The One and Only Ivan book review

        Yesterday I finished a Newbery Award winning book called The One and Only Ivan written by Katherine Applegate and published in 2012. One of the reasons I would recommend this book to other children is because it is based on a true gorilla held captive at a mall in Washington state for seventeen years just for the pleasure of shoppers. Just knowing this book is based on real events makes me question and wonder why we capture animals and keep them prisoners. I visited Ivan’s Facebook page where I learned that he passed away this year because he was ill and died during surgery. An additional reason I recommend this book is because it has a satisfying conclusion. Without giving away the ending, Ivan finds a better home than the mall where he did not have any natural habitat. I think at this age young readers should finish a book and feel good about the world and themselves. Finally this book has an unusual point of view because the gorilla tells the story. Ivan tells his story with a plethora of humor like when he describes a dog sleeping on his oversized belly. I have never read a book where the animal is the narrator, and it makes the story more engaging. I would highly recommend this book to all animal loving readers.  Reviewed by Lauren