The One and Only Ivan
Katherine Applegate
Readers rate it 4.2 (155 on Hardcover)
336 pages · Released Jan 6, 2015 · HarperCollins
Content report card
What's inside
Violence
Fighting, weapons, death
Language
Swearing, crude humor
Sexual content
Romance intensity, nudity
LGBTQ+ themes
Presence of characters or themes
Scary or mature
Horror, trauma, heavy themes
Substance use
Alcohol, drugs, smoking
What it offers
Positive messages
Kindness, courage, honesty, resilience
Positive role models
Characters who model good judgment and growth
Educational value
History, science, culture, how the world works
A note for parents
This Newbery Medal-winning novel tells an emotionally resonant story of friendship and hope from a gorilla's perspective, with minimal objectionable content. While the themes of captivity and animal welfare involve some sadness and mild emotional weight, the overall tone is hopeful and the story emphasizes compassion, courage, and art as transformative forces. The book is widely recommended for middle-grade readers and offers strong positive messages about empathy, sacrifice, and speaking up for what's right.
Analyzed by AI · 19 hours ago
From the publisher
Soon to be a major motion picture! Winner of the Newbery Medal and a #1 New York Times bestseller This unforgettable novel from renowned author Katherine Applegate celebrates the transformative power of unexpected friendship. Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this illustrated book is told f... Soon to be a major motion picture! Winner of the Newbery Medal and a #1 New York Times bestseller This unforgettable novel from renowned author Katherine Applegate celebrates the transformative power of unexpected friendship. Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this illustrated book is told from the point of view of Ivan himself. Having spent twenty-seven years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him. He hardly ever thinks about his life in the jungle. Instead, Ivan occupies himself with television, his friends Stella and Bob, and painting. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home, and his art, through new eyes. In the tradition of timeless stories like Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create an unforgettable story of friendship, art, and hope. The One and Only Ivan features first-person narrative; author's use of literary devices (personification, imagery); and story elements (plot, character development, perspective). Plus don't miss Katherine Applegate's Endling series!
Shelved under
- Juvenile Fiction
- Loveable Characters
- Strong Character Development
- Character driven
- Not Diverse Characters
- Diverse Characters
- A mix driven
- emotional
- hopeful
- lighthearted
- reflective
- funny
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ISBN 9780061992278 · HarperCollins