Books like 'Small as an Elephant'
Readers who enjoyed Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary action / adventure mystery realistic survival children family animals coming-of-age domestic-drama
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The Darkest Hour by Erin Hunter
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsThunderClan's darkest hour is upon them, as Tigerstar's quest for power plunges all the Clans into the most terrible danger any cat has ever faced. In order to save his Clan and his friends, Fireheart must uncover the meaning of an ominous proclamation from StarClan:"Four will become two. Lion and tiger will meet in battle, and blood will rule the forest... -
A Dangerous Path by Erin Hunter
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 46 ratingsShadowClan has a dark new leader, but will he be satisfied with his power now -- or does his desire for revenge burn even more strongly? Fireheart fears that there is a connection between the rise of Tigerstar and the terrible dreams that haunt his nights, murmuring of danger and death... -
In an Instant by Suzanne Redfearn
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 61 ratingsLife is over in an instant for sixteen-year-old Finn Miller when a devastating car accident tumbles her and ten others over the side of a mountain. Suspended between worlds, she watches helplessly as those she loves struggle to survive.Impossible choices are made, decisions that leave the survivors tormented with grief and regret... -
Rising Storm by Erin Hunter
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsFireheart's traitorous enemy Tigerclaw has been vanquished and exiled from Thunder Clan -- but Fireheart can't shake the feeling that he's lurking in the forest, waiting for his chance to strike... -
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Lion Down by Stuart Gibbs
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTeddy Fitzroy returns as FunJungle’s resident sleuth when a lion is falsely accused of killing a distinguished dog in the latest novel in New York Times bestselling author Stuart Gibbs’s FunJungle series... -
The Law of Finders Keepers by Sheila Turnage
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsPirates, family, and the truth about Mo's Upstream Mother collide in the conclusion to the Newbery Honor and New York Times bestselling Three Times Lucky When the Colonel and Miss Lana share the clues about Mo's watery origins that they've been saving, it seems the time is finally right for the Desperado Detectives (aka Mo, Dale, and Harm) to tackle the mystery of Mo's Upstream Mother... -
Wish by Barbara O'Connor
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsEleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same secret wish every day since fourth grade. She even has a list of all the ways there are to make the wish, such as cutting off the pointed end of a slice of pie and wishing on it as she takes the last bite...Categorized as:
animals children coming-of-age domestic-drama family realistic action-adventure anthropomorphism -
A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen everything has been taken from you, what else is there to do but run?So that’s what Annabelle does—she runs from Seattle to Washington, DC, through mountain passes and suburban landscapes, from long lonely roads to college towns. She’s not ready to think about the why yet, just the how—muscles burning, heart pumping, feet pounding the earth... -
You'd Be Home Now by Kathleen Glasgow
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces comes a breathtaking story about a town, its tragedies, and the quiet beauty of everyday life.For all of Emory's life she's been told who she is. In town she's the rich one--the great-great-granddaughter of the mill's founder. At school she's hot Maddie Ward's younger sister... -
A Mother's Secret by Caroline Finnerty
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA gripping, emotional book that asks the question: What does it take to be a parent?In one split second, Aidan Whelan’s perfect world is changed forever when his wife Rowan and three-year old daughter Milly are involved in tragic accident... -
Restart by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe amazing New York Times bestseller about what you can do when life gives you a second chance.Chase's memory just went out the window.Chase doesn't remember falling off the roof. He doesn't remember hitting his head. He doesn't, in fact, remember anything. He wakes up in a hospital room and suddenly has to learn his whole life all over again . . . starting with his own name.He knows he's Chase... -
Sunrise by Susan May Warren
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPilot Dodge Kingston has always been the heir to Sky King Ranch. But after a terrible family fight, he left to become a pararescue jumper. A decade later, he's headed home to the destiny that awaits him.That's not all that's waiting for Dodge. His childhood best friend and former flame, Echo Yazzie, is a true Alaskan--a homesteader, dogsledder, and research guide for the DNR... -
Sammy Keyes and the Showdown in Sin City by Wendelin Van Draanen, Tara Sands
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAmber and her best friend Justin are spending the summer at Camp Cushetunk. Amber is having a great time learning to ride and take care of the Cinnamon, the sweetest horse everuntil she becomes the target of pranks. Amber and her friends plot revenge, but things dont turn out as planned and the horsing around leads to real trouble... -
