The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is a beautifully written, Newbery‑winning novel told from the perspective of Ivan, a silverback gorilla living in a small circus‑themed shopping mall. Written in a journal‑like format, Ivan reflects on his past, his present life in confinement, and his hopes for the future.
Reading Level
Lexile 570L
Interest Level
Grades 3-6
Length
80 pages
Award
Newbery Medal
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⭐ About the Book
Ivan lives at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall with Stella, an aging elephant who performs tricks, and Bob, a stray dog who roams freely. When the mall’s owner, Mack, buys a baby elephant named Ruby to boost business, Stella makes Ivan promise to find Ruby a better life. As Ivan talks with Ruby, he remembers what it means to be free and begins to dream of a different future for both of them.
With the help of Julia, the daughter of the mall’s custodian, Ivan creates a plan to save Ruby by painting a picture of a zoo and the word home. His artwork becomes the spark that changes everything.
This powerful story is perfect for upper elementary readers and works beautifully for lessons on point of view, theme, character development, and animal rights.
⭐ Book Details
| Publication Date | January 17, 2012 |
| Reading Level | Lexile 570L • Guided Reading Level S |
| Interest Level | Grades 3–6 |
| Awards | 2013 Newbery Medal |
| Length | 80 pages (approx. 24,400 words) |
| Estimated Reading Time | About 1 hour and 37 minutes |
| Audiobook Length | 3 hours and 46 minutes |
| Genre | Young Adult Literature • Biography-style Fiction |
| Setting | Northwestern town; Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade |
| Themes | Identity, Memory, Freedom vs. Confinement, Home, Animal Rights |
| Point of View | First-person (Ivan’s perspective) |
| Memorable Quote | “Memories are precious … they help tell us who we are.” |
| First Line | “I am Ivan. I am a gorilla.” |
The One and Only Ivan Activities
Book Unit Samples
This sample includes activities from Chapters 1-9 including vocabulary practice, comprehension questions, and constructed response questions.
The One and Only Ivan Activities #1 ~ Anchor Chart
Throughout his life, Ivan lives in four different places. This anchor chart lists those places.
I used this anchor chart two ways.
Option 1 is pictured. I wrote details on sticky notes and students sorted the details by location.
Option 2 – The class brainstormed details about each place Ivan lived. Students wrote details on sticky notes. The students then placed the sticky notes on the anchor chart in the correct locations.
The One and Only Ivan Activities #2 ~ Interactive Notebook Activity
The anchor chart activity was such a hit with my students that I decided to make a similar activity for interactive notebooks. The activity contains four pockets naming the four places Ivan lived. Twenty-seven cards with details from the story settings are provided. Students can also write their own details on the blank page of cards included.
In this print-and-go activity, students cut out their pockets and cards. Students fold the left, right, and bottom flaps toward the back to form the pockets. Students glued them into an interactive notebook.
To complete the activity, students sorted the details in the pockets based on the place the cards describe. Get The One and Only Ivan activities by clicking on the button.
The One and Only Ivan Activities #3 ~ Stem Project
Amanda Hutson shares her The One and Only Ivan activities including this fantastic Stem project idea.
The kids had to design a habitat for “Ivan” and test it to see which habitat could hold the most weight. We used clay, straws, and cardboard. Each student group started with the same amount of materials. We didn’t do it very scientifically as far as the weight goes. We just used chapter books to test and see which group would hold the most. It was fun.
Teaching Idea #4 ~ Cupcake Project
This cupcake project is fun and delicious. If you are too busy to bake homemade cupcakes, store-bought will work. Notice that our Ruby cupcake was created on a Little Debbie cake.
Students decorate the cupcake with candy to make it look like an elephant. The trunk is a marshmallow peanut. The ears are orange slices, and the eyes are M&M’s.
See the product that inspired this post.
The One and Only Ivan Novel Study includes vocabulary practice, comprehension questions, constructed response writing, and skill practice.
Check out blog posts for the other novels in this series.
