It's hard to figure out life when your dad has cancer. Cass and her mom try to find ways to cope using routines or support groups and friendships, but fear hangs over their lives constantly. Baseball is especially important, but they may not be able to attend another World Series when her dad's treatments only seem to make him more sick. Then Cass learns she may have inherited the gene mutation that would make her vulnerable to cancer. Should she be tested to know for sure? How can a middle grader make a tough decision like that?

Written in verse, this story reveals the daily pain a family struggles with when one is terminally ill. At times it tears them apart, but then they learn how to come back together again in love and forgiveness. I do not think I have previously read a book in verse and these themes seem perfect for the style. There are many powerful and painful scenes that are beautifully described and would be helpful for a middle grader wrestling with really hard things.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This one felt very close to home. I loved the sprinkles of poetry throughout the story, the references to books I’ve loved, and the raw emotion of the book. Tears fell from my eyes several times as Cass told her story. The fact that this was based on the author’s family made me extra emotional. It was a beautifully written story of love, friendship, community coming together, hope, and facing life’s problems head on.

This novel, in verse for middle graders, is a heavy one. I tend to avoid cancer books because of my triggers, but read this one anyway. Honestly, it tackled the subject and feelings of everyone involved in a family dealing with cancer that I want to give to all the kids I know preemptively. Don't miss this one.

I love this so much. It's sad but heartwarming at the same time. It talks about family, friends, and cancer that have always been there in Cass' life. One day, she learned that she could be inherited the same path as her Dad because of the gene in his Dad's body. Cass is very mature because of what happened in her life at a young age, and this news makes her wiser. I suggest you pick this book up to see the relations between Cass and elephants and baseball.

Thank you, NetGalley and Charlesbridge for providing me this eARC!

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

I am admittedly for stingy with 5-star reviews, this is just my 12th one in 2022 (and I've read more than 100 books), but this was a well deserved 5-star read. I really enjoy verse novels, and particularly enjoyed that aspect of this book as the author made full use of the style and played with the space well on the page.

Notes: Due to the themes and content in the book, I would recommend it for upper MG readers (5th-7th grade). This book reminded me of Ten Thousand Tries (but with baseball and cancer instead of soccer and ALS).

The Hope of Elephants is a profound, beautiful story. Cass is navigating a lot of challenges, but she's afraid of sharing those challenges with others. Her dad is fighting cancer, and she is seeking hope and understanding in many areas of her life. She and her friends come together to solve some problems and help carry the weight of suffering and navigating the unknown.

A beautiful story of Cass' family and their encounter with her dad's recurrent cancer. Her family's faith is woven into the poetry without overwhelming the story, it feels very natural and appropriate. The way that the author shares Cass' worries about her father and her own fate with this mutated gene feels true to life.

Once I started The Hope of Elephants, I couldn't stop. A powerful voice, a realistic depiction of life with cancer, but also hope, friendship, and love. Highly recommended.

A sweet story of growing up and facing the world. Heartbreaking and uplifting all at once. I read this one entirely in one sitting.

Beautiful. Heartfelt. Never has a book tore my heart apart, stitched it back together, tore it apart again, filled it with love, over and over. The Hope of Elephants is truly a masterpiece.

Thank you to Amanda Rawson Hill, Charlesbridge Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow. Wow. Wow. I mean, what an incredibly powerful story. The emotion, very raw emotion, was so real. I truly felt like I was experiencing cancer through a 10-12 year olds eyes.

The writing was phenomenal. The verses went from heavy and gut-wrenching to light and playful. Hill seriously took you on that emotional rollercoaster that is a preteen.

I was hooked from the very beginning and the authors note, I have no words. Thank you, Amanda Rawson Hill for so beautifully sharing your family’s story with us. I know this will impact people for years to come on another level.

I’m honestly not a huge fan of sad stories, but this one, I will be suggesting this one to my students, friends and family as soon as it comes out in September.

A powerful middle grade novel which will be a popular choice for book clubs and discussion groups. Readers will empathize with the weighty decision Cass must face and the impact of her father's illness on her ability to live the life of a "normal" teenager. There is so much meaty content here-- friendship, acceptance of differences, appreciation of animals, religion, and devastating illness. The love of baseball ties many of these themes together and this, along with the novel-in-verse style, helps to make it an accessible read. Hopeful and thought=provoking; this one is a winner.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel in verse.

The Hope of Elephants is a truly lovely novel in verse that does an amazing job capturing the pain of a family struggling with cancer treatments, unknown genetic destiny, and a love of baseball. This book is sure to be a staple in many school and classroom libraries.

My thanks to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for the advanced reader copy.

Author Amanda Rawson Hill quickly introduces cancer itself as a major character in this verse novel, an unwelcome but frequent visitor to 12 year old Cass' family. This time feels different, scarier and more deadly. When Cass overhears doctors talking with her parents, she discovers her dad lacks a cancer-fighting gene - and the condition is hereditary, meaning she may or may not be susceptible to recurring bouts with cancer herself. She can be tested to find out, but should she take the test?

Cass spends much of the story grappling with this impossible decision while trying to get her dad to one last World Series. Author Hill takes the reader on Cass' decision-making process through often gut-wrenching but always gorgeous verse. <i>The Hope of Elephants</i> is an honest look at how cancer can both disrupt and fortify a family.

