I read this book for the first time last spring with my class. It was difficult reading a book aloud and not knowing what would happen. I loved the experience and my students were hooked by this book. They all emphatically told me I just had to read it to next year’s class.
Fast forward 8 months or so and I just finished it with my fifth graders this year. Nearly every book we’ve read together this year, we will review and rate. Students were both elated and sadden when we finished. We got to know Ivan so well that he felt like a member of our classroom. Ivan’s friends: Stella, Bob, Ruby, Julia, and George became our friends. I promised my students before Thanksgiving break that I would take their words and put them into my review. As I look through them, my heart melts and tears spring to my eyes.
“It is a good book. It breaks your heart and puts it back together.” –Jajuan
“I liked The One and Only Ivan because of all the details it gave and because of how the author put everything together. I’d give the book 5 out of 5 stars.” –Nemesis
“I thought that The One and Only Ivan was a great book. It was interesting because at the beginning was not that much, but then it was more interesting. That’s why people should read it.” –Eric
“The One and Only Ivan shows caring and helping. I would give it 5 out of 5 stars because it has a lot of drama with trouble and has a very good theme that teaches the reader something.” –Reagan
“I thought it was really good because it is about a gorilla- Ivan, 2 elephants- Stella and Ruby, and it teaches about captivity. We just fully read it and the saddest part is when something happens to Stella. You should read it because it is heartbreaking but Ivan finally gets someone to protect because he has no family.” –Keaton
“I loved the book. If you like animals talking it will be a great book for you.” –Nathan
“It’s a page turner! You should read it because it is very realistic and you will become friends with Ivan and the other characters!” –Alyssia
“The One and Only Ivan is a great book because it shows you how to treat others. It is a book that will take your breath away.” –Jeivan
“I would give The One and Only Ivan 5 stars because it’s a great book for people because it talks about how you’re never the only one and you make friendships and people are always there for you.” –Lelis
“I loved The One and Only Ivan. I give it 5/5 stars. You should read it because it’s sad and it could really happen. I dare you to read it.” –Ethan
“Awesome! I would give it 5 stars because when you finish a chapter it keeps your brain going and thinking ‘Dang! I want to read more.’ Yes, other people should read it because it’s funny, romantic, and action. If you like that, then you’ll like The One and Only Ivan.” –Mario
“I thought the book was a really good one. I think it’s really happy since Ivan kept his promise to Stella to protect Ruby. I think Ivan is very serious about Ruby since Stella died and he promised Stella to keep Ruby safe. You should care about this book because it’s sad, happy, and shows people are very wrong to cage animals but at least keep your family and friends safe.” –Ruby
“I think this a great book for people that feel alone. You should read it because you can see how lonely Ivan is and you can feel how in his point of view how it feels in a cage.” –Stanley
“My thoughts about The One and Only Ivan are that it was fantastic. I really don’t think it is only my opinion. You always want to know what the main idea is on the next page. You wish that it would be 100,000 pages because it’s like the end of a life and you just want it to keep going and going.” –Areonna
“The book is a funny, sad, and interesting book. The story was a cliffhanger because you want to know what happened next. I’ll give the book 5 stars because this story was unique since you never read a story that talks about a gorilla and his friends.” –Rachel
“This book is very detailed and is a page-turner. It keeps you wanting to read more and more and you can’t stop reading. Some very interesting things happen. Ivan is an artist and paints. He paints this one thing that will change his life forever. Read the book and find out what he paints.” –Ashley
My students amaze me. I love when it seems like maybe they didn’t get exactly what I wanted them to take away from a book, but then they surprise me with their insights.
Happy reading 🙂
A Bookworm's Words 