Saving Lilly

by Peg Kehret

AGAINST All ODDS
Erin Wrenn and her friend David are in big trouble because they refuse to go on a field trip to the Glitter Tent Circus. They wrote a report on the sad lives of circus animals and discovered that the Glitter Tent Circus is one of the worst animal abusers of all. Mrs. Dawson is determined to give her students the happy circus experience she remembers from her childhood; she won't let Erin and David share their report or pass around a petition asking for a different field trip. Erin is determined to force Mrs. Dawson to change her plans...or she'll stage a sit-in at school.
Then Erin sees an even bigger Lilly, a mistreated elephant, is about to be sold to a hunting park. How can she save Lilly before it's too late? It seems impossible!
Can one girl -- and a class of sixth graders -- make a difference?

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Animals, Childrens, Young Adult

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Peg Kehret writes middle grade fiction and nonfiction. She's won dozens of state children's choice awards, where kids vote for their favorite book.

When she was twelve, Peg was paralyzed with polio. Most of her protagonists are the age she was then.

A volunteer with animal rescue groups, three of Peg's books are co-authored by Pete the Cat."

Reviews

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice chapter book which will be a hit with animal-loving youngsters and humane educators alike. The story centers on a pair of sixth-graders, Erin and David, who learn of a circus owner’s plans to “retire” Lilly the elephant to a canned hunting ranch. The students spring into action, of course, to rescue the pachyderm.

Kehret’s strong characterizations set her work apart from many other Juv Fiction paperbacks. I especially liked the realistic conflict between would-be elephant rescuer Erin and her teacher, Mrs. Dawson—who has planned a field trip to the circus. Wrote Carolyn Mullin of the blog Vegbooks :

Mrs. Dawson is determined to relive her happy childhood memories of going to the circus with her grandfather, despite Erin and David’s attempts to show her the astonishing number of animal welfare violations the circus had been cited for. The dynamic duo tries to educate fellow students on the inherent cruelty of using animals for entertainment and encourage them to boycott the field trip, but constantly run up against Mrs. Dawson. Erin and David are a testament to what passion and determination can achieve in the midst of adversity.

The fact is, older doesn’t always mean wiser, especially when it comes to animal issues. Kehret did a great job of writing about an adult with her blinders snapped on tight, and young people facing the challenge of gently and respectfully loosening them. I frequently thought back to my own past as a kid who cared about animals, surrounded by teachers and relatives who “don’t want to know.”

And even better—Kehret doesn’t constantly have her young animal rescuers wolfing down meat dishes like those in Laurie Halse Anderson’s similarly-targeted Vet Volunteers series. While no one is identified as a vegetarian, I did happily note that all of the food referenced in the story was meatless.

Saving Lilly will be enjoyed by animal friends of all ages.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kehret gets it right in this story about two kids from the Gifted and Talented program who try to save an elephant. This book shows that one person has the power to change things even if it is just for one animal or one situation.

The emotions of working so hard, the exhaustion, yet falling short of a goal are spot on. The characters are likeable and teachable. They are strong and willing to stand up for what is right. They are the type of kids you would want to have for friends.

I haven't been to circus since I was a child, but this has me wondering about the animal shows at Disneyworld, Seaworld, and Universal. I hope they treat their animals better than what was shown in the circus in this story.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saving Lilly by Peg Kehret really touched me and made me think about what happens at the circus. It changed my opinion about them because I never knew about the way many of the animals are treated. I would certainly recommend this book to kids in fourth through seventh grade. It had a nice flow to it and it was easy to read. I also think that animal lovers will enjoy this book. I do not think the cover of this book does it justice. I wouldn’t pick the book up based on the cover because it looks boring- but it is one of the best books I have ever read. This is a book that should not be missed and will change you forever!

[Shonica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admire Peg Kehret because you can always count on her to have a solid story. Saving Lilly is a lovely, solid story that I am certain my students will love. The initial reason that I picked it up was that the story reminded me of Ruby, the elephant in The One and Only Ivan. Indeed, Saving Lilly and The One and Only Ivan belong together. Without a doubt, I will be purchasing my own copy of this book and it will be the next novel that I read aloud to my fifth graders. In future years, I will read it right after Ivan.

[ERINO · Rating 4 out of 5]

that it represents me in many ways!!! like the main character's name is erin and the elephant is named lilly and my cat's name is lilly and the due date of the project is one day before my b-day???? CREEPY!!

[Jayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books when I was younger!! I'm pretty sure it played a role in turning me into an animal activist, now that I think about it...

