Elephant Run by Roland Smith

If you're like me you probably don't know much about herding elephants in Burma. But if you like books about war with a lot of action and teenage characters who do amazing things, try this one. It's 1941 and the world is at war. Nick finds himself on his father's plantation in Burma where things are supposed to be safe, however the Japanese are threatening to invade the country and things very quickly get dangerous. Nick, who is trying to adjust to a world of elephants and mahouts (elephant trainers) and a dad he barely knows becomes a prisoner of the Japanese and his father is sent to prison camp. There's a lot going on in this book, but to sum it up, Jack learns a lot and bravely escapes and tries to free his father. I enjoyed the action and learning about what went on in Burma during World War II. I think middle school guys will especially like this one.