You Can't See the Elephants

by Susan Kreller, Elizabeth Gaffney (Translation)

One brave girl takes an extreme step to protect two abused children.

When thirteen-year-old Mascha is sent to her grandparents' for the summer, she spends her days bored and lonely at a nearby playground. There she meets Julia and Max, two young siblings who are incredibly shy and withdrawn. Mascha soon begins to suspect that they are being physically abused by their father, a prominent member of their small community. She tells her grandparents and the authorities, but they all refuse to believe her.

Mascha can’t let the abuse go on, so she takes matters into her own hands. Already an international award winner, this beautifully written novel is a haunting and timely tale.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary, Abuse, Friendship, Childrens

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Empress X · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK… IS THE SADDEST BOOK I’VE READ! :’(
It got me out of my NO BOOK DESERVES ME BECAUSE DEATH NOTE ROCKS! Phase,
I finished at 11:59 June 3 and started at: 2:58 June 3
This is a short book and it is hard to believe someone packed all that story into that tiny book. It is 179 pages.
In the time I read 30 pages my brother reads 130 so you can imagine how short it is.
I’m sooooo glad I went on a limb and took this from the tiny library from the camp site I came to! Like really tiny… it is a box with like 10 books I never thought I could find such a good book out of 10 books. LUCK IS SO ON MY SIDE!
This is the perfect book when you read something and it’s so good you have way higher standards so you don’t want to read ‘cause duh everything is trash!… It gets you out if that reading slup thing…
I don’t think I’ve EVER read a book that is not a kids one in a day!
NEW RECORD! YAYYYY
Also! Beautiful cover!
ABOUT IT! :)

Sent to her grandparents’ sleepy small town for the summer 13-year-old Mascha spends her days lonely and bored.
She wanders the neighborhood with only her earbuds and the music of Leonard Cohen to keep her company.
Then she meets Julia and Max, a young sister and brother, and the three become fast freinds.
But as they spend more and more time with eachother Mascha starts to suspect something may be very, very wrong.
Once she sees the bruises she KNOWS she’s right.
When Macsha tells her parents they refuse to believe that such a thing could happen in their peaceful neighborhood; they dont want to see the truth. Mascha is the only one who will help Max and Julia—the only one who can see the elephants.
So she takes matters into her own hands doing the unthinkable to resue her new friends.
:) -A. S. Yagami’s book review! YAAAAA Ü

[TheRavenpuffWhovian · Rating 5 out of 5]

*deep breath* Wow...

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thirteen-year-old Mascha takes an extreme step to protect two younger abused children. A disturbingly realistic, thoughtful, provocative story.

[Gabija Marcinonytė · Rating 3 out of 5]

„Drambliai nematomi“ — tai emociškai labai sunki knyga, paliečianti svarbias ir skaudžias temas: smurtą šeimoje, problemų slėpimą ir tylą, kuri dažnai tampa didžiausiu kaltininku. Jau pats pavadinimas aiškiai sufleruoja metaforą apie „dramblį kambaryje“ — akivaizdžią problemą, kurią visi mato, bet nenori pripažinti.

Didelį įspūdį paliko tai, kad istorija pasakojama iš vaiko perspektyvos. Skaitydamas jauti, kaip vaikas bando suprasti ir spręsti situacijas, kurioms jis dar per mažas. Būtent ši perspektyva suteikia knygai dar daugiau emocinio svorio ir autentiškumo.

Vis dėlto pati skaitymo patirtis man nebuvo lengva ne tik dėl temos. Asmeniškai nepatiko autorės rašymo stilius — tekstas pasirodė gana sausas, pritrūko gražių, įsimenančių minčių ar akcentų, kurie būtų sustiprinę istorijos poveikį.

Taip pat nuvylė knygos pabaiga — ji atrodo tarsi neužbaigta. Norėjosi aiškesnio uždarymo ir supratimo, kuo viskas galiausiai baigėsi, ypač turint omenyje, kokias sunkias temas knyga paliečia.

Tai svarbi, bet nelengva knyga, kuri labiau skirta apmąstymams nei maloniam skaitymui. Ji palieka sunkų jausmą ir primena, kiek daug kartais lieka nematoma — ypač vaikų gyvenimuose.