The Hope of Elephants is a beautiful middle grade novel in verse. It's an important story the explores the effects of terminal illness on a family and how children must learn to cope and adapt and try to carve out some happiness for themselves. I was somewhat surprised by the prominent role that religion plays in the novel and typically middle grade novels tend to shy away from this, but I think this is something that many readers will be able to relate to. Cass must navigate some difficult decisions like to play on the team and risk bringing home germs or not, whether to to give up on the World Series or not, and most importantly whether to have a gene test or not. The repetitive nature of Cass's list of pros and cons makes it clear how much this last decision weighs on her because the stakes are so high. I found myself rooting for Cass and unable to put this novel down.

If you had a chance to know whether or not you were predisposed to a fatal disease, would you choose to find out?

The Hope of Elephants by Amanda Rawson Hill is a middle grade novel in verse that takes on some tough topics.

Cass is a twelve year old girl with a dark cloud over her home. Her father has gone through multiple bouts of cancer. This time, when he is diagnosed again, he learns that he is so susceptible due to a faulty gene. What's worse is that there is a 50% chance that Cass also has that faulty gene.

As her father takes a turn for the worse, she is left to decide if it would be better or worse to know. I recently lost a close friend to cancer and it did make this book hit harder than I expected, especially since she also had a genetic disposition for it.

I'm the type that I would absolutely want to know, but watching the young protagonist struggle through her decisions and find hope in the darkness around her was heartbreaking.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Cass is no stranger to hospitals and cancer treatments. Her dad battles cancer every other year of her life. Through support groups, friendships, and baseball, she finds a way to cope. However this time around, it's different. She faces tough decisions about how this disease impacts her present (baseball practice), the near future (attend World Series), or adulthood (genetics). This stunning novel in verse is a treasure. From the lyrical language to the raw emotion, readers will not want to put this book down. This book will have readers reflecting on their own families and friendships, taking them deep into Cass' emotional arc. Most of all, this book instills hope––something we all need more of in our lives. Those who love sports books, characters with agency, novels in verse, and family stories will gravitate towards The Hope of Elephants.

The Hope of Elephants by Amanda Rawson Hill
I’m kind of a sucker for a sad book but I’m also kind of a sucker for elephants. I’ve always loved them so when I spotted this book on Netgalley and then recognized the author as a Twitter pal I decided I needed to read it. Well it absolutely didn’t disappoint in the sad category or the elephant one.
My favorite thing about this story is the back and forth with the decision that Cass has to make. I think moral dilemmas like this make for fascinating stories and it really exercises a kid’s brain to puzzle them out. I call it “difficulty of concept” and I really believe books should get rated on this instead of readability scores. A book that has a difficult concept, where the answers aren’t black and white, does more for a young reader than a book with complex vocabulary. (Fwiw, this book is rife with rich vocabulary too!)
I think Amanda does a splendid job showing readers how a big decision can be both right and wrong, depending on the circumstances.
Cancer and religious faith play a big role in this book. I would make sure that cancer is not too much of a trigger for youngsters before you hand it to them, but there are some really authentic and real bits that could be comforting and maybe cathartic for kids who know this path. And I think we shy away from books that mention Christian faith because it seems like a voice that doesn’t need help being heard, but so many kids walk this life, to ignore it completely feels weird too. I love that the family’s faith was strong without being oppressive and that they were free to question it without judgement.
Finally, the verse here is breathtaking. I love how other poets and novels are woven throughout, anchoring this story. This story in prose would’ve been too much, too hard. It’s still a lot and really hard but the verse gives you space to fill in the unsaid bits with your own experiences and emotion which makes it more personal but somehow less hard…don’t ask me how that works because I have no idea.
I really loved this book and I’ll be putting a copy on my shelf right between Tuck Everlasting and The One And Only Ivan…feels like a great spot for a paper elephant enthusiast with a big decision to make!

“The Hope of Elephants” 🐘 ⚾️ is a middle grade novel by Amanda Rawson Hill which is due to be released September 6, 2022.

“The Hope of Elephants” is a realistic fiction novel about family. The story is told by Cass. Cass loves baseball, her friends, an elephant at the zoo named Hazel, and her friends. She loves her parents. Her dad has been battling cancer most of Cass’s life. Different cancers. And the cancer is back. A tradition the family has is going to the World Series. Cass desperately doesn’t want to give up this tradition. And she struggles with a decision about her own future.

This was a book I started and did not put down until I finished. It is just beautifully written. Emotional. Powerful.

Cass and her family never know when the dreaded C word will take a seat at their table again. Her father just can't seem to go very long without cancer landing back into their lives and taking over. From the treatments to all of the disinfecting, Cass's life turns upside down and sideways whenever her dad is diagnosed with a new form of the disease. Baseball and her friends are the only things she has that are a steady force in her life until she meets Hazel, an elephant at the zoo who shares a secret with Cass.
Amanda Rawson Hill brings a very tough topic to the forefront for middle grade readers in this beautiful novel told in poetry. It will be a great resource for kids going through a tough time like Cass or for kids going through any sort of struggle. Rawson Hill captures Cass as a real 12 year old, not simply a character in a book.