Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan series offers a powerful, animal-centered look at empathy and freedom that give readers food for thought long after they finish the last page. The journey begins with Ivan, a silverback gorilla who has spent twenty-seven years living in a shopping mall circus cage. His world is small, consisting of his art, his TV, and his friends: an aging elephant named Stella and a scruffy stray dog called Bob. When a baby elephant named Ruby arrives, Ivan begins to see his “domain” through her eyes and realizes he must find a way to get her to a real sanctuary. This initial story sets the stage for a complete four-book series that follows these beloved characters as they find new lives and, eventually, start families of their own. By the time readers reach the final installment, The One and Only Family, they see Ivan handling the joys and pressures of being a father to twins, bringing the entire narrative arc to a satisfying and emotional close.
This series is a fantastic find for students who find dense blocks of text intimidating or are still getting comfortable with English. Applegate uses a unique, poetic layout with short lines and plenty of white space, which makes the pages turn quickly and keeps the reader from feeling overwhelmed. While the themes—like animal rights, habitat loss, and surviving trauma—are quite mature, the vocabulary remains accessible, and the first-person voice of the animals provides a clear, relatable perspective. Because Patricia Castelao’s expressive illustrations appear throughout the books, visual learners have constant anchors to help them understand the emotional shifts in the story without needing to decode complex descriptions. The real magic for a challenged reader is the sense of safety that comes with a long-running series. Once a student connects with the first book, they already know Ivan’s voice and Bob’s dry humor, which makes picking up the next three installments feel much less arduous and more like visiting old friends. In a classroom setting, these books serve as a perfect springboard for discussing environmental conservation or our responsibility to endangered species, all while helping students build the confidence and stamina needed for full-length novels.
Total Books in Series: 4 Best Starting Point: The One and Only Ivan