[Πάνος Τουρλής · Rating 5 out of 5]

Στο Μπάρενμπουργκ της Γερμανίας η μικρή Μάσα, παραπεταμένη από τον πολυάσχολο πατέρα της και ορφανή από μητέρα, ζει τα καλοκαίρια με τους παππούδες της και δε βρίσκει φίλους για να περνάει την ώρα της. Ώσπου γνωρίζει σε μια παιδική χαρά τον Μαξ και την Ιουλία Μπράντνερ και ξεκινάει μια δύσκολη και πρωτότυπη φιλία. Ο πατέρας των Μπράντνερ δέρνει τα παιδιά του, την ώριμη Ιουλία και τον αυτιστικό Μαξ. Η Μάσα καταφέρνει να το ανακαλύψει και να κερδίσει σιγά σιγά την εμπιστοσύνη τους ώστε να το επιβεβαιώσει. Όταν αρχίζει να το συζητάει με τους παππούδες της, εκείνοι δεν το πιστεύουν γιατί ο κύριος Μπράντνερ έχει την τοπική αντιπροσωπεία αυτοκινήτων και αυτό αποκλείεται να συμβαίνει! Έτσι η Μάσα παίρνει τον νόμο στα χέρια της και κλειδώνει τα παιδιά σε ένα γαλάζιο, απομονωμένο σπιτάκι, στη μέση ενός αγρού για να γλυτώσει τους φίλους της από τη δύσκολη ζωή τους.

Εκπληκτικό και πρωτότυπο μυθιστόρημα για παιδιά από 11 ετών και πάνω, που όμως δε θα αφήσει ασυγκίνητους και τους ενήλικους αναγνώστες. Η πλοκή είναι σφιχτοδεμένη και η συγγραφέας αναπαριστά με αξιοζήλευτο τρόπο την ψυχολογία των παιδιών που υφίστανται κακοποίηση και των παιδιών που αγωνίζονται να το αποκαλύψουν στον γύρω τους κόσμο. Πολλές φορές ήθελα να χαστουκίσω τους χωριανούς που έβλεπαν το κακό να ξεδιπλώνεται μπροστά τους αλλά κανείς δε μιλούσε, γιατί δεν είναι σωστό και πρέπεον να παραδεχτούν ότι συμβαίνουν και τέτοια στο ήρεμο, αξιοπρεπές χωριό τους. Μια νοοτροπία που έχω συναντήσει κι εγώ σε πολλά χωριά της ελληνικής υπαίθρου και σε χιλιάδες περιπτώσεις αυτή η ομαδική αποσιώπηση έκανε ανεπανόρθωτο κακό. Μπράβο στη μικρή Μάσα που είχε το θάρρος και με αυτήν την κίνηση τράβηξε την προσοχή των κατοίκων πάνω της και τους ανάγκασε να αντιμετωπίσουν κατάματα την αλήθεια!

Δε θα αποκαλύψω τις ανατροπές του κειμένου, την αγωνία της μικρής ηρωίδας για το αν θα την ανακαλύψουν ή όχι, τις στιγμές που περνάνε τα κλειδωμένα παιδιά στο καταφύγιο χωρίς φαγητό και στοιχειώδη υγεινή. Θα αφήσω τον αναγνώστη να χαθεί στην περιπέτεια των τριών παιιδιών και να ζήσει πόσο άσχημο και σκληρό είναι η αρκούδα να χορεύει μπροσστά στο σπίτι σου και να μην το παραδέχεσαι ότι είναι εκεί. Καίριο και δυνατό, αληθινό και άμεσο, από τα πολύ καλά εφηβικά και όχι μόνο μυθιστορήματα.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mascha has been sent to spend the summer at her grandparent’s house. Their neighborhood is perfect in many ways with neat yards, gardens and neighborly gatherings. When Mascha meets Julia and Max at the playground, she is desperate for friends. There’s not a lot for a 13-year-old to do. Soon though Mascha realizes that something is wrong and then witnesses for herself Julia and Max being abused by their father. Mascha tells her grandparents and even other neighbors, but no one is willing to do anything. So Mascha decides to step in herself and stop the abuse.

This German novel has already won several international awards. The writing is haunting and beautiful. My quibble with the translation is that I wish it had maintained its German setting rather than being moved to the United States. It reads as a European book and I’m not sure the story works as well with an American setting. But that is a minor factor in such a powerhouse of a book.

