A.R. Book Level: 3.6
A.R. Points: 4.0
Pages: 305
OK, I admit it. I might have been bending the truth a bit when I classified this one as a novel written in verse, but it's definitely not a traditional prose novel, either. Rather than being written in standard paragraphs, this story is told through the individual thoughts of Ivan, a gorilla in captivity at a road-side tourist attraction. His living conditions are poor, and when a baby elephant named Ruby is brought there, he knows he has to save her from the same awful life he's had. Ivan's thoughts are sometimes beautifully written and sometimes not-so-beautiful (but funny: readers will crack up over how he refers to his own poo). This is a story that will warm the reader's heart-- kind of like E.B. White's Charlotte's Web told from Charlotte's perspective. Please read it. I loved it, and you will, too.