Great Middle Grade Reads discussion
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The One and Only Ivan
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BOTM for August - THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN
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Yea! On my way to get it right now.
I *might* read this again soon! I liked it.
If you read it aloud to the kids, you WILL get choked up! I have read this for 2 years and the kids both 4th though 6th grades LOVED it.
Mod
Read it when brand new, liked it very much.
Just put a hold on a copy from the library. Hope I get it soon. I've seen this book on the shelves at bookstores and the library but never really looked at it closely. It sounds pretty interesting though.
I have wanted to read this for a long while. Looking forward to it!
I read it when it came out and it was amazing!
This is such a great read aloud -- I love the gorilla-y voice. But it's poetic at the same time. Begins in iambic pentameter, for those poetry nerds among us.
Just finished. I loved it. Great story without being preachy. I will definately recommend this to the students!
Mod
Still have Origami Yoda to read; I just got it on Wednesday.
For some of the students in my English classes, this is their first foray into a narrative written in verse. It is beautifully written. The sparseness of the words on the page really strike the students at first. And I loved hearing one of my students comment, in her book group, that what she loved was that the spaces gave you time to really think about what had been said.
For some of my older students, I recommend them reading 'Half Brother' Kenneth Oppel, afterwards.
About halfway through the book now. I like it, but find it so sad. Abuse/mistreatment of animals is something that bothers me so much. Hoping there is a happy ending.
Just finished the book. Glad it ended at least semi-happy. Good story overall. If I wasn't already against animal abuse of all kinds and the mistreatment of animals in captivity, I certainly would be after reading this.
This is one of my favorite books, even though I have read it 4 times. School begins next week, and I hope to use it as my first read aloud in 4th grade. I surveyed the teachers they had last year, and no one used it in class. I'll soon be able to ask how many of the students have already read it. It's one time when I would wish to see no hands go up. I love seeing the students get excited as the story unfolds. It leads to some great discussions and writing opportunities about animals, pets, animal rights, zoos, families. I have enjoyed Ivan's voice, but thanks for the comment, M.G., regarding the rhythm and poetry. I will try to pay more attention to that in this reading.
I must have missed the poetic rhythm. I didn't find it poetic at all. Not like other novels-in-verse for kids like Sharon Creech's "Love That Dog" or "Out of the Dust" or any other typical novels-in-verse (which I have read quite a few of). I found Ivan to be easy reading and a little sparse, but didn't think of it as poetic.
I really liked this book, it was lovely, funny, sad and uplifting. I liked the style that it was written in, keeping it short and more to the point really helped give it the feel that you were really getting Ivan's words and not being told a story by a person.
I missed the rhythm and poetry of the writing as well. I didn't even notice the iambic pentameter I was so into the story.
I truly enjoyed this book.
Mod
The language was sparse, which was fitting, but not necessarily poetic in my opinion.
Rebecca wrote: "Melissa--what iambic pentameter?The language was sparse, which was fitting, but not necessarily poetic in my opinion."
Guess I should chime in here, because I'm the one who started the whole "Iambic pentameter" thing. If you read those opening lines of the book, the meter reads da DUM da DUM da Dum da DUM da DUM.
We had a discussion about it in a writing workshop I attended, so it isn't my original idea. Not that Ivan is poetry -- it's definitely a work of prose. But it has a wonderful read aloud quality that you don't find in every book. I always love it when I find it, and one of the reasons I love middle grade fiction -- a lot of writers who write middle grade pay attention to the rhythm of their words and the way they SOUND, knowing there's a good chance their books will be read out loud.
Other books that I've loved reading out loud are Grace Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Kate DiCamillo's The Magician's Elephant and all of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books. This might be a great discussion on its own : )
Unfortunately my boys are getting to the age where they are so busy with homework and activities that we don't read together as much (although the dog will still tolerate me reading out loud to him when I'm home alone).
Mod
I think a discussion of the best read-alouds (for whatever reasons--there are books we like to read aloud because WE like them, and ones that make the whole family laugh, etc.) would be a great idea.
We read aloud to our boys pretty much every night until the older one started high school. I still miss it. I loved those times with all four of us jammed onto the sofa sharing a book (though the jamming was getting a bit tight as the boys got larger)!
Mod
http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2014/09...
For a writer, I can sure sometimes find myself unable to put things into words! I think the problem may have been an inability to achieve an adequate suspension of disbelief--but that begs the question of why not, since I believe all sorts of impossible things before breakfast every morning.
Ivan is a performing gorilla at The Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. He makes drawings that are sold, with or without a frame. He draws, colors, and later, paints. He is an artist. He had always been one. Stella is an elephant, also part of the sideshow at the Mall. Bob is a dog; he is his own master. He likes sleeping on Ivan’s stomach. The three are friends.When a baby elephant, Ruby, is brought to the Mall, to improve business, Stella adopts her. Ruby is just a baby and very inquisitive. Soon she is friends with Ivan and Bob.
Daisy wants a better life for Ruby. She makes Ivan promise he will help Ruby, which he does.
This then, is the brief story. It is about rescuing an animal and finding it a good home. What sets the book apart is that the rescue is carried out by another animal. Again, not really. Panchatantra Tales and Aesop’s Fables have animals helping each other. If a mouse can help a lion, why not a gorilla rescue an elephant?
I think this is not an animal rescue story. Primarily, it is about taking a look at ourselves, the homo sapiens. Like Stella says, “Human beings can surprise you sometimes. An unpredictable species, Homo sapiens.”
There are other issues also and the story serves as a vehicle for them. For instance, Ivan blanks out his earlier years, which is a common reaction to trauma. George reminisces about Ivan's early years; the classic case of the abuser deluding himself.
What makes this book so special is the way the author renders Ivan as a character. Somehow, she's drawn him in a way that is completely relatable for us, without sacrificing any of his gorilla-ness. His gorilla perspective on all the humans in his life casts fresh light for us on who we are. So, although Ivan is regularly mystified by the behavior of the people in his life, his thoughts help us understand ourselves.
Oh, I just picked up this book as I so want to read! I have the feeling it will break my heart.
Great Middle Grade Reads
Books mentioned in this topic
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (other topics)The Magician's Elephant (other topics)
The One and Only Ivan (other topics)
Here is the Goodreads Description of this multiple award-winning book:
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.
Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.
Newbery Medal (2013), School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (2012), Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award Nominee (2015), SCBWI Crystal Kite Member Choice Awards for California/Hawaii (2013), Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Books (2012)
NCBLA - Notable Children's Books in the English Language Arts (2013), Bluestem Book Award Nominee (2015) ...le