First, the setting in an upper-class community focused on image rather than real warmth is a cunning choice. It reveals the thin veneer of neighborliness, the unwillingness to look deeper at what could be happening, and the ability to turn away from the ugly truth to see only the good. Mascha herself is a brilliant heroine. Facing the death of her mother and sent to stay long term with her grandparents, she is not connected to this community at all. She sees the truth, speaks the truth and then is forced to find her own solution. And what a solution it is. It is clever but flawed, a plan only a child could produce. It is entirely believable and therefore a truly riveting read.

A great book, this novel about abuse, friendship and the importance of protecting the vulnerable in our world is one of the best of the year. It is startling, provocative and timely. Appropriate for ages 10-13.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short, powerful book about doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. Mascha was a heroine to root for.

[Meggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pittig boek, niet alleen om dat het Duits was. Kinderen die mishandeld worden en waarvan de hele gemeenschap eigenlijk wel op de hoogte is, maar omdat zoiets niet gebeurt in hun gemeenschap, stoppen ze allemaal de kop in het zand. Ik ben blij dat ik dit boek uitgelezen heb, want nu hoef ik niet meer terug te keren naar deze verschrikkingen

[Fantastiškų KŽL · Rating 3 out of 5]

knyguziurkes.wordpress.com/2018/08/13...

[Güzin Öztürk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aile içi şiddeti, okuru rahatsız etmeden anlatan çok iyi bir kitap. Duygusal yoğunluğu, dili, anlatımı gerçekten dört dörtlük.

[Jenny Staller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate writing negative reviews, but not a lot about this book worked for me. Mascha is a young girl who is staying with her grandparents for the summer (because her father is a narcissist who is too overcome with grief over his wife's death years prior to try parenting his only daughter), and she's very isolated and alone until she meets two siblings, Julia and Max. Mascha discovers they are being abused by their father, and she tells just about everyone--her grandparents, her dad, neighbors--and everyone ignores her. Finally, in a desperate attempt to save the siblings, she kidnaps them. Their disappearance finally prompts people in the town to do something about the child abuse, making Mascha the neighborhood pariah, both because she kidnapped two children, but more importantly, because she disrupted the town's status quo and forced them to actually do something about a violent child abuser.

I just struggled the whole way through this book with believability. I know that the sad truth is that often people--trusted, upstanding people--refuse to believe that domestic violence or abuse is occuring, and for a variety of reasons they look the other way. However, the sheer number of people Mascha tells combined with the fact that nearly everyone in the town seems to know what's going on makes me incredulous that there are no adults who are willing to step in and do something. (Her father, when told, doesn't say he doesn't believe her, but rather cautions her to stay out of other people's business. And he's supposed to be an investigatory journalist/documentary film maker!) I also don't believe that Mascha would be able to successfully kidnap two children for two days without being caught sooner or accidentally killing them (she leaves them with no food or water or toilet, locked in a hot, tiny room). Finally, I don't believe that the town's response would be to completely ostracize her--again, not because she KIDNAPPED two children, but because now they all have to stop pretending that the car salesman also viciously assaults his two kids and wife on a regular basis. Maybe this makes me naive or overly optimistic, but for me this book just relied too heavily on the "absent/utterly useless" adult trope for me to buy in.

It gets an extra star because it's short and a fast read, which might appeal to more reluctant readers. I'm not sure who I'd recommend this too, and it hasn't yet been checked out in my library even though it's been on the shelf a few months. If one of my students does read and like it, I'll try to update this review with some of his/her thoughts.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mascha spends her summers with her grandparents. She is terribly bored in their town as it seems to be inhabited by mostly older people. One day she meets younger kids Julia and Max and soon believes they are being abused by their father. Everyone in the neighborhood seems to know about it, but no one wants to become involved. So Mascha comes up with a crazy plan to help them. She locks them in a blue shack in the middle of a barley field. The shack has no running water or bathroom facilities. Mascha brings them food, but soon the shack is barely inhabitable and the police are looking for missing Julia and Max. When they are found Mascha is accused of kidnapping them, not helping them as she thought she was.

