Read by Xe Sands

Newbery medalist Katherine Applegate and the artist G. Brian Karas present the extraordinary real story of a special gorilla. Captured as a baby, Ivan was brought to a Tacoma, Washington, mall to attract shoppers. Gradually, public pressure built until a better way of life for Ivan was found at Zoo Atlanta.From the Congo to America, and from a local business attraction to a national symbol of animal welfare, Ivan the Shopping Mall Gorilla traveled an astonishing distance in miles and in impact. KATHERINE APPLEGATE's books include the Roscoe Riley Rules chapter book series and the award-winning novel Home of the Brave. G. Brian Karas is the prolific and versatile illustrator and writer of many children's books including Atlantic and Saving Sweetness by Diane Stanley, both ALA Notable Books, and Home on the Bayou, a Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor title. The New York Times describes his work as "...depicted in a childlike style that belies the sophistication of the drawings. Exquisite and moving in its subtlety." He lives in the Hudson Valley of New York with his family. Visit him a gbriankaras.com

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