The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

This story is very heartfelt on building your own loved ones into an often unique family. I bought my 10 yr old granddaughter a copy and she had come up with the idea of reading good books together across the many miles we are apart. So we chat long distance on our reads. It is extra special to me that it was her idea to have our own book club discussing this and other good books. Now on to our next fourth great book.
This book is thoughtful on animals in low level sideshow type captivity and finding a real home with the other animals and the good caregiver and his daughter. We both enjoyed our time with Ivan. Now half the adult family wants to read our next book and discuss. It is also fun to find a new book and send her our next read. It is fun to find top books for age appropriate fun. The other new family members can join us but they get to buy their own copies!

Age appropriate read and offers a good perspective to readers. A good third grade reader had no challenges. Book offers up things to talk about.

I love this book. I think everyone else will also. I really enjoy watching the kids read this book sometimes to themselves but, also when they read it to their pets. It gets them excited to read.

This book won the Newbery Medal for Childrens Literature in 2013, and it was much deserved. Heres what the book has going for it:

1. The Targeted age of the reader: In recent years people have complained that the Newbery Medal was being awarded to books that were for an older demographic, like older teenagers. Im not sure I agree with that, because when you read the earlier Newbery Medal books you can tell by the vocabulary and subject matter that the intent has always been for these books to enrich the young reader regardless of age. With that said, Ivan is a book that has a slightly younger age group in mind. Which is important as it will introduce the young reader to great stories spurring them on to try to read more Newbery Medal books.

2. The story is based on a true story. Ivan was real! The main parts of the story are true. This would be a great school book for a young, say 5th grade, class to read, and then research the true story. A simple Google search will turn up all kinds of information about the real Ivan, pictures and all. In turn this information could be used in projects and presentations.

3. I love the characters! I truly enjoyed getting to know every character presented in the story. From the animals to the humans, each one has a great personality that I really enjoyed. My two favorite characters were the young girl, Julia and the dog, Bob. The author could easily write more books about Ivan, and Julia and Bob.

4. The illustrations are nice, and very contemporary.

What I didnt Like:
1. The book is separated out, but not into chapters. I wish she had done that.

I really felt a "Charlottes Web" vibe to this book. The plot and characters have some similarities that just made the book overall enjoyable to read.

I recently heard that Disney has bought the movie rights to this story, and I hope thats correct. It would make a great movie!

I remember a lot of excitement around The One and Only Ivan when it was released and later won the Newbery Medal (along with numerous other awards). As a result, it made it on my "to read" list...it just took me a while to get around to it.

From a high level, theres an element of being "based on a true story" in that there was a real Gorilla on a billboard and in a less than happy zoo-life in an mall. There some opportunities for editorializing as we learn about the hunting and capture of animals and of the treatment of some animals...but mostly this is definitely a fictional account. That said, there are elements that are harshly real and could certainly trouble young readers (even though it is geared towards younger readers).

Part of the hook, as youll find early on, is that the book is narrated by Ivan, the gorilla. Ivan is a gorilla who was captured young and has virtually no memory of life outside of captivity. Through Ivans eyes we see his understanding of himself and his world increase as he interacts with and observes friends/neighbors (an old elephant named Stella, a stray dog named Bob, a baby elephant named Ruby and the humans outside his enclosure). Ivan has a very unique voice that is sometimes heart wrenching, some times frustrating and often endearing. The author creates a wonderful voice of innocence, simplicity and curiosity.

The main plot felt predictable to me at times but did have a few unexpected twists and turns that made me smile. And even as the plot moved along as I expected it to, I found myself enjoying the journey thanks to the wonderful narrator and the great characters. Even the human zookeeper, who you might think we are supposed to despise, was created in such a way that you feel compassion for him and the struggles hes going through. Although this story is told from the point of view of the animals, it is a wonderful exploration of emotions, kindness and human nature (or any other creature). Most of the "animal" stories that kids (and adults) interact with these days are slapstick silliness without getting into any depth. Ivan goes more than just skin deep and really stirs your thoughts and emotions.

Sitting at around 300 pages, this could be a daunting read for a young reader and may be something worth reading aloud with them rather than having them read solo (especially because of the tragic elements in the story) but the simple narrative style makes it a fast and easy enough read that most grade-schoolers should be comfortable reading.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and recommended it to my daughter as a reading book for her free reading time in class. The story is filled with humor, loss, growth and learning. All in all, its a good read and makes me want to seek out more from Applegate.

****
4 out of 5 stars

A really good book to read.

When my 11-year-old finished reading this novel, his first statement was, “I LOVED that book!” With an endorsement like that and because it was the first instance where he ‘stopped time,’ I had to read the book too.

A copy of the author’s Newbery Medal acceptance speech is at the back of my copy of The One and Only Ivan. In it, the author says,” We live in a world where children are bullied into despair and even suicide; where armed guards in a school hallway are considered desirable; where libraries are padlocked because of budget cuts; where breakfast and backpacks, for too many children are unaffordable luxuries.”

“What makes children better than the rest of us is that they are buoyant, unrepentant optimists.”

As a writer, reader, and lover of words, I make it a habit to ‘stop time’ whenever I come across sparkling phrases that deserve homage. A ‘stop time’ is where we stop whatever we are doing to read out loud and to listen; we listen to both the author’s words and to what made that phrase so meaningful to the reader.

Although my son and I read the same book, our reactions to it were as different as a carefree stroll through the park and being caught in a traffic snarl in the city at rush hour. Where my son delighted in the animal conversations, I sobbed.

Pixar uses humor with double meaning brilliantly in their storytelling. Katherine Applegate uses the same technique, but in a more realistic vein.
I sobbed because the adult world my son will live in doesn’t have easy answers. It isn’t colorful, silly, and happy all the time. The innocence of his childhood is beginning to seep away.

While Ivan and Ruby soothe each other and tell stories to help them sleep, the author communicates the ache of loneliness, coping skills, feeling boxed in, and the power that is found when helping a friend…or your own child.

The first ‘stop time’ that my son called happened when Ivan makes an impossible promise to Ruby, the baby elephant.
I’ve been waiting and watching for this moment. A maturity level that notices deeper concepts. An opportunity to share family ideals and values. An easing into the world of adulthood – or at least into the turbulent teens.

“Children know all about sadness,” comments Applegate in her speech. “We can’t hide it from them. We can only teach them how to cope with its inevitably and to harness their imaginations in search for joy and wonder.”

This was one of my favorite books as a kid, and now that I am a teacher I love that I get to read it to my students! It is such a good book for kids and adults alike, and is great for teaching children about animal cruelty, animals in captivity, and friendships. Wonderful book!

My daughter really likes this book.

This book was a summer required reading for my elementary school student. She enjoyed it.