I thought this was a pretty decent story. Most books about child abuse are generally not handled like this. I thought the abuse and the fact that the neighborhood residents didn't want to get involved was handled pretty realistically. Many people have problems believing that a prominent member of society would be an abuser. I thought Mascha's desire to help seemed genuine and I also thought Julia and Max's response to someone finding out they were abused also seemed pretty realistic.

What I had a problem with was the fact that the translation of the book moved the location to the United States instead of Germany. The U.S. has mandatory reporting laws that require certain professionals to report any suspected child abuse. So a doctor would never be sued for suspecting the dad was beating the kids. He would have reported it and the police and social services would have investigated. I also had a problem with the fact that a neighbor who reported it had her tires slashed and was run out of town and sued by the dad. If she had reported the abuse again the police and social services would have investigated it. Germany doesn't have mandatory reporting laws so it makes more sense that these things would have happened in Germany not the United States. I'm not sure why the location was changed from the original, but I think it would have worked better if it had remained in Germany.

[Jenni Frencham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kreller, Susan. You Can't See the Elephants. G.P. Putnam BFYR, 2015.

Mascha is languishing during her annual visit to her grandparents' small town. She is an outsider and has no one to play with during the summers she spends there. Then she meets two kids who have some strange bruises. She tries to tell, but no one believes her, until she decides to take matters into her own hands.

Child abuse is a very real issue, and I found Julia and Max's family to be completely believable. Of course they were able to put on a front, and of course the sleepy little town chose to ignore it rather than make waves. Mascha definitely made some, ahem, unusual choices regarding how to help Julia and Max, but in the end, she really was the one who helped them. I liked that this book was told from a bystander's point of view, and while it is obvious what is happening with Julie and Max, it isn't graphic.

Recommended for: middle grade, tween
Red Flags: Julie and Max both show signs of abuse, including mentioning that their father threatened to kill their mother if they told anyone
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Rain Reign, Nightingale's Nest, The War that Saved My Life

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/3 stars

[Anna Weasley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein sehr bewegendes Buch. Mascha ist echt ein sehr mutiges Mädchen. Gäbe es doch nur mehr Menschen wie sie, die helfen und nicht weg gucken wenn Kinder (oder allgemein Menschen) missbraucht werden!

[Lokum Çocuk Kutuphanesi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alman gençlik edebiyatı denilince akan sular duruyor. Aile içi şiddet ve bunun görmezden gelinmesi konusunu çok iyi işlemiş yazar.

[Mary Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

***Abuse and Trauma Trigger Warning***

Despite being a quick read, this book was brutal to get through. I hate it when kids get hurt, even if it just happens in a book. Perhaps what was so difficult about this book is that I know this fictitious story is a reality for so many kids. It was also difficult because of how this book dealt with the very real and very serious issue.

The story begins when Mascha, isolated in her grandparents’ picturesque, boring, little town for the summer, meets 9-year-old Julia, and her 7-year-old brother Max. Unlike most of the other kids, who largely ignore Mascha, Julia and Max don’t seem to have a problem with the fact that Mascha is from out of town. Instead, they attach themselves to her, and the three begin a tenuous friendship. Although Mascha is excited about finally having friends, she quickly grows concerned when she notices bruises on Julia’s stomach, and witnesses Max having a raged-induced fight with his imaginary friends. Her fears are confirmed when she goes to their house one day and sees the unthinkable: Max being thrown against the wall by his father.

Deeply worried for the safety of her friends, Mascha does everything in her power to save them, even going so far as to call the police when her grandparents ignore her. Desperate, Mascha comes up with an extreme plan to help Julia and Max. The problem? Her plan isn’t exactly legal, and may lead to more harm than good.

My big beef with this story is that I don’t know if it sends a good message to kids coping with abuse: that no one will listen if you tell. It also worries me that it may inspire children to follow Mascha’s dangerous plan if they feel helpless too. It is beautifully written, but I wish the story was handled differently.

Appropriate for upper elementary and middle school.

