This is a great read. It's set in an animal sanctuary. Samantha is 13 old and has spent her whole life living in an elephant sanctuary. It is a hive of activities with elephants arriving and others being born. She loves her life there but lots of things are changing. Her mother died when she was just a baby and her dad has begin to date again. The newly born elephant also holds a secret and Samantha and her dad learn that their sanctuary has a new benefactor. Their future is uncertain. Samantha is a great character, so likeable and a great role model for children. I really enjoyed this book and my class did too. I highly recommend it and already have done so to my colleagues at work.

You had me at elephant sanctuary. However, you kept me reading because the plot was riveting, surprisingly rich in scientific information and--not so surprisingly--in moral and ethical dilemmas.

Samantha lives on an elephant preserve with her dad, who is the main scientist and caretaker of the herd of elephants. Samantha's mother died in childbirth so Sam and her dad have had to go it alone. But there's a new woman in her dad's life, Jessica, a lawyer, who would like to be a bigger part of both of their lives. There's also a new baby elephant that seems a bit different than other elephants and an elephant that might be a danger to the other elephants and the people around them. It's an interesting story. There's a very interesting science fiction piece as well as a social issue piece about ethical treatment of animals as well as some very interesting information about elephants and their behavior. The people are somewhat less interesting and could have used a bit more character development (like the dad, who appears to only be interested in elephants and yet suddenly develops an interest in a woman who apparently only wants to spend time with his daughter).