The One and Only Ivan

In this 2013 Newbery Award Winner, a fictionalized account of Ivan, a real-life gorilla who was a Seattle mall tourist attraction for 26 years, is exquisitely written by Katherine Applegate for middle grade readers.  Ivan, has resigned himself to his glass habitat, burying his childhood memories of his life and family in the wild , but all of this changes when a baby elephant is brought in as a last-ditch attraction attempt by the mall owner.  As Ivan now has someone to protect, he becomes our dear, silverbacked hero.