Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Middle Grade Monday (a day late): The One and Only Family by Katherine Applegate

The One and Only Family by Katherine Applegate. 272 p. HarperCollins Publishers, May 7, 2024. 9780063221123. Review of finished purchased copy.

Happy Monday, a day late! I posted this to my school's learning platform yesterday and didn't get around to pasting and posting here. Happy July as well! It was a lovely day out there, so I hope you enjoyed the weather! Middle Grade Monday features The One and Only Family by Katherine Applegate. This is the final book in the quartet called One and Only Ivan Stories. 

Ivan is a silverback gorilla, who is now living in a zoo/ wildlife sanctuary. Life is good. He has his own troop and even has a mate, Kinyani. Ruby lives in the habitat next door and often visits Ivan, and Bob was adopted and visits often as well. Ivan wants to be a good silverback, but grapples with tragedies from his past and worries about the future. Can he be a good dad to his twins? What should he tell them about his past?

Ms. Applegate skillfully juxtaposes humor with intense philosophical questions about conservation and the natural world. The spot art is just lovely. It is best to read all four books to appreciate the growth of this found family. 

Happy reading!

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