The Magician's Elephant
by Kate DiCamillo · Grade 4-6 · Ages Ages 8-12
Peter Augustus Duchene is a boy living in the city of Baltese who longs to know if his missing sister is still alive. When a fortune-teller says an elephant will lead him to her, Peter begins to hope that something impossible might become true.
Key vocabulary
A magician is a person who does tricks that seem like magic.
An elephant is a very large animal with big ears, thick legs, and a long trunk.
A fortune-teller is someone who says they can tell what might happen in the future.
Something impossible seems like it cannot happen at all.
A miracle is something amazing and wonderful that feels almost too special to be true.
An opera is a play where the story is mostly sung with music.
An orphan is a child whose parents have died or cannot care for them.
Hope is the feeling that something good can still happen.