A Tale Magnolious

Written by Suzanne Nelson

An orphan and an elephant must save a town from despair.

5.0/7 Bookroo expert·4.2/5 Goodreads · 177 ratings

368 pages· 850L

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Bookroo's summary

Nitty, an orphan and thief, meets Magnolious, a fugitive elephant, during a dust storm. Together, they flee to Fortune's Bluff, a town ravaged by storms. With stolen seeds and determination, they aim to revive a barren farm and restore hope. As their efforts draw attention, the suspicious Mayor Snollygost threatens their plans. Can Nitty and Mag save the town and find a home, or will their pasts catch up with them? A tale of friendship, courage, and miracles unfolds.

But that was the truth of faith, Nitty supposed. The only way to get it to stick fast was to grab it firm by the fist and set it to work proving itself. (p. 33)

— from the book

From the publisher

Fans of Kate DiCamillo and Katherine Applegate will warm to this story of an orphan and an elephant who band together to save a lovelorn town, relying on an eccentric crew and a couple of miracles along the way. Nitty Luce is an orphan–and a thief. Magnolious is an elephant–and a fugitive. When the two misfits come face to face in the middle of a blinding dust storm, they form an immediate bond. But with Nitty hiding a stolen pouch of gleaming green seeds and Mag mere moments from being hanged, the two don’t have much time to get to know each other. Escaping into the storm, they end up on a barren farm in Fortune’s Bluff, a town withered by a decade of dust storms. While most would be deterred by the farm’s curmudgeonly owner, Windle Homes, Nitty sees past his harsh exterior. She promises to bring the farm back to life–with the help of Mag and those little green seeds. Soon enough, Nitty and Mag are harvesting their first crop, and they’re quickly the talk of the town. But as the townspeople become hopeful, the Mayor Neezer Snollygost becomes suspicious. Will Nitty and Mag be able to save Fortune’s Bluff and make a new, safe home for themselves? Doing so might just take a miracle. . . .

At a glance

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 368
Reading age: 8–12
Audience: Middle Grade
Lexile: 850L

Themes & topics

Books about friendship Books about magic Books about family Books about elephants Books about orphans

For the grown-ups

The parent guide

What families may want to know

Every family reads differently. These are the concepts our editors noticed in this book — worth seeking out for some readers, worth knowing about for others. The list isn't exhaustive, but it's a spoiler-light head start.

Sex

This book includes the following instance of the main character referencing reading material, "You'd be astounded by the number of times the word 'bosom' appears in the Daily Tattler. Once I counted over fifty in a single Saturday-morning edition!"

Abuse

The elephant in the story had a trainer who beat her, leaving scars and bruises.

Serious Subject Matter

This book contains the story of the main character, Nitty, who is an orphan and, on occasion, stole items or food.

After the last page

Talk about it together

Nitty sees past judgement others cast on Magnolious, finding empathy and truth as she does so. Have you ever found that judgments you had about someone were wrong? How does Mag’s story help you think about treating others?

Nitty has a talent for making loyal friends. What attributes helped Nitty succeed in winning over Windle, Twitch, and other friends?

What readers & critics say