Once Again, Ivan, the Mighty Silverback, Captures the Hearts of Fourth Graders

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Hello, Readers!

This week, 4th grade book club members are discussing The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. This is the third consecutive year that the 4th grade book club members have voted to read Ivan, and I am always glad they select it because the story still makes me laugh, sigh, smile, and cry. Katherine Applegate, you created a masterpiece.

This unforgettable novel won the Newbery Award in 2013. Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this illustrated novel is told from the point of view of Ivan himself.

Having spent 27 years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall, Ivan, an easygoing gorilla, 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. With Ruby's arrival comes change, and it's up to Ivan to make it a change for the better. Full of humor and poignancy, the story focuses on the power of unexpected friendship, optimism, and hope.


Source: http://theoneandonlyivan.com/book/

Possible Discussion Questions:

1. Is The One and Only Ivan a story of pain and sadness, or is it a story of redemption and hope?
2. When he was living at the Big Top Mall, was Ivan lonely and isolated or surrounded by friends?
3. Was Mack a good guy or a bad guy?
4. What does Stella’s story about Jambo (pp. 63-66) tell us about gorillas?
5. What does Ruby’s story about the humans who rescued her in the jungle (pp. 101-105) tell us about humans?
6. Ivan explains that gorillas don’t name their newborns right away (pp. 123-125). What do you think your name would be if your parents waited to name you until they got to know you first?
7. How does Ivan change throughout this book? What events help to precipitate (cause) these changes? Think about any of these situations: a) expression of his anger; b) perception of his surroundings; c) feelings toward Ruby.
8. Should we keep animals in zoos, or should we allow animals to remain in the wild?

Curriculum Connections:

• Science (gorillas, elephants, habitats, survival and needs)
• Animals (rights, cruelty)
• Writing (argument)
• Character Development (friendship, problem solving, kindness)
• Visit The One and Only Ivan web site to learn more about the real Ivan and author Katherine Applegate.

What 4th Grade Book Club Members Thought:

• Our rating: 4.1 out of 5
• "One question I wondered was who is Not-Tag?" --Jeb
• "What happened to Mack after the animals left?" --Varun
• "My favorite part of the story was when George agreed to put the papers up on the billboard." --Jack
• "One question I wondered was why did the humans save Ruby?" --Addie
• "My favorite part of the story was when Ivan saw the other gorillas." --Varun
• "I want to talk about why Ivan was brought to the mall." --Hailey
• "One question I wondered was why did Ruby try to hurt Mack?" --Anjulia
• "My favorite part of the story was when they were at the zoo!" --Addie
• "I wondered what happened to the mall." --Ryan
• "I want to talk about how Stella died." --Jeb

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