[Mila Kliucinskaite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Šios knygos pagrindinė veikėja yra Maša. Ji - trylikametė mergaitė, kurią augina tik tėtis, tačiau kiekvieną vasarą palieka ją pas senelius. Vieną dieną vaikų žaidimų aikštelėje ji sutinka du keistus vaikus - Juliją ir Maksą. Julijai devyneri metai, ji mėgsta klausytis muzikos, bet nemėgsta kai jai kažkas vadovauja. Maksui dar tik septyni metai, tačiau jis yra labai storas, tylus ir turi įsivaizduojamą draugą. Viskas vyko vasarą, mažame Barenburgo miestelyje. Julijai netyčia pasikėlus megztuką Maša pamato didžiules mėlynes ant jos pilvo. Paskui kelias dienas niekur neradusi vaikų ji sugalvoja nueiti pas juos į namus. Tai ką ji pamatė pro jų namų langą buvo siabinga. Vaikų tėtis laikydamas Maksą trenkė jį į sieną. Maša labai išsigando. Ji nusprendė, kad reikia padėti tiems vaikams. Maša į viliojo juos į mažą namuką miežių lauke ir ten juos užrakino. Vaikų pradėjo ieškoti visas miestas. Policija juos surado beveik po savaitės. Mergaitė papasakojo policijai, kad uždarė vaikus todėl, nes niekas kitas nieko nedarė. Šios knygos tema yra smurtas šeimoje. Pagrindinė mintis susijusi su knygos pavadinimu: dramblys yra kaip didelė problema apie kurią visi žino, tačiau iš baimės ar dėl patogumo niekas nieko nekalba ir nedaro. Yra toks posakis ,,dramblys kambaryje’’. 3 svarbios citatos: ,,Jie? Kas Jie? Tik tėtė daro. O iš tikrųjų ir jis nieko nedaro. Nieko jis nedaro!’’, ,,Tegu taip ir lieka’’, ,,Kai tėtė mane lupa, susirandu tašką sienoje ir visą laiką žiūriu į jį. Įsivaizduoju, kad esu kažkur kitur, puikiai pavyksta, visad esu tartum kitur, kai tėtę ištinka priepuolis’’. Šios citatos svarbios, nes jos parodo kaip mąsto mušami vaikai ir kaip reaguoja kiti žmonės. Šiai knygai nedaviau vienos žvaigždutės, nes buvo nelabai aiški pabaiga. Rekomenduočiau šią knygą ne tik paaugliams, bet ir suaugusiems.

[Bettina Lippenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meine Meinung:
Die Ferien für Mascha sind sehr langweilig. Immer muss sie in Barenburg, bei ihren Großeltern bleiben. Sechs Wochen lang. Keine Kinder mit denen sie spielen kann, niemanden mit dem sie überhaupt irgendwas verbindet. Seit ihre Mutter tot ist, gibt es keine andere Möglichkeit. Ihr Vater ist Dokumentarfilmer und viel unterwegs. Doch eines Tages, trifft sie auf Julia und Max. Beide sind sehr wortkarg. Mascha merkt schnell, dass irgendwas nicht stimmt. Da sind diese blaue Flecken und sie hat was durch ein Fenster beobachtet. Was soll sie tun? Sie schmiedet einen Plan. Denn keiner im Dorf, will etwas unternehmen. Nicht einmal davon reden, traurig das die Erwachsenen nichts für die Kinder tun wollen. Frau Brandner ist selbst Opfer. Die Kinder leiden sehr. Herr Brandner ist jähzornig und wütend egal was ist. Er fühlt sich immer gestört. Kommt am Ende die Wahrheit ans Licht?
Alle Erwachsenen stecken ihre Köpfe in den Sand, dass finde ich wirklich unmöglich und erschreckend. Natürlich ist Maschas Plan, nicht wirklich ausgereift. Aber sie tut wenigstens etwas. Nur, dass sie die Türe abschließt, ist wirklich grausam. Wieso hat sie Julia und Max nicht die Wahrheit gesagt? Vielleicht hätte die Geschichte, anders ausgehen können.
Auch wenn der Großvater die Großmutter nicht aufregen wollte, mischt er sich dennoch ein.

Sympathisch ist mir eigentlich nur, der Großvater. Auch wenn er zuerst, nicht wirklich etwas tut.

Mascha ist typisch 13. Sie weiß noch nicht wirklich, was sie da macht, will aber etwas tun um die Situation zu verbessern. Sie selbst hat es auch nicht leicht.

Wie gesagt, alle anderen Erwachsenen, sind es nicht wert, hier genannt zu werden.

