Chaya steals to help others, but she wants to do it all on her own. Even when her friend Neel tried to help her, as does her new friend Nour. At the beginning of the book, I had no sympathy for her. This is the story of a young girl when she stole the queen's jewels for a cause she thought wasn't wrong. Things go out of control because of it but there's a worse lurking problem, adventures follow and, as it always is, the good triumphs in the end.

Did not take long to read, and I found the setting and characters refreshing, with a 'twist' my son was desperate for me to reach and a satisfying ending. A great read for classrooms with short chapters, strong female characters and lots of action. The Girl Who Stole an Elephant is an adventure story set in Sri Lanka. We think it is important for children to read books set in various locations – so that they can be aware of just how great and diverse the world is! I enjoyed the lush descriptions of the jungle and the general setting that the trio finds themself in. It was interesting positioning Nour as a newcomer to town, which allowed for explanation of some of the things that Chaya and Neel took for granted as normal. I love reading Middle-Grade as an adult for many reasons, but the biggest is nostalgia. Some of my favorite formative books are about tweens facing overwhelming obstacles, yet somehow overcoming them. To me, that’s what makes a MG book work. As tweens are facing big changes both inside themselves and the bigger outside world beyond their guardians’ influence, these are the stories that can both encourage and enlighten them most of all. A well-written Middle-Grade novel, like The Girl Who Stole an Elephant doesn’t just transport the reader to another time and place, but challenges them to think. As a grown-up kidlit fan, I don’t face quite the same issues as my younger peers, but I still feel that same sense of adventure, and the same excitement I felt reading these kinds of stories as a tween. Chaya is a rebellious child. Daughter to the headman of her village, she’s a free spirit who takes trinkets from the rich to help those in need. Except one day she goes too far, and steals the Queen’s jewels - leading to an escape into the jungle with her friends. And the King’s elephant.

My son made me read this, it was a Year 6 topic book, and he enjoyed it so much he wanted me to read it too. When I finally had a copy, he kept asking me what part I was up to, which I really liked, sharing that with him.

Not really! To start off with, I was very interested in writing a mystery and that’s what I did. It didn’t have the kind of action that The Girl Who Stole an Elephant has. But I do love writing unexpected twists, and that’s something both stories have in common. I learnt to write lots of action on the job. The character of Chaya, the setting of Serendib, the situation that she was in, they all demanded that there be lots of action. How could I not take advantage of that waterfall, or the leopard, or the bandits! Chaya is so brilliantly headstrong! Was she inspired by anyone in particular? I suppose I’ve come quite late to writing, after enjoying it a long time ago during my schooldays. I did have a lifelong dream to be an author, but it was more of a fun thought, not something I realistically expected to happen. When I started to write seriously and aim for publication I didn’t tell anyone. So it was strange that, when I got my book deal and told people about it, nobody seemed very surprised. A lot of people said to me, ‘That was always your thing, wasn’t it?’, even those who haven’t known me that long. So I guess yes, it has always been my thing somehow. What other books or authors have influenced you? For an even better way to find KS1 resources, discover tailored suggestions, and much more - visit the KS1 resource HUB! GO TO KS1 HUB Chaya, a no-nonsense, outspoken hero, leads her friends and a gorgeous elephant on a noisy, fraught, joyous adventure through the jungle where revolution is stirring and leeches lurk. Will stealing the queen’s jewels be the beginning or the end of everything for the intrepid gang? With cover illustration by David Dean.Chaya is very much an aspirational figure for me. She’s everything I would have found cool and exciting as a child (although not the thief part!). She’s so brave and confident but at the same time highly principled and knows her mind. I would have loved to be her when I was that age. Or if not, at least be her friend. And that’s very much where the character of Nour comes in… Have you always written? in Schools Catalogue 2023–24, 1461 in Education Catalogue 2023–24 and 656 in UK Primary September 2023 Format Author Nizrana Farook sat down with her editor Kirsty Stansfield, to discuss her debut middle-grade novel, The Girl Who Stole an Elephant – a thrilling adventure of friendship, flight and writing wrongs, featuring a band of animals and set in an enchanting jungle setting. Chaya, a no-nonsense, outspoken hero, leads her friends and a gorgeous elephant on a noisy, fraught, joyous adventure through the jungle where revolution is stirring and leeches lurk. Will stealing the queen’s jewels be the beginning or the end of everything for the intrepid gang? Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.

I also really liked the characters. Chaya is the typical fearless troublemaker with a heart of gold and a fierce loyalty to her friends. Neel is the Hufflepuff, willing to defend his friends and take the blame for anything - even if it costs him his life. And Nour is the clever, rich child - spoilt and cunning, but lonely too, she somehow gets tangled up in Chaya’s adventures just because she has no one else to talk to. Combined they make a great team, and it was nice to see their relationship develop over the course of the novel. I wish the adult characters were more present and they didn't take hasty decisions that might hurt the young characters. She's mischievous. She's fearless. She's living her life. But she steals! And what we need to know is the reason why she does so and what bigger problems it might be leading to.Nour's character is almost fluttering like she might disappear anytime. I wish his part was planned well.

When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.The Girl Who Stole an Elephant positively rustles with the textures of rural Sri Lanka. It introduces an author keen to write a love letter to her culture, and upend preconceptions too More like this, please. – Observer