The one and only Ivan
(Book)

When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets Ruby, a baby elephant that has been added to the mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.

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. -- From dust jacket.

Katherine Applegate was inspired to write The One and Only Ivan after reading the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, the Shopping Mall Gorilla. Originally bound for the B&I Circus Store in Lakewood, Washington, "Ivan" arrived in the U.S. August 1964, weak, malnourished, and near death. The B&I pet store manager and his family ended up raising Ivan in their South Tacoma home until he became too large, strong and boisterous, causing substantial damage to their home. ($17,000-- or around $158,500 in 2024). Following the advise of experts, on March 4, 1967, Ivan was moved to B&I. After B&I went bankrupt Ivan was sent to Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, though due to lack of space, Ivan was then sent to Zoo Atlanta on permanent loan. Ivan was a beloved celebrity at the zoo, and was well known for his paintings, which he "signed" with a thumb print. Ivan died Monday, August 20, 2012 at the age of 50.

Ages 8-12.

Middle School.

570L,Lexile

Structure indicator: 90 (high),Syntactic indicator: 80 (high),Semantic indicator: 100 (very high),Decoding indicator: 90 (high),Lexile.

Newbery Medal, 2013

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