[Kendall Earles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my absolute favorite books I read when I was very young, but I couldn't remember the name for the life of me. So glad I found one of my first 1 day reads.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will open children's eyes to animal cruelty and teach how Erin and David try to help an abused baby elephant in the Glitter Tent Circus that is visiting their town. The realistic characters and the layers of conflicts they have to deal with kept me turning the pages to see how this was all going to turn out.

The author of Saving Lilly, Peg Kehret, is an animal rights activist. I appreciate her love for animals and giving them a voice since they cannot speak for themselves.

This book is for young readers, 8 years and up.

[Cathy Hendren]

Peg Kahret adds animals and information in many of her books. This one has to do with how animals are mistreated in many of the circuses. A class makes a stand about going to the circus after it learns of the reputation of the one in their town. Then tries to figure out how to save Lilly the elephant from going to a big game farm where she would be hunted and killed for her head.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also one of her best book. Brought up an importent point

[Rose]

JF Keh

[Pup · Rating 4 out of 5]

ROFL i read this forever ago but it was so adorable :[

[Candi]

Ages 9+

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Educates about the plight of circus animals while being very entertaining. A very uplifing "can do" kind of story. Beware, the parts detailing the animal abuse are heartwretching.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

2010 Battle book. I enjoyed this book and can see why Colin did too. I appreciated the fact that the main characters were in the talented and gifted program at their school and how they handled it.

[Tate]

very interesting i luv more like the kid of childerens book i luv stories lik that.

[Bracletgreta9 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Really up my ally with all the animal cruelty things in it...

[Marty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pre-teen book
Inspirational
Protection of zoo animals

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book for my mother/daughter book club -- will be very interested in hearing what the kids think of how the children dealt with their disagreement with the teacher!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erin and David made a pact, which now may force them to go against their teacher.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous story to make children aware of the animal abuses that take place within circuses. Have a box of tissues at your side while reading.

[Jeanne Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for students to read and happily laws have recently been passed that prohibit circus elephants mistreatment.

[Eugene Kernes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The students are asked to read books for a surprise reward. Erin and David working on another school project pick books related to animals and learn various ways that animals are mistreated. When the class finished reading the set number of books, the reward is a trip to a circus. Erin and David research how this particular circus treats their animals and are horrified by what they find. This leads to a confrontation with their teaching in objecting to going on the trip. On the trip day, most of the students remain seated rather than go on the trip. Few students go on the trip while the majority stay behind and end up considering the opportunity of buying the elephant Lilly who has many signs of being mistreated. Rather than have the circus sell Lilly to a hunting ground, the students decide to buy the elephant and send her to a sanctuary for elephants who is willing to care for Lilly. It is up to the class to raise the money needed to buy Lilly before the circus moves.

This story makes a strong animal rights appeal. Standing up for convictions is also an important lesson learned. The author provides a good understanding of use of how information can be used differently.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This upcoming school year I’m going to be moving from 1st Grade to 4th Grade. My new team members provided me with all the novels that they currently use for novel studies. I chose to start with this one as the cover art makes the book look boring/generic so I decided to just get it out of the way...how wrong was I!!!

I applaud this author! I loved this book! The language/writing structure is very simple, but the themes and messages the author gets across are so powerful!!! I cried several times while reading this.

Very excited to see what my future 4th graders think!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fast, fun, and meaningful read from Kehret. I would have reread this several times as a child. It's a little fantastic, but of course 'aspirational' (as I guess 'influencers' are saying these days, perhaps because 'inspirational' has connotations of Christianity? or didactism? Anyway...).

Kids *do* have power. We owe it to them to give them good role models and support so they can help us to change the world.

Highly recommended to all children and all families, including grandmas, uncles, and neighbors....

[Tiffeny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another book some of my students will read this year. It’s a great story about perseverance, problem solving, friendship, and doing the right thing even when it’s not easy. The author did a great job of writing a full story in a short book that is easy for an upper elementary student to read & understand.

[Christine Erwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for Y3 and up as it is about standing up for what you believe in. Also demonstrates the power of small actions. Very engaging read and well-rounded characters.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was really good! I think the circus owner is really mean and that Erin deserves all the credit. To anyone who’s not a fan of animals, you will probably think differently after you read this book. 😊

[Alex Lam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it when I was little! I must have read the book at least five times. It completely opened my eyes to an issue that I had never and have never again really heard discussed.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

ELEPHANTS!!!!!