Modoc

  No, I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did.  Yes, I ended up reading it in two days because I could scarcely put it down.  I often have a tough time deciding how much more I'm going to read before I go to bed--not with this book.  With this one, I knew I was finishing it before I went to bed.

 Modoc: The World's Greatest Elephant, is a story of a relationship between a boy and an elephant.  It's a friendship that runs deeper than what one might imagine is possible between a man and an animal, even one as smart as an elephant.  

  Bram, the main character, and Modoc, the elephant, are born in the same farm in Germany at the same hour, and their bond is a special one.  Bram understands and cares for Modoc all the while training her to be a circus elephant.  Unfortunately, the circus is sold, and Modoc is bought by an American and put on a ship for the US that will go via India.  Bram stows away, only to be discovered and put to work, just before the ship sinks in a storm near India.  Somehow, Modoc and Bram escape, only to float for days in the water.  There are more adventures, including being caught up in a war and being stolen and coming close to death several times, and each one seems more amazing than the one before.  It's hard to believe it's all true.

 Modoc is a story of love, a story of friendship, a story of commitment.  It's a story that warms your heart and reminds you of the good in God's creation.  It reminds you what happens when we love selflessly, and how our lives can be enriched by others, even those that are not human.  It's a fun read, and it will convince you that Modoc probably was the world's greatest elephant.