Kate DiCamillo

When ten-year-old orphan Peter Augustus Duchenne encounters a fortune-teller in the marketplace one day and she tells him that his sister, who is presumed dead, is in fact alive, he embarks on a remarkable series of adventures as he desperately tries to find her.

The magician's elephant

Annalee Harris

The Magician's Elephant is a story of magic, hope, and believing in the impossible. When young Peter Augustus Duchene is told by a fortuneteller that his deceased sister is actually alive and that an elephant will lead him to her, he embarks on an emotional journey to try and find his beloved Adele.

This fantasy novel by Kate DiCamillo had an interesting concept, but didn't feel fully-fledged out. The characters are pretty one-dimensional and nothing really happens, until all of a sudden it does; most of the novel is spent reading the character's one-sided philosophical musings, with the main plot only progressing in the last few pages. I did not feel any particular attachment to the characters, which is rare for a DiCamillo novel. The Burton-esque artwork and atmosphere were intriguing, but again--the story as a whole was lacking, which is really a shame.

Not necessarily a critique on the novel itself, but the font it was written it made it kind of difficult to read; the font was cool and fit the aesthetic, but felt inappropriate as the main body font.

Natalie Unsinn 

Laura Mauler

Melanie Knight

When a fortune teller's tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask. Does his sister still live? How can he find her? The fortune teller's mysterious answer sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that you will hardly believe it's true.

The magician's elephant

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