A Hare in the Elephant's Trunk

A Hare in the Elephant's Trunk
By Jan L. Coates
Red Deer Press, 2010. 291 pgs. Young Adult

When the Sudanese civil war reached his home village, seven-year-old Jacob had to run for his life...and then walk, and walk, and walk, all the way to a refugee camp in Ethiopia. He spent several years in the camp, only to be forced out by the Ethiopians. Then he had to walk to a refugee camp in Kenya, and while there, he learned a lesson that his mother had tried to teach him years before: that education is the way to a better life. As he sets out to learn all that he can, he also holds onto another lesson from his mother: Wadeng, or look always to tomorrow because it will be better.

This is an inspiring look at a boy's will to survive, even as he is away from his family and forced to live in extremely humble conditions. At times, the writing can be somewhat dry, but still, it's an important story and an eye-opening one for readers who may not know about the Lost Boys of Sudan.

AE