Deemed a children's book, this novel is definitely a read for all ages. What a beautiful story with so many themes and deep, heartfelt meanings. A very quick, must read. This author writes beautifully with compassion and love in every word!

4.5 rounded up to 5!!This cover got me so much I bought the book 2X! And the story inside is equally as wonderful about a girl named Sila and the struggles she's having with her family and her mother being away as a result of trying to correct some immigration paperwork in Turkey. Sila has other important relationships in her life as well though She is reintroduced to a boy named Mateo and they end up becoming friends and spend time together on a grandfatherly man's, Gio, property. Sila's Dad wo...

A super YA book! The author has created a beautiful storyline with Sila, Marteo, Gio-an elderly grandfather figure and lottery winner, immigration issues, possible Autism issues, and an elephant-Veda- that hold them all together. A great and quick read….

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! I read it for #BitAboutBooks Spring Challenge with a non-human character. Readers will fall in love with Sila, her dad, Apt, and Gio, the elderly lottery winner. When Sila's mom must return to Turkey her 8 days becomes a year. Sila and her father are devastated; she turns away from her friends, school activities, and is sad all the time (but she feels it is no one's business). When her father takes Sila to fix a truck, she meets Gio and her life and Gio's changes. What...

The lovely people at Piccadilly Press sent me a proof of The Elephant in the Room and wow did I love it! You know those books that just feel like a hug? This is one of them. Silva's mum travelled halfway around the world to Turkey, hoping to secure the immigration paperwork that would allow her to return to her family in the US. A year later she still isn't home and the long separation is almost too much for Sila to bear. This book is a beautiful story of a group of people, each of whom is in ne...

Loved it, best book list !Loved it! This story of resilience and patience and continued hope for a better future is the perfect message during this Covid 19 pandemic. It wasn't told in preachy way, very subtle and relatable to many. This is now on my favorite books list.

“Were people more compassionate because of their own difficult experiences?”This was fine and a great book to listen to while multitasking. It's definitely written for a younger audience, and I think the themes of family, separation, differences in processing things, loneliness, and friendship were good.

A new favorite!

Novel borrowed from a friendHolly Goldberg Sloan understands and writes with such accuracy about kids who, for one reason or another, are different. I loved her novel "Counting by 7's" and absolutely enjoyed "The Elephant in the Room".Sila Tekin is miserable since her mother was unfairly deported to Turkey. She and her father are trying to stay strong but it's so hard to be without your mother. Sila is chosen at school to be part of group of kids who are partnered up with kids who need peer supp...

I'm not completely sure how to feel about this one. The book itself was okay, just not my personal cup of tea. What didn't sit well with me was the autistic rep in this. While I sincerely hope it wasn't the author's intention, there was a passage in this that could be interpreted as describing autism as a disease?? Or even a silent killer??To be clear, I don't know if the author is autistic/nerodivergent themselves, and I don't think it was necessarily their intention to come across this way. Re...

Wishlist | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Ko-fi I am so excited to finally share with you my review of The Elephant in the Room by Holly Goldberg Sloan. It was a true pleasure to read this book, and I devoured it very fast!Synopsis: In this beautiful book, we follow young Sila, whose mum had to travel to Turkey one year ago to try and solve her immigration status and be able to return to the United States. Sila is not handling the separation well and is not as happy as she used to be. S...

E ARC provided by Edelweiss PlusSila's family has been happy in Oregon, even though her father, who is a mechanical engineer, has to work as a mechanic, and her mother is a cleaner in a hotel. The parents left Turkey because of political prosecution. After her mother found out that the women where she worked made far less than the men, she was fired, and immigration services told her that her paperwork was not in order and that she would need to go back to Turkey to get the proper forms so that

A rescued circus elephant, a widowed lottery winner, a young girl whose beloved mother has been deported, and a quiet boy with autism are drawn together in this beautiful novel by the author of Counting by 7s. I couldn't put it down!

A beautifully told story about family, friendship, the wonderful bond that can form between humans and animals and the power of hope that things will get better.Sila is a young girl whose mother had to go back to her native country Turkey to set right some problems with her immigration to the US years ago. A week long trip turns to months and Sila and her father miss her terribly. Meeting Gio, an older man who has recently won the lottery and is wealthy but very lonely after the loss of his wife...

Thank you so much to Piccadilly Press for the proof copy to read and review.This book is so beautiful, sad sweet, creative, unique and crafted so well. When Sila’s mother is sent away on immigration issues she becomes a withdrawn and sad girl. One day her dad gets a job to fix a truck for an older man, he and Sila connect in a way neither would imagine and an unexpected dream is formed between them and a beautiful majestic elephant named Veda.This story had so much heart to it, all the character...

Earlier this month I found a new (to me) #bookclubofinstagram !Because I really needed to join another #bookclub I promptly ordered “The Elephant in the Room” for #middlegradereadersbuddyread !This story did not disappoint, especially since it did address many elephants that happen to be in many rooms—immigration, equal pay for women, and autism— just to name a few.The description of this book it spot on, so instead of reiterating I’ll just say that my favorite part of the story is when Silas an...

A rescued elephant, new friends, two families reunited, (human and animal), and happy tears at the end, (me, of course!). I loved everything about this story. It really made my heart glad. The story is set in Eugene, Oregon where I live, but unfortunately there are no rescued elephants living here on a huge farm. If there were, I would be out there constantly volunteering for whatever jobs needed doing.

3.5 starsThis middle grade book had some really crazy elements. Things that definitely sound over the top, but make for an interesting story. It is a story about family and the pain we feel when away from them. I liked a lot of the commentary that it made. It definitely wasn't the most amazing middle grade, but it was good.

2022 Popsugar Reading Challenge- #24: A book you can read in one sitting

This is the second book that I have read for children that I have just loved. A very touching story. It is nice to read something that isn't full of controversy. Just a simple story about a girl missing her mom, two new friends, life and an elephant. A must read for anyone who would love a happy, realistic story. Definitely one I would recommend.