaphors.
We have all heard we must kill our darlings. The article HERE from Authors Publish will give you three solid reasons for this good advice.
I really am making an effort to dig through my very staggering TBR pile, and I knocked off another one this week. I’m so glad I finally got to it. The book is Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson. After I read the book and was getting ready for this post, I looked up the author and discovered I had recently read and reviewed another of her books, The Dollar Kids. You can see that review HERE. I liked that book very much as well, but this one really moved me.
Jack and his mother are on a trip to Maine, a camping trip for Labor Day weekend. Jack has really been looking forward to it, and his mom gets them to the campground and they get set up — two small borrowed tents, one for each of them. Jack’s mother can be pretty unpredictable. Sometimes she’s sad and quiet, and other times, what they call the spinning times, she’s happy and excited, whirling like a hurricane. Jack is tired and sleeps hard, only to wake up to find his mother, her tent, and the rental car all gone. At first, he thinks she just went for some food, but deep inside he knows she’s just gone. He starts looking for her in the park and even goes into the nearest town to look for her. He only has a few dollars and is 250 miles from home and anyone he knows. But Jack can’t ask for help. If he does, Child Protective Services might take him away from his mother, and as unpredictable as she can be, he loves her. He has a grandmother, but his mother has told him she’s really bad. So Jack is going to have to find his way home on his own.
The one thing that is a constant in Jack’s life is his love of elephants. He has always loved them, read everything he could about them, knows that they are smart and loyal and loving to each other. He finds great comfort in elephants, and there is one in Maine. He really wants to see it. Since he has to find his own way home, he decides to find his way to the elephant on his way. He has quite an adventure, doing things he never would have done otherwise, and, using his wits and smarts, accomplishes quite a lot. But through it all, the reader is reminded just how vulnerable Jack is and how heartbreaking this story can be.
Jennifer Richard Jacobson is such a terrific writer. This is a book you can probably read in a long afternoon, but you will want to savor it. Her prose is beautiful and her story is so compelling. The characters, even those who are only in a few scenes, are real and believable. The situation, unfortunately, is one that readers can relate to personally or know someone who has been touched by Bipolar Disorder. This is a story that will help kids (and others lucky enough to find this book) become more empathetic and understanding. Don’t miss this book. I know it’s been out there a few years, but if you haven’t read it, now is the time. And isn’t that cover gorgeous? I can’t recommend this book enough.
I have a gently-used paperback of this book for one of you. All you need do is be a follower or subscriber (it’s free!), have a U.S. address, and leave a comment below. If you would like extra chances, please share the link to this post on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media outlet and let me know you have done that. And don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at the Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.
Rosi Hollinbeck 
What a great review! You really made me want to read this book! Mental illness is a battler for so many people, one that affects their families so much!
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This is such a good book. I know you will enjoy it when you get to it. Thanks for reading and commenting. Good luck in the drawing.
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This sounds like a wonderful book, Rosi. And as you said, one that many people can relate to.
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Yes, it is wonderful. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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Unfortunately, many kids will relate to living with a parent who is bi-polar. Jack’s journey sounds interesting and you said just enough to intrigue me. Excellent review!
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Glad you like the review. I’m sure you will like the book. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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Just wow to this book, Rosie! I have been encountering more and more books for kids with mental illness as a huge part. I am noticing a correlation with society’s acknowledgement that mental illness is real and not something to be ashamed of. Thank you for sharing this book with one of your readers! I shared on twitter, facebook, pinterest, and tumblr.
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Thanks for sharing my link and for the thoughtful comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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Everyone seems to agree with me. WOW!! I need to buy this book if I don’t win it…so I will be sharing your review on Facebook for another chance.
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Thanks for sharing my link and for stopping by and commenting. Good luck in the drawing.
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Love books like this one about Jack. Please enter me in the Giveaway. My family is full with some Bi-Polar characters.
Beth Schmelzer
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My mother was bipolar, so I can empathize with you. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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I remember reading and loving this book years ago when I worked at the bookstore. I even reviewed it on my blog back then. In fact, I still have a copy, so please don’t include me in your giveaway.
Nice Bradbury quote! So full of energy about writing!
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Glad you like the quote. Thanks for the comment.
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Thank you to Ray Bradbury for the inspirational quotation and to you for sharing it with us for MMGM! This book sounds extraordinary. I’m going to add this title and the author’s previous book you mentioned to my ever-growing TBR list. Thanks for this insightful post for MMGM, Rosi.
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Glad you like the post. Ray Bradbury said a lot of inspirational things. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Good luck in the drawing.
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Thank you for this wonderful review, Rosi! I’m so glad you found the story compelling. Your kind words are propelling me through my writing today! — Jennifer (who is off to read the article you recommended on metaphors)
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It’s easy to write a good review of a great book. Thanks for stopping by.
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No need for me to enter the giveaway as I have a copy of this book and reviewed it a while back. One comment I made at the time was “Your emotions will twist and turn as you follow Jack trying to find home and his mom who abandoned him.” I found the story to be a compelling journey well worth my time.
Thanks once again for the links. I had gotten a bit behind but with a delayed snow schedule I was able to catch up. Great one today on metaphors.
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Thanks, Greg. It keeps me going to know that the links are useful.
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Sounds like a wonderful book!
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It is. Nice to see you here, Kathy. Good luck in the drawing.
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I liked The Dollar Kids too, but I didn’t know about this one. Thanks for your review.
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You are welcome. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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