Darin Elliott Livres

Eleven-year-old Danielle Godot has her own room in a nice house near the beach, two devoted parents, a kid brother who is only occasionally a pain in the you-know-what, a parakeet, a rabbit and a loyal best friend who is as into skateboarding and animals as she is. What could possibly be wrong with this picture? In Elephant in the Living Room, authors Alison Leslie Gold and Darin Elliott show that even colossal problems can be invisible as long as no one wants to see them for what they are. Gutsy, tom-boyish, big-hearted Danielle loves her father fiercely. But she is embittered by the loss of her beloved mutt, Beckett, who disappeared as a result of one of her dad's bouts of drinking-induced irresponsibility. What's wrong with him? Are they all going crazy? Aimed at children from the ages of about 10 to 14, and all who are confounded by problem drinking, Elephant in the Living Room tells the story of how a good man's slide into alcoholism damages the people who love him most, and how his family summons the courage to make themselves - and him - face up to it and get help. The narrative is leavened with Beckett's clear-sighted and irreverent commentary and the book concludes with a list of resources for those whose lives are affected by alcoholism.

When a favorite relative suddenly moves into their home ‘just to rest and heal’ (so their parents tell them), Zachary, 13, & Tristan, 15, are suspicious that it’s something more, as is their dog Cassandra, a rescued pet with a mind (and commentary) of her own!Great aunt Tante has always been there for them and was a major confidant in their teenage struggles—with bullying (as told in Elephant in the Classroom) & gender issues (Elephant in the Closet)ˆbut as Zachary gets more and more in touch with his intuition, he starts to suspect that Tante’s condition is far worse than their parents are telling them, and the issue of Death and what (if anything) comes after it, begins to affect the family’s everyday lives.Not to mention the ghost in the basement that seems to be on the move….Told with quirky humor and a chapter relaying mankind’s long history of interpreting Death and a possible Afterlife (or not), this is another in the ‘Elephant’ series for Middle Grade readers (and adults.)