Mein Fazit:
Sehr bedrückende Geschichte, in der die Erwachsenen überhaupt keine Hilfe sind. Den Berichten einer 13-jährigen nicht glauben. Jeder will nur, dass es so bleibt wie es ist. Veränderungen sind nicht gewünscht.

[Sandra (johnnylyserg) · Rating 3 out of 5]

What would you do if you were 13 years old and see your friends being beaten, but nobody would listen to you?

In this psychological YA, 13-year old Mascha spends her summer holidays at her grandparents. Nothing ever happens in this tiny village, and nobody really wants to hang out with Mascha, except for elderly people inviting her in for coffee.
But that changes when Masha meets 9-year old Julia and her younger brother Max at the playground. They have huge, colorful bruises and scratches all over their bodies and before Mascha can find a logical explanation, she accidentally watches Max' father pushing him violently into the walls of their house.
Yet nobody wants to believe her, not the neighbours, not her grandparents and especially not her own father. Trying to save the kids, she gets dangerous idea ...

Coming from a tightly knit society like this, I felt this novel with every bit of myself.
Actually, I could see this being a case study on societies in places where everybody knows everybody.
As long as people fit in, keep up appearances, keep their house and garden well maintained and fulfill their duties within the society, nobody cares what you do at home. The term 'never change a running system' really applies here, where keeping peace with everybody is the highest priority.
Let me tell you how tiring living like this can be!

The story itself was a bit cringe once in a while, but I can see this happening somewhere, and that scares me tbh.
If you have been growing up in a city, read this and be thankful for not having known this while growing up.

[Hana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book truely grasp the idea of THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM. 13 year old Mascha spends her summer days at her grandparents house. WHile at home her father grieves over their lost mother. She was tired of being in such a boring town, but one day she meets two kids Julia and Max. Mascha sees something, something unthinkable. A big round bruise right on Julia’s stomach as she lifts her shirt. No. No it can’t be. She soon accepts the truth and decides that action needs to be taken. She notifies her family, her neighbors, the whole town, but they all refuse to beleive in such a horrible thing. All the adults pretend as if nothing bad like that could happen in their peaceful town. . .

I was really touched by this realistic, controversial, and provocative story. I imagined as I was reading this book, would I ever be so brave, brave like Mascha to risk everything to save someone? This book made me really think about how help is needed most when people try to deny the truth. The truth that something excruciatingly horrible is happening right infront of their eyes. However, sometimes you are blinded by the fear to lose your loved ones.

#HISREADS #BOOK-A-WEEK

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kreller, Susan you can’t see the elephants, 179. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2015. $16.99. Language: PG (2 swears); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG.

13 year old Mascha is stuck in little town Clinton with her grandparents since her mother’s death. Everybody knows everything about everybody, and nothing exciting seems to happen. Until Mascha meets 9 year old Julia and her 7 year old brother, Max, and sees the bruises covering both of them and finds out about their home life. Now Mascha doesn’t know if she should help them or leave the whole situation alone.

I didn’t like this book very much. It is all over the place and the characters make very unrealistic and sometimes even dumb decisions. This makes it confusing and all-around not that good. I gave it a PG in language for mild swearing, a PG in mature content for child abuse, and a PG in violence for the same reason.

MS - OPTIONAL. Student Reviewer: DJ
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...

[Pam Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book (it's realistic and sad, my two favorites)! Mascha is spending the summer with her grandparents. Her mother is dead and her father is a documentary film maker who travels frequently (and is not really there even when he is). She's lonely and bored when she meets two children at the park. She realizes very soon that they are being abused by their father. She sees their bruises and feels their fear and terror at anyone else finding out about the abuse. In spite of this, she tries to talk to her grandmother about it and her grandmother brushes it off saying that Mr. Brandner wouldn't do such a thing. Mascha finally becomes so desperate she takes the children to an abandoned house.

Mascha is a great protagonist who does her best to save the children from a horrifying home life. Her actions lead to many repercussions but through it all she tries to do the right thing. Even when the right thing to do is wrong in many ways, Mascha remains true to the protecting the children and their welfare.

