The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan is a wonderful novel by Katherine Applegate.  The story is fictional; the main characters of the story are both animals and people. While the novel is 301 pages and seems very long, it is actually much shorter than it appears.  Many of the chapters are a page or two long, so the story moves along very quickly and the pages turn fast.  The novel is also sprinkled with beautiful illustrations of the characters and events. For this reason, this might be a great transitional book for readers that shy away from longer books.  

Ivan is the star of the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade.  He is a silverback, a mighty gorilla plucked from the jungles of central Africa, taken from his family at a young age.  He has lived as the main exhibit in a small enclosure in the mall for many years, so long that he has trouble remembering his own family and his past.  The only parent he knows is the keeper, Mack, whose care for Ivan and the other animals is not first rate.  Ivan lives a life filled with smiling faces from tourists, lots of bananas and yogurt raisins, television, and painting. Every day Ivan paints in his enclosure and then Mack sells his art in the gift store.  Ivan has other friends with him at the mall: an elephant named Stella who performs for visitors daily in shows and a mutt Bob who roams the mall and returns at night to sleep on Ivan's stomach.  He also forms a friendship with Julia, the janitor's daughter that comes with him each night to do her homework while he cleans up at the mall.  But one day a new animal shows up: a baby elephant named Ruby. Ruby is scared and confused and Ivan makes a promise - Ruby will not grow up in the same life he did.  He vows to give her another life, one without claw-sticks and shows and isolation in small cages.  But how?  This life has been fine for Ivan, but he must find a way to save baby Ruby from growing up in the same life he has. 

I would recommend this novel for ALL readers - old and young, male and female.  It is a heartfelt story of love, compassion, strength, and hope.  While I think this novel is ideal for readers in grades 4-6, it could be a great read aloud for kids of younger ages as well.  This book is a great read for all the animal lovers out there, those that have a big heart for the furry creatures in the world.  The book offers a beautiful story full of imagery, similes, and other figurative language (any language arts teacher's dream!).  The One and Only Ivan has also been made into a movie on Disney + and would be a great opportunity to read the novel as a family and follow it up with watching the movie together.  (That's what our family did, complete with yogurt raisins as our movie snack!)  If you enjoy this novel, there is a sequel called The One and Only Bob that is on our family's reading list!       

The Magician's Elephant

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo is a fictional novel about a little boy named Peter that takes place in the fictional city of Baltese in Europe.  As with many of Kate DiCamillo's stories, this one includes an animal as a main character - an elephant. The story is 201 pages long and contains beautiful sketched illustrations to help the reader visualize the story.    

Peter was orphaned years ago, his parents dead, and now he lives with Vilna Lutz, an older military man training Peter to become a soldier.  Peter is sent to the market to buy food, but instead is distracted by the tent of a fortune teller.  After much consideration, Peter decides to use the money meant for bread and fish to find the answer to the question that burns deep in his heart: is his sister still alive?  He has been told by Vilna Lutz for years that she is no longer living, but his heart tells him otherwise.  The fortune teller examines his palm carefully to reveal YES!  Peter's sister is alive!  Peter begs her to tell him where she is, but all she will tell him is, "The elephant will lead you to her."  Peter leaves the tent even more confused, but with a determined resolution to find his sister.  There is no elephant anywhere near their city and he begins to question the fortune teller's words.  He goes to bed that night wondering who is lying - Vilna Lutz or the fortune teller?  But he awakes the next morning to the buzz in the town, the unfortunate events that took place in the opera house the night before.  A magician, older and losing his abilities, was attempting to conjure a bouquet of flowers for the Madame Bettine LaVaughn, the guest of honor at the magician's show, when an elephant appeared instead.  The elephant came crashing through the ceiling of the opera house, fell into the audience along with part of the ceiling, and crushed the legs of the Madame LaVaughn.  The Madame was taken to the hospital, the magician thrown in prison, and the elephant chained and locked in a stable.  But Peter knows this is no coincidence - this elephant holds the key to finding his long lost sister.  Peter must figure out what secret the elephant holds and how it will help him find his sister.  

The Magician's Elephant is a beautiful story of hope. I love Kate DiCamillo and if you loved Tale of Despereaux, you are sure to love this story as well! This book would be loved by upper elementary kids, probably best for grades 4 - 6.  While it is a work of fiction, I think lovers of realistic fiction will enjoy this tale as well, for the fictional elements are few.  I think both male and female readers alike would enjoy Peter's journey and the mission he is on to find the truth to the feeling he has kept deep in his heart all these years. Peter is a young man who has had a difficult life, but is committed to being a person of truth and integrity, and his story a heartwarming tale.     

Some Places More Than Others

Some Places More Than Others by Renee Watson is a realistic fiction novel about a little girl's journey to learn more about her family, and in turn, herself.  The novel is 191 pages, so it is a great "faster" read for readers who may shy away from longer books.  While the story is very relatable for kids entering their teenager years and looking for approval and to be considered as more responsible (with more freedoms) by their parents, this novel also dives deep into African American history.  Amara is FINALLY able to visit New York City, the birthplace of the Harlem Renaissance, and learns just as much about her heritage as she does her own family.  

In a few short weeks Amara will be 12, and she will also be a big sister for the first time.  The only thing she wants for her birthday is the same thing she has been begging her parents for for years - a trip to New York City.  Amara wants to meet her extended family there - her grandfather, aunt, and cousins she has only heard about and seen pictures of at this point. Amara lives in Oregon with her father and mother, who are finally expecting a baby girl. Her father works for Nike and has an upcoming work trip to New York City, and Amara knows this is her last chance to visit her family.  But her parents still refuse.  Then Amara finds her chance: the Suitcase Project that has been assigned by her teacher Mr. Rosen.  Each student will create a time capsule of their family that explores the family's past, present, and future.  Amara sees this as her chance!  She pleads with her parents, promoting the trip in the name of school, and they finally give in!  Amara is able to travel with her father to meet her relatives and see the wonders of the iconic New York City.  But Amara's trip isn't everything she thought it would be.  She quickly learns there is a reason she has not made the trip before and the relationship between her father and grandfather was severed years ago. Amara makes the trip to learn more about the family she has heard about and complete her school project, but ends up learning more than she ever thought possible about people, relationships, and her rich African American history in walking the streets of Harlem.  

Some Places More Than Others by Renee Watson is a great book for upper elementary or middle school readers.  I would expect girls may enjoy this novel more than boys since the narrator is female.  While this novel is not packed with action and adventure, it is packed with love and struggle and forgiveness.  I also recommend this novel for readers in cities with big history.  Amara is mesmerized by the sights and rich history of Harlem's streets, but Amara's cousins are jaded by it, not understanding her fascination.  As a resident of Birmingham, it reminded me of my own city's rich history that I often take for granted.  This novel was a great reminder not to forget the people and places that make our city unique with memories to be preserved and not forgotten, no matter how often they are seen.  Amara's passion to know more about her heritage and family is inspiring.  She is a beautiful character with a genuine heart that will certainly stick with readers.