Elle Pierre's Blog - Posts Tagged "the-one-and-only-ivan"

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


You wouldn’t think the greatest adventure could take place behind a glass wall. But you are mistaken.

The One and Only Ivan is a terrific middle-grade fantasy by Katherine Applegate, based on a true story of a silverback gorilla held captive in a Washington state shopping mall.

I LOVED The One and Only Ivan. The characters are all well-rounded and lively (I can see this book becoming a movie!), and the story in itself is inspiring. Patricia Castelao supplied just enough illustrations to fuel readers’ imaginations after the initial ignition of the author’s words. I was lucky enough to receive a copy that included Ms. Applegate’s Newbery Medal Speech, which made the book that much more personal to me.

This is not your usual “talking-animal book” in which humans are demonized to being the heartless, wicked, bad guys that don’t belong on earth; it strives to show the best and the worst in people, and encourages us to be the best. And that’s what makes this book great.
Another thing I adored about the book is the format: the chapters are written as if somebody gave Ivan his own typewriter! I thought it was a cute touch.

Aside from its occasional nods to evolution (I mean, it's a book about a primate, what do you want?), The One and Only Ivan is a wonderful book that I believe is a classic in the making!




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