Ruby is about to be celebrated on her Tuskday, a coming-of-age ceremony for elephants. Rather than feeling excitement, however, Ruby feels dread. She tries to run away, but her friends Ivan and Bob find her and coax her into telling them what’s on her mind. Ruby ends up sharing her earliest memories of Africa, of her mother and the poachers who murdered her for her tusks, and of being shipped off to the Big Top Mall, where Ruby met her new friends. Now that she is safe and has found a new home in the Animal Sanctuary, Ruby is grateful, but also sad for all that she has lost.

Ruby’s story is emotional and painful to read about, but middle grade readers do not need to be shielded from the harsh realities of animal mistreatment. In telling her story, Ruby honors her mother’s memory and embraces the new herd that has adopted her. Readers who are inspired to take action or learn more about elephant conservation should read the Author’s Note at the end of the book.

Highly recommended for gr. 3-7, and for anyone who has enjoyed the previous stories about Ivan and Bob. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have had the pleasure of reading Katherine Applegate's two other books preceding this story: The One & Only Ivan & The One and Only Bob and just like them, The One and Only Ruby was a joy to read. I loved delving into Ruby's perspective & feeling the genuine love that surrounded her. I am a big fan of Applegate's writing and this book just lived up to all the feels I get when reading her work.

Being a youth services librarian, I am always recommending Applegate books to my patrons. This year, as part of middle grade's summer reading assignment, they have to read The One and Only Ivan. When kids come in to ask for the book, I tell them "trust me you are going to love this story! And when you are done with that book, you could read the next two in the series!"

Thank you #Netgalley, Harper Collins Children's Books & Katherine Applegate for providing me with the opportunity to read a digital ARC of The One and Only Ruby in exchange for an honest review..

This is the third part of the One and Only series started by the widely acclaimed One and Only Ivan. At this point the series feels a bit played out to me. Ruby's story is relatively simple: she's a young elephant who is anxious about her upcoming tusk ceremony because she has traumatic memories of her mother's murder by ivory poachers. The story is sad and some information about conservation is shared but it felt sort of...pointless, I guess, overall?

I would like to start this off by saying yet again it is always a pleasure to read and review a Katherine Applegate masterpiece. When we first met Ruby as an infant, she was sweet but shy and gave us very little idea of what her past held. Having learned about the lives of Ivan and Bob, Ruby, the last of our unlikely trio , is coming of age as her tusks come in and steps forward for this addition to the trilogy to tell her side of how she came to be in the small Big Top Mall Circus. Our skilled and oh so talented author, speaking with a mixture of innocence, hope, and deep seeded pain, brings Ruby’s voice to life as she shares with her found family why she doesn’t want to celebrate her tusks, and how she came to lose her first family in Africa. This is tricky topic to say the least to tackle for a book meant for a younger generation. On one hand, the horror of the ivory trade and what it has done to decimate the elephant population deserves to be heard, on the other the traumatic experience of seeing one’s family slaughtered by poachers is something that may be too much for a child to grasp without being ill effected. Personally I praise Mrs. Applegate s gift for tactfully addressing this. She is sensitive to the feelings of children who might be overwhelmed but does not shy from the painful truth of the fate of Ruby’s herd. After tiny baby Ruby is taken in by Humans, she is then shuffled from home to home like a foster child searching for stability before finally winding up with Ivan and Bob at the Mall then later with her new herd at the zoo. By reliving her past she finds healing and is able to move forward. It’s all very lovely and a very satisfying conclusion.

The One and Only Ruby finally brings us the story from Ruby's point of view. We still get to see all of our favorites from the previous books but we get to find out more about our precious Ruby. Katherine Applegate does an amazing job of bringing these characters to life. The storyline is very moving and tugs on the heartstrings, much like the others. I highly recommend this series.

Ruby is facing the right of passage within her Elephant trip, but life hasn't always been easy and Tuskday brings both good and bad memories to Ruby. Follow Ruby on her journey as she learns the true meaning of Tuskday.

Such a heartfelt book about elephants. I loved every bit of Ruby’s story and though I cried, her story brought so much realization to what is happening to the elephant’s.

Such a sweet, heart-wrenching story to round out this lovable trio! I truly loved Ruby's story - the tributes to Stella, her memories of her herd and her mother, and the humans that helped her along the way. Ruby's story is as important as Ivan's and Bob's, and will inspire readers to learn how they can help protect these majestic animals. I really loved getting to know the other elephants in her new herd as well. Another masterpiece from Katherine Applegate!

From author Katherine Applegate, The One and Only Ruby introduces readers to a little elephant named Ruby. Ruby's tusk day is coming and she finds herself struggling to celebrate. While living in an animal sanctuary, Ruby recounts her story and struggle to friends, Ivan and Bob. Can she find acceptance of her past in order to enjoy this rite of passage? Or will she run away instead?

This is a sweet animal story geared toward middle grades 5-8th. Ruby is so precious and shares her feelings in an age appropriate way. I loved how she narrates her growth process and finally vocalizes what's really bothering her. It's a great model for young readers to identify their emotions as well. Katherine Applegate draws on her previous characters, Ivan and Bob, to establish a familiar context for readers as well. The story is written in sweet and approachable way, exposing readers to Ruby's plight without being too overwhelming. All in all, another win in the "One and Only" series.

