Elephant Run Elephant Run , Roland Smith; Hyperion Books, 2007. Grade Level: 6-8 ISBN-13 HB 978-1423104025; $15.99 ISBN-10 HB 1423104021; $15.99 ISBN-13 PB 978-1423104018 ISBN-10 PB 1423104013 Blanket Permission to Reproduce Book Jackets: Used by permission of the Publisher |
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Synopsis:
Journey through the jungles of Burma and explore the effects World War II had on Burma and the use of timber elephants on plantations.
General Review:
This history adventure about British colonization, forced occupation, and World War II finds 14-year-old Nick on his British father's teak plantation. Invading Japanese force Nick to work the plantation like a servant while his father is taken as a prisoner of war. When the danger escalates, he along with a Monk and his granddaughter escape through the jungles of Burma on the timber elephants used to work the plantation. This story is filled with intrigue, danger, plot twists and suspense.
Themes: World War II, Timber elephants, Burma, Plantations, Jungles, Prisoners of War, Friendship, Loyalty, Betrayal, Hope and Violence.
Author Information: www.Rolandsmith.com
Discussion Questions (Standard 3; Benchmark 5)
• Describe Nick's first encounter with Hannibal. What are the effects of this event over the next several chapters? How would you have felt in this situation?
• Compare and contrast the house (Hawk's Nest) of Nick's memory to the one he finds nine years later. Why is it so deserted? What makes this place so important to Nick's family?
• How does the war find Nick in Burma and how does it affect his stay on the plantation?
• Describe Nick's days as a captive of the Japanese. Do you think that war forces people to behave differently than they normally would, or reveals their true character?
• Discuss the ten precepts a Buddhist monk novice must agree to live by. Which ones would be most difficult for you?
Activities:
• Create a list of important characters as you read the novel. Include their name, relationship to Nick, their skills or attributes, and conflicts that include them. (Standard 2; Benchmark 4)
• Draw a map of Burma to show the specific geographical setting of the novel. Include a legend. (Standard 3; Benchmark 4)
• Using the descriptions from the book, draw the following items: koongyi elephant bell, manhout cowboy, gaur cow, civet cat, choon riding crop, natskin offering box, pangolin anteater. (Standard 3; Benchmark 5)
• List and explain 8-10 new ideas you have learned about the time period of this novel and/or the culture represented. (Standard 3; Benchmark 2)
• Write a subchapter placing yourself in the novel as a new character. You might be an American businessman trading for lumber at the beginning of the story, another American boy brought to the Colonel for questioning or maybe an American prisoner of war. Indicate which chapter you will be entering. Write in the third person, past tense to blend with the story. (Standard 3; Benchmark 4)
Similar Books for Further Reading:
- Code Talkers by Joseph Bruchac
- Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
- Someone Named Eva by Joan M. Wolf
