The Elephant in the Room

1.

What Sila Tekin would remember about that afternoon was that she had been wearing her favorite shirt. It was nothing fancy. Just red with white stripes and blue stitching, but it fit perfectly, not too tight and not too loose. And it wasn t only comfortable; it was lucky, because she had been wearing the shirt when she found a twenty-dollar bill on the sidewalk one afternoon while walking home from school. Sila had also bowled her highest score in August, and done well on a very hard math test while wearing the garment. Another time when she had on the shirt she d spotted a two-foot-tall speckled owl sleeping high up in a tree in Hendricks Park. That was amazing.

So the T-shirt was special. There was no question about it.

At least not until Thursday, September 6, when Sila came through the front door of the apartment to find her parents in the kitchen. Her mom and dad were never there when she got home from school; they were always at work. Her mom s eyes were red and puffy from crying and her nose looked like it was leaking water. Sila asked in Turkish, which was the language she spoke at home, What s going on?

Her father put his hand on his daughter s shoulder. She could feel tension even in his fingertips. We ve had some bad news.

Sila s ears started to buzz. One of her grandparents must have died. Her voice was shaky as she asked: What s happened? You have to tell me!

Sila s mother, Oya, looked as if she was going to speak, only nothing came out except a long, dry exhale that had choking sounds mixed in. But then her father managed, Your mother is going on a trip. She ll be back soon. Very soon.

A trip? Why?

Legal things. Fixing paperwork.

Sila looked at her mother. Where are you going?

To Turkey.

Sila s eyes moved from her mother to her father. They weren t sick. No one had died. Health wasn t the issue. Sila stared at her parents and could see they

Holly Goldberg Sloan was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and spent her childhood living in Holland; Istanbul, Turkey; Washington, D.C.; Berkeley, California; and Eugene, Oregon. After graduating from Wellesley College and spending some time as an advertising copywriter, she began writing family feature films, including Angels in the Outfield and Made in America. She is the author of the New York Times best sellers Counting by 7s and Short, among other novels.

I couldn t stop reading I had to find out what would happen. An unusual and lovely real-life fairy tale. Linda Sue Park, New York Times Bestselling author of A Long Walk to Water

A gorgeous and emotional novel. I loved every page. Cynthia Kadohata, Newbery Medal-winning author of Kira-Kira

"Each character wrestles with love and loss and struggles with decisions about when to act and when to wait; each in their own way has insight into the others, and empathy for them . . . Sila wonders if people are more compassionate because of their own difficult experiences; in this unique, touching book, the answer is yes."  School Library Journal, starred review

"Using multiple narrative perspectives, [Goldberg Sloan] touches on many weighty topics (grief, autism, deportation, animal cruelty), handling each with sensitivity."  Booklist

"Sloan captures the importance of compassion and bravery when facing life s challenges . . . themes of collectivity and community in the face of isolation and stigma are brought to the surface and themselves offer depth to this heartfelt and sincere story."  Kirkus

"Sloan (To Night Owl from Dogfish) fully builds the emotional interiors of each character, including Veda. This heartfelt tale thoughtfully conveys the agony of family separation, the beauty of nature, and the power of friendship to overcome tremendous difficulties."  Publishers Weekly

"This beautiful story and the wonderful connections between all of the characters remind readers that very often people and animals come into our lives for a reason and usually just when we need them the most. A perfect title for middle school, fans of animal stories, and a great suggestion for readers looking for books that help deal with loss, heartache, and hope."  School Library Connection

"The friendship of old man, child, and giant pachyderm is convincing, touching, and just odd enough."  Horn Book