I loved the third installment of this series. Hearing Ruby’s POV and her story was magical. I also learned a lot about elephants while reading this book.

Katherine Applegate delivers the once again with her latest heartfelt story, The One and Only Ruby, a companion story in the One and Only Ivan series.

I first fell in love with Ivan and then Bob. Ruby was such an endearing character and I loved hearing her story. Not just for children, this one is sure to become a classic and will be loved by all ages.

A hearty thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy of this fantastic story that is due to publish May 2, 2023. This is my honest review and the opinions expressed are my own.

Another classic by Katherine Applegate! Loved the connections to the other stories and the story throughout! The shorter chapters made it harder to follow on an e-reader but will be perfect for school read alouds!

I thought this novel had a slow start. It wasn't until I was about halfway in and could make the connection between Ruby's past and her fear of the present, that I became fully invested in this story. I enjoyed both The One And Only Ivan and The One and Only Bob, which is why I was excited to read this third installment in the series. However, the first two novels included more action to offset the story telling. This novel did not meet that balance for me. However, I do think that Ruby's story is one worth reading. I appreciated the coming-of-age component of this story. Acknowledging that growing up is scary is a profound realization for students. The information around elephant poachers and declining climates is important information to convey as well. Overall, this was a sweet story with super cute illustrations to keep students engaged, but it did have a slow start.

This is a great addition to the Ivan trilogy. I love how the author informs the readers about the dangers elephants face while telling a story. Ruby is my favorite and she finally got her spotlight.

Oh my gosh!! Such a sweet and emotional read! Beautifully written with so many messages to take to heart; wisdom, love, courage, care to name a few. Elephants are such amazing creatures! I enjoyed the One and Only Ivan and One and Only Bob, so I was ecstatic to receive the ARC of One and Only Ruby! Thank you NetGalley!!

I enjoyed this middle grade novel so much! Every book in this series is captivating and endearing. Highly recommend!

Let's start by saying my kids and I both absolutely LOVED The One and Only Ivan and The One and Only Bob! I highly recommend reading this one because the illustrations are adorable. Plus, I love how Katherine formats her writing. Ivan was short paragraphs and gets you in the head of a gorilla. Bob was one liners that felt very dog like. I just love that little touch that Katherine adds to her writing!!

This story follows Ruby our tiny elephant friend. There's funny moments that gets you laughing but there's also some heartbreaking moments of loss. It is pretty sad so be aware if you have a sensitive reader. I feel like Katherine handled the topics of losing your family and poaching really well. And we love the found family Ruby has in Ivan, Bob, and her new elephant aunties! This is such a beautiful read that I recommend to everyone!!

Thank you Katherine, Netgalley, and HarperCollins Children's Books for my review e-copy!

I love Katherine Applegate, but I was originally uncertain about a third book in this series and whether it was necessary. The answer is YES, YES, YES, we absolutely needed this story of Ruby. And, while best read as part of a trilogy, it can also stand alone for your students who are looking for animal fiction featuring elephants. Applegate doesn't skirt around the difficult topics that come with conservation and how animals are treated in the world, but approaches them in a developmentally appropriate way, as always. Highly recommend.

I was so thrilled to receive this free ebook as an ARC through NetGalley! I have loved the series, The One and Only Ivan and The One and Only Bob. This one did not disappoint. I loved everything about this book from the book cover, to the illustrations throughout, and the elephant language and glossary at the front of the book. I have fallen in love with each character from book 1, Ivan, Bob, Stella, and Ruby. With each book, we learn more about each character which I have thoroughly enjoyed. I don't think Katherine Applegate can write a bad book. This is a short, easy read for middle grade readers. They will love it for the above mentioned reasons, but also because of the short chapters, it's lovely writing, and storyline, and introduction to new vocabulary. At the end there is an author's note, the author talks about how the idea for the book came about and where to look for more information about elephants, the ivory trade, and what they can do to help. I think this book would make a good read aloud and movie. I hope there's another book in the series called Stella.

This adorable follow up to The One and Only Ivan is all about the baby, Ruby, who has also been relocated to a zoo, so she's living in a habitat similar to the one she left in Africa, with other elephants. She's about to celebrate her Tuskday, a day for elephants to recognize her as a legitimate part of the herd, instead of a baby. Ruby's anxious about Tuskday for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is how she ended up in the Big Top Mall with Ivan in the first place and how she ended up in the zoo in the second place. This is a wonderful book with lots of information about elephants and their behavior as well as how humans have used elephants to make money. Kids are going to love this one, I know I did.

What a beautiful book! This book just tugs on the heart strings. Ruby is just such a sweet little spirit. The message of this book is beyond beautiful. Learning that those who have been part of our lives even though they aren’t physically around anymore doesn’t mean they are lost. Also learning that sometimes the things that make us most sad about ourselves are beautiful and can have different meanings during different times in our lives. I think this is just a fantastic book for kids and adults alike and is one that I will be so proud to recommend to patrons. Thank you so very much to HarperCollins Children’s Books and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of reading an advance copy of this book.

It's here! Fans of Katherine Applegate's 'The One and Only Ivan' and 'The One and Only Bob' have another favorite character moved into the spotlight. 'The One and Only Ruby' is about the life of Ruby (the younger of the two elephants from 'The One and Only Ivan'). This book is mainly the backstory of Ruby's life before coming to the Big Top Circus and the treatment she received by humans throughout her life. Adults can read between the lines and imagine the details of the treatment, but the language used likely won't disturb younger readers. It may however (as it should) spark a conversation about how humans treat animals, for better or for worse. Readers may also appreciate the notes at the end of the book for how humans can help elephants. And as always, Applegate does a remarkable job by saying so much with a small but powerful choice of words ("We are not our best selves without wonder"), and by leaving the reader with a sense of awe and peace.

This book was especially touching for me because an elementary school book club that I've led took it upon themselves to write sequels for the characters in 'The One and Only Ivan,' including Ruby