World War II London is a dangerous place, with daily air raids and bomb ings. When fourteen-year-old Nick Freestone’s flat is destroyed, his mother sends him to Burma to his father’s teak plantation. Nick is thrilled, not just because he longs to spend time with his father but also because he can learn to handle the massive elephants that are integral to the teak plantation’s daily routine. Rumors of a Japanese invasion prove true, endangering Nick, his father, and the elephants they respect and love. This fast-paced histori cal fiction sheds light on a little-known aspect of the Pacific theater. 2009 William Allen White Award (Kansas), and ten other state awards or nominations, 2009 ALA BBYA List. lmp

Nick endures servitude, beatings, and more after his British father's plantation in Burma is invaded by the Japanese in 1941, and when his father and others are taken prisoner and Nick is stranded with his friend Mya, they plan a daring escape on elephants, risking their lives to save Nick's father and Mya's brother from a Japanese prisoner of war camp.