*Disclaimer: I reieved a free copy of this title from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Even though her aunties are excited, Ruby is dreading Tuskday because she associates tusks with the pain of hunters. So she tells her uncles (Bob and Ivan) about her life before, her life in Africa when she was happy and loved until hunters slaughtered her herd. After that, Ruby was rescued and cared for by a kind man, then captured again by greedy black-market animal traders and sent to the zoo in the mall, where they all met. Also, Ruby shares that she misses her beloved auntie Stella. Ruby’s new aunties help her to honor Stella, and it helps Ruby realizes that Stella was with her all along…and that she IS ready for the Tuskday growing up ceremony. Ruby’s story is heartbreaking because it’s close to the truth of how elephants are treated– hunted, abused, and separated from their families. Sad and beautifully written, this is a magnificent tribute to elephants and the youngest member of this multi-animal family.

"I kick the tree trunk with my right front foot. Gently, because trees are like quiet friends and you have to be kind to them."

The books in this series strike a balance between the gentle kindness towards living things such as young Ruby displays when kicking a tree during a difficult conversation and the harsher realities of a world where some people do not value (other than monetarily) the life of anything other than humans. The writing is done in a way that is also quiet and gentle with characters whose hearts are full of light, making the books ones my students enjoy even when opening their eyes to the fact that not everyone has the same fondness for nature and animals as they do.

<i>The One and Only Ruby</i> begins with illustrations of elephant body language and an Elephant Glossary (terms used in the book, such as "floppy-run" and "slapsplash"). Ruby now lives at Wildworld Zoological Park and Sanctuary. While the book focuses on Ruby and her herd, we do learn fairly early in the book that Ivan and Bob are still in her life. Much of the plot centers around Ruby's upcoming Tuskday and her reluctance about the day (those bad humans are part of the bad feelings) which is often seen as a great cause for celebration for other elephants. Readers also find out the story of how Ruby came to the mall where we first met her in <i>The One and Only Ivan</i> including what happened to her mother. We also get to learn more about Aunt Stella, including the two nightly questions she always posed to Ruby: What amazed you today? What made you proud today?

Although <i>The One and Only Ivan</i> remains my favorite of the three books so far, I enjoyed this one as well and know my students will appreciate it for years to come. I look forward to future books by Applegate.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

They say that an elephant has a great memory. Ruby shows us that in this book, as she tells her story of her what happened to her before she arrived at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall.

Top Things to look forward to as you read this book:
* Elephants
* Growing Up
* Finding a Family

My children and I enjoyed this book. We felt a lot of emotions as Ruby shared her story with Ivan and Bob. What she went through in Africa and later when she arrived at the Mall. This novel was beautifully written. It touches on hard subjects like, poaching and drought conditions in Africa. But I feel that the way Katherine Applegate wrote it was appropriate for children.

Definitely a book we will add to our shelves with the other two books in this series. I hope it doesn't stop here with Ruby's story. My children and now I, can't get enough of these stories.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was another lovely story from Ivan’s world - this time from Ruby’s perspective. It was a little sad, and Bob is probably still my favorite narrator, but it was good!

Perfection. I love these characters so much, and this one did not disappoint! In this installment in the series, we get background about Ruby's life as she prepares for her Tuesday ceremony. This book was, like the others, completely heartwarming, touching, and wonderful. I will be recommending it to everyone!

This addition to the One and Only family of books is the story I didn't know I needed to hear. Ruby is anxious about getting her tusks, because tusks in the wild can get an elephant hurt. Ruby tells her story and some of Stella's as she comes to terms with getting older and being a part of a herd again.

I loved this book so much, and I know that my middle school students will, as well. I ordered multiple copies for our library and they were all immediately checked out and the hold list continues to grow.
The Only and Only Ruby has the same heart and wonderful characters that we've come to know from this series; I love that we get background into Ruby's birth and family. Get this book into the hands of any fans of The One and Only Ivan and The One and Only Bob - they won't be disappointed!

My children adore this book series as well as other books by Applegate. They make for the perfect read aloud books. I find these sweet books are appropriate for kids of various ages as well as enjoyable for adults.

At first, I thought, “Hasn’t Katherine Applegate already told this story, in a way? How much more could there actually be to say about these characters?”

As it turns out, there’s a lot to say. And Katherine Applegate delivers it in her usual fashion, with whimsy and tact.

9/10

Thank you to NeGalley for the ARC of this fantastic story. This trilogy does not disappoint! If you fell in love with Ruby in The One and Only Ivan you will become her biggest fan in The One and Only Ruby. It is a story of love and friendship, of kindness and a reminder that we can keep our past with us even as we move forward. I read this in one sitting and my only complaint was that it ended. I wanted to keep reading and being a part of these character's lives. Please keep writing more about Ruby, Ivan and Bob!

The One and Only gang is back, this time with Ruby the elephant’s story. Born in Africa and snatched by humans, Ruby spent some of her childhood with Ivan, Stella, and Bob at the mall, but now she’s living with other elephants at the wildlife sanctuary. Ivan’s just over the wall and Bob comes to visit as often as he can. Ruby’s Tusk ceremony is coming up, and when her caretaker from the orphanage in Africa shows up, a flood of memories comes up for Ruby. Revisiting her past and facing her fears will help her move forward in her journey.

This book, like it’s two predecessors, was so cute! I love these books so much. My niece loves them, so I checked them out, too, and it was a good decision. This heartwarming story encourages readers to examine their own emotions (because it’s okay to feel all kinds of ways), shows the value of community and friendship, and shares fun facts and information along the way. It’s a good choice for grades 5 to 8, but as a fully grown adult, it’s an excellent choice for us, too!