The One and Only Ivan

by Katherine Applegate

Humans speak too much. They chatter like chimps, crowding the world with their noise even when they have nothing to say.

Gorillas are as patient as stones. Humans, not so much.

The glass says you are this and we are that and that is how it will always be.

Humans always smell odd when change is in the air. Like rotten meat, with a hint of papaya.

“A good zoo,” Stella says, “is a large domain. A wild cage. A safe place to be. It has room to roam and humans who don’t hurt.” She pauses, considering her words. “A good zoo is how humans make amends.”