Hey there. Welcome to Feature Shelf, a series that provides book recommendations based on theme or title suggestions. Like last week, this week’s shelf was requested by a former student of mine. I am the (book) supplier and this is Feature Shelf #18, the One and Only Ivan Edition.
Our title book this week is The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate which begins like this: “I am Ivan. I am a gorilla. It’s not as easy as it looks.” For 30 years, Ivan has lived at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall, and has been its main attraction. Spending his days talking to his friends: Stella (the elephant) and Bob (a stray dog), and doing art that his keeper sells to shoppers, Ivan’s life is simple. That is, until it’s not simple anymore. While this story is fictional, it was inspired by the life of a real gorilla who used to live at Zoo Atlanta.
Fans of The One and Only Ivan might enjoy this next book, which involves an elephant, a fortune teller, a really bad magician, and a boy who is being trained to be a soldier. The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo. Peter is 10, and is the ward of a man who used to be a soldier. The day he is sent to the market square to buy food, he spends the florin on one answer from the fortune teller instead, who tells him that the elephant will help him figure out what happened to his sister, who died along with his parents, though Peter’s having a tough time believing that’s true.
The last book on this week’s Feature Shelf, which I know is shorter than usual, is Half-Brother by Kenneth Oppel. Because of his father’s job, Ben and his family move from one side of Canada to the other. See, Ben’s dad is a behavioral scientist and has landed funding to see if a chimpanzee can develop language. Ben is expected to treat the chimp like a brother throughout the experiment, though he’s never had any siblings, and finds himself with ill feelings toward both the chimp and his parents.
So there are some books you might enjoy if you’re a fan of animals in books: The One and Only Ivan, The Magician’s Elephant and Half Brother.
And that’s it for this episode. For the Feature Shelf archives and show notes, both video and podcast, or to request your own Feature Shelf check out thebooksupplier.com/featureshelf. You can also send me requests on Facebook or Twitter at thebooksupplier (all one word) or an email at thebooksupplier at gmail dot com.
I’m going to leave you there now, dear readers. Thanks for listening to Feature Shelf #18: The One and Only Ivan Edition. As always, I am the supplier wishing you happy reading. Don’t forget to be awesome.
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Thus endeth this week’s Feature Shelf. I hope you found something on it that piques your interest. If not, and you’d like to request your own feature shelf, you can do so by leaving me a comment here on YouTube, or on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+, or on the contact page at thebooksupplier.com. Thanks for watching Feature Shelf #18, The One and Only Ivan Edition. I am the (book) supplier wishing you happy reading. Don’t forget to be awesome.
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