by Katherine Applegate
Flap Copy Description:
Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.
Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.
Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home - and his own art - through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it's up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.
My Thoughts:
The One and Only Ivan is this year's Newbery Medal Award Winner! To say that Katherine Applegate's middle grade novel is unique and wonderful, would be a gross understatement. The talented Ms. Applegate is a master storyteller, writing with a poetic and lyrical style. The author bravely tells her tale (inspired by true events) in the first person through the eyes of Ivan - a silverback gorilla. Issues of love, hope, and friendship more than outshine the darker issues of loss, loneliness, and animal neglect that make this remarkable novel a must read. I would highly recommend The One and Only Ivan to readers from the ages of eight to eighty!
To learn more about the author, Katherine Applegate, click here: http://theoneandonlyivan.com/author/
