Owen and Ruby

"You're new, aren't you? It's okay. I'm Owen. I'm volunteering at the zoo. You'll like it here. I promise. Don't worry. You'll make friends here. I know you will. I'm pretty new to this town as well. For now, we can be each other's friends. Do you have a name? Hmm. I don't think so. I'll call you Ruby. A beautiful name for a beautiful elephant."

Owen has just moved from New York to the small town of Chrysanthemum, where he's starting middle school. He's left all of his friends, and even worse, he has to deal with Eric. One day, while he's volunteering at the zoo, he meets a young elephant named Ruby. She smells like fresh grass and wet mud, and she becomes Owen's best friend.