13 Gifts by Wendy Mass
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWendy Mass turns to another magical birthday: 13!When Tara, a self-proclaimed shrinking violet, steals the school mascot, a goat, in order to make some friends with the popular crowd and gets caught, she gets herself in a heap of trouble... -
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Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA New York Times Bestseller!Rose Howard is obsessed with homonyms. She's thrilled that her own name is a homonym, and she purposely gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose's rules of homonyms, is very special... -
The Odds of Getting Even by Sheila Turnage
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHumor and action abound in this second follow-up to the Newbery honor winner and New York Times bestseller, Three Times LuckyThe trial of the century has come to Tupelo Landing, NC. Mo and Dale, aka Desperado Detectives, head to court as star witnesses against Dale's daddy--confessed kidnapper Macon Johnson. Dale's nerves are jangled, but Mo, who doesn't mind getting even with Mr... -
Believe Like a Child by Paige Dearth
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHome isn't safe for young Alessa because her uncle lives there...unfortunately neither are the streets.Alessa's uncle is a child predator, and she's one of his victims.At sixteen, after the death of her only friend, Alessa finds herself isolated at home with her uncle. Unable to live there, she runs away.Alone on the streets of North Philadelphia, she encounters more people who hurt her... -
The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEthan had been many things. He was always ready for adventure and always willing to accept a dare, especially from his best friend, Kacey. But that was before. Before the accident that took Kacey from him. Before his family moved from Boston to the small town of Palm Knot, Georgia.Palm Knot may be tiny, but it’s the home of possibility and second chances... -
Runaway Twin by Peg Kehret
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThirteen-year-old Sunny runs away from her current foster parent in search of her twin sister, from whom she was separated ten years earlier. On the way, shell face a tornado, bullies, and a stray dog and the fact that her sister may not be who Sunny hoped she would be... -
Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsAfter their parents are lost in an accident, thirteen-year old twins Grace and Marty are whisked away to live with their Uncle Wolfe-an uncle that they didn't even know they had! The intimidating Uncle Wolfe is an anthropologist who has dedicated his life to finding cryptids, mysterious creatures believed to be long extinct... -
Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA beautifully written and deeply moving middle-grade novel with characters to cherish and a story that deals with tragedy and loss in a fresh way. Aubrey has suffered an unbelievable loss, and goes to live with her grandmother in Vermont in order to heal. There she makes new friends, learns to cope with what has happened, and begins to figure out how to move on... -
Public Enemies by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWANTED...Aiden and Meg Falconer have been crossing the country as fugitives in order to prove their parents didn't commit a crime. In a world where criminals are celebrities and news coverage is 24-7, the Falconers are finding it very hard to hide from their unwanted fame. They've been chased from state to state by the FBI... and by a killer they know only as Hairless Joe...Categorized as:
children family realistic survival action-adventure book children-books contemporary -
My Jasper June by Laurel Snyder
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe school year is over, and it is summer in Atlanta. The sky is blue, the sun is blazing, and the days brim with possibility. But Leah feels. . . lost. She has been this way since one terrible afternoon a year ago, when everything changed. Since that day, her parents have become distant, her friends have fallen away, and Leah’s been adrift and alone... -
The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCharlie feels like she's always coming in last. From her Mom's new job to her sister's life at college, everything seems more important than Charlie. Then one day while ice fishing, Charlie makes a discovery that will change everything . . . in the form of a floppy fish offering to grant a wish in exchange for freedom...Categorized as:
animals children coming-of-age domestic-drama family realistic action-adventure book -
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Alone by Megan E. Freeman
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsWhen twelve-year-old Maddie hatches a scheme for a secret sleepover with her two best friends, she ends up waking up to a nightmare. She’s alone—left behind in a town that has been mysteriously evacuated and abandoned.With no one to rely on, no power, and no working phone lines or internet access, Maddie slowly learns to survive on her own...Categorized as:
animals children coming-of-age family realistic survival action-adventure apocalyptic -
The Midnight Children by Dan Gemeinhart
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAn extraordinary story about a family of runaways who take up residence in a small town, and the outcast boy who finds his voice and his people.In the dead of night, a truck arrives in Slaughterville, a small town curiously named after its windowless slaughterhouse... -