[Bridgit O'Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? I'm a sucker for an ambiguous ending and series of morally grey decisions. I understand this book is middle-grade and therefore not meant for older readers like me--but the suspense was very good and the weight of a decision, the idea of doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, and the idea of united community fear and denial where handled quite well in this story. It is a fascinating look at human psychology and suffering at a level 12 or 13-year-olds are equipped to manage. I think it was really quite good--quick read, I think it would be even for middle-schoolers, but certainly quite suspenseful and thrilling--the stakes were built up quite nice and even the reactions of Julia and Max where quite within the norm for traumatized children.
I liked it. I liked it a lot. I think there were a good number of lessons to be learned and the ending was very well written. Overall, I'd recommend this book for preteens or young teenagers, and even to adults with an interest in a good book.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

You Can't See the Elephants is a short but powerful story about a young girl who tries to do the right thing, the wrong way. Thirteen-year-old Mascha spends her summers with her grandparents in a very boring town inhabited by mostly older people. One day she meets two children Julia and Max and soon realizes they are being abused. She tries to tell her grandparents, but no one believes her. After asking around town she soon realizes that most people know what is going on but decide to stay out. This causes Mascha to decide to take matters into her own hands.
To see a thirteen-year-old girl take action and try to make a change when no one else would is inspirational and moving. Child abuse is a real issue and I’m glad that there are stories like these to make people more aware of their own communities. Although the choices Mascha made in order to save these children weren’t the best, at least she tried. I give this book a three out of five for being a realistic story and sending an important message out to readers.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ You Can’t See the Elephants by Susan Kreller was first published in Germany in 2012. It was translated by Elizabeth Gaffney and published in the United States in 2015.

This novel won the German Youth Literature Prize in 2013.

This novel got off to a slow start for me, but once I got into the story, I couldn’t stop thinking about the storyline or characters. The characters are well written.

What happens when a child finds out her friends are being battered by their father, but when she tells, either people don’t believe her or tell her to mind her business? How can she help her friends? What she does is so unexpected, I wasn’t sure she could come back from it.

I couldn’t stop thinking about these characters, and the author got the dynamics of abuse correct. Good read for middle grade age 10 and up because of depictions of abuse.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mascha was sent to her grandparents’ for the summer, where she would spend her days she was lonely and bored. She wanders around the neighborhood and listening to music. In the park, she meets a sibling, Julia and Max. They become friends. But when they spend more time together Mascha starts to realize that Julia and Max were physically abused by their father. When Mascha tells her grandparents and the authorities but no one believes her. What would she do? Are they going to be alright? Read this book to find out.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes books about friendship.

[Gustė Latvyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autorės Susan Kreller, knyga ,,Drambliai nematomi’’ yra labai įtraukianti į knygos eiga, bei knygos pasakojimą. Ši knyga yra apie mergaitę kuri vasarą leidžia pas senelius ir netikėtai susitinka vaikus kurie vėliau tampa jos draugai. Vieną dieną ji pamačiusi mėlynes ant berniuko Makso ir jo sesės kūnų. Mergaitė kuri pasakoja visą knygos istoriją susimąsčiusi nusprenžia jiems padėti. Bet ar šie vaikai norėjo tos pagalbos galima sužinoti tik tada kai perskaitysite knygą. Todėl šia knygą rekomenduočiau skaityti tiems kam patinka istorijos ir pasakojimai apie istorijas kurias galima sutikti ir šiomis dienomis.



Vilniaus ,,Kunigaikščio Gedimino’’ progimnazijos mokinė
Gustė Latvytė

[JanGlen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A difficult subject approached in a very confronting, head-on way - there's no subtlety here. The writing is good and I totally accept the inclination of a small community to turn a blind eye to anything that would disrupt their comfortable world. I found it hard though to believe that so many warning signs would be ignored or that those in authority would not have investigated those that did come to their attention. The response of the community when Mascha's rescue plan fails also seems over the top.
This is apparently intended as a young adult book and certainly sends important messages, despite its flaws.

[WKPL Children's/YA Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Lori read this sad story about child abuse and how the voices of children sometimes go unheard by the adults in whom they put their trust. This was a quick, easy read. The subject matter is tough, but an important one. Friendship. Promises. Good intentions gone wrong. This is an important story for kids to read. They should know how important it is (but how hard it can be) to talk to someone who can help when abuse is suspected.

Definitely a middle school read.