Stolen Children by Peg Kehret
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAmy learned a lot in her babysitting course, but not what to do if two thugs show up, intent on kidnapping. Armed with misinformation and a weapon, the men take Amy and little Kendra to a remote cabin in the woods. There they make videos of the girls and mail them to Kendra’s wealthy parents in an effort to get ransom money... -
Abduction! by Peg Kehret
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMatt is missing. Bonnie's brother left his classroom to use thebathroom —and disappeared. A police dog traces his scent to the curb, where he apparently got into a vehicle. But why would Matt go anywhere with a stranger? Overwhelmed with fear, Bonnie discovers that her dog is gone, too. Was Pookie used as a lure for Matt? Bonnie makes one big mistake in her attempt to find her brother... -
A Dog's Way Home by W. Bruce Cameron
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsFrom W. Bruce Cameron, the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel A Dog's Purpose, which is now a major motion picture!Lucas Ray is shocked when an adorable puppy jumps out of an abandoned building and into his arms. Though the apartment he shares with his mother, a disabled veteran, doesn't allow dogs, Lucas can't resist taking Bella home... -
Among the Enemy by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsHIDE OR FIGHT?Matthias, an illegal third child, is caught in the cross fire between rebels and the Population Police. When he unwittingly saves a Population Police officer, Matthias is brought to Population Police headquarters to train as an officer himself. There he meets Nina, another third-born who enlists his help in a plot to undermine the Population Police... -
Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsKendra, fifteen, hasn't felt safe since she began to recall devastating memories of childhood sexual abuse, especially because she still can't remember the most important detail-- her abuser's identity. Frightened, Kendra believes someone is always watching and following her, leaving menacing messages only she understands... -
Among the Brave by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA Reluctant HeroTrey may have saved Luke's life, but he still thinks of himself as a coward who can barely stand to be outdoors. Now Trey finds out Luke has been taken prisoner at Population Police headquarters. Trey is terrified, but he knows that if he doesn't rescue his friend, no one will.At police headquarters, Trey impersonates an officer to try getting to Luke... -
Among the Impostors by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsLuke Garner is terrified.Out of hiding for the first time in his life, he knows that any minute one of his new classmates at Hendricks School for Boys could discover his secret: that he's a third child passing as the recently deceased Lee Grant... -
Canyon Echoes by Jerry B. Jenkins, Chris Fabry
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBryce and Ashley Timberline are normal 13-year-old twins, except for one thing—they discover action-packed mystery wherever they go. Whether it's searching for a missing writer or fearing for their lives at the bottom of a canyon, Bryce and Ashley never lose their taste for adventure. Wanting to get to the bottom of any mystery, these twins find themselves on a nonstop search for the truth...Categorized as:
realistic coming-of-age children mystery christian contemporary young-adult children-books -
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Deep Water by Watt Key
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA middle grade survival story about a scuba dive gone wrong and two enemies who must unite to survive.It's the most important rule of scuba diving: If you don't feel right, don't go down.So after her father falls ill, twelve-year-old Julie Sims must take over and lead two of his clients on a dive miles off the coast of Alabama while her father stays behind in the boat...Categorized as:
children family realistic survival action-adventure book children-books contemporary -
Hunting the Hunter by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIT'S NOT OVER...Hairless Joe. Aiden and Meg Falconer have known him as a threat. A killer. A madman. But now they've discovered that he holds the key to freeing their parents from prison.The Falconer kids know what they have to do: Hunt the hunter and trap the killer - even if he's armed and very dangerous. It's their only chance, and they're going to take it... and risk everything...Categorized as:
children family realistic survival action-adventure book children-books contemporary -
Dolphin Song by Lauren St. John
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJust as Martine is settling into life on the wildlife game reserve, she is whisked away on a school trip. She must leave her white giraffe, Jemmy, for 2 weeks! Her class is going on an ocean voyage to witness the Sardine Run, a spectacular natural phenomenon, off the coast of South Africa... -
Now You See Them, Now You Don't by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCATCH THEM...One man holds the key to freeing Aiden and Meg Falconer's parents from prison: a mysterious figure named Frank Lindenauer. Aiden and Meg must cross the country to try to catch him... even as the FBI tries to catch them first.In California, Aiden and Meg fall in with a crowd that already has its share of trouble. They want to believe they've found friends who will help them out...Categorized as:
children family realistic survival action-adventure book children-books contemporary -
24 Hours in Nowhere by Dusti Bowling
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen you come from Nowhere, can you ever really make it anywhere? Author Dusti Bowling (Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus) returns to the desert to create a gripping story about friendship, hope, and finding the power we all have within ourselves. Welcome to Nowhere, Arizona, the least livable town in the United States... -
Kalahari by Jessica Khoury
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsDeep in the Kalahari Desert, a Corpus lab protects a dangerous secret…But what happens when that secret takes on a life of its own? When an educational safari goes wrong, five teens find themselves stranded in the Kalahari Desert without a guide... -
Wild Wings by Gill Lewis
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe majestic Osprey is an endangered bird that hasn’t been seen in Scotland for years, so when Iona McNair locates an Osprey nest, she’s desperate to keep the bird safe from poachers. She shares her secret with her classmate Callum, and the two become friends as they work to save the Osprey they’ve named Isis... -
Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsElise and Franklin have always been best friends. Elise has always lived in the big house with her loving Uncle and Aunt, because Elise's parents died when she was too young to remember them. There's always been a barn behind the house with eight locked doors on the second floor.When Elise and Franklin start middle school, things feel all wrong. Bullying. Not fitting in... -
Among the Barons by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsLuke Garner, an illegal third child, spent his first twelve years in hiding. For the past four months Luke has lived among others, using the identity of Lee Grant, at the Hendricks School for Boys. But just as things are finally starting to go right, Lee's little brother Smits arrives at the school and Luke finds himself caught in a tangle of lies that gets more complex with every passing day... -
So B. It by Sarah Weeks
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsNow a major motion picture starring Alfre Woodard, Jessica Collins, John Heard, Jacinda Barrett, Cloris Leachman, and Talitha Bateman—in theaters October 2017!From acclaimed author Sarah Weeks comes a touching coming-of-age story about a young girl who goes on a cross-country journey to discover the truth about her parents, which the New York Times called "a remarkable novel... -
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The Fugitive Factor by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsNOWHERE TO HIDE.Aiden and Meg Falconer are out to find the evidence that will free their parents from a life sentence in prison. But in order to do that, they have to live undercover. Ever since they broke out of a juvenile detention facility, they've been chased by the FBI... and by a strange killer they've nicknamed Hairless Joe...Categorized as:
children family realistic survival action-adventure book children-books contemporary -
Instant Menace by Jerry B. Jenkins, Chris Fabry
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen eighth grade begins, twins Ashley and Bryce get caught up in investigating why their principal left under mysterious circumstances, even as they struggle to get along with his replacement, who seems to be out to get them... -
Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe by Jo Watson Hackl
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA Mississippi ghost town and an art mystery combine!How far would you go to find something that might not even exist?All her life, Cricket's mama has told her stories about a secret room painted by a mysterious artist. Now Mama's run off, and Cricket thinks the room might be the answer to getting her to come back. If it exists. And if she can find it... -
The Stowaway Solution by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOUT TO SEA...The FBI is after them. So is a killer. Their parents are in jail. And friends are nowhere to be found. Fugitives far from home, Aiden and Meg Falconer only have each other to trust.But when the chase gets too intense on land and the Falconers stow away on a seabound freighter, things start to fall apart. The crew is suspicious... and a monster storm is on its way...Categorized as:
children family realistic survival action-adventure book children-books contemporary -
The Truth About Twinkie Pie by Kat Yeh
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThere's something about asking for Impossible Things. For one little second, they feel Possible. Take two sisters making it on their own: brainy twelve-year-old GiGi and junior-high-dropout-turned-hairstylist DiDi. Add a million dollars in prize money from a national cooking contest and a move from the trailer parks of South Carolina to the North Shore of Long Island... -
Bird by Crystal Chan
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEntrenched secrets, mysterious spirits, and an astonishing friendship weave together in this extraordinary and haunting debut that School Library Journal calls “a powerful story about loss and moving on.”Nothing matters. Only Bird matters. And he flew away. Jewel never knew her brother Bird, but all her life she has lived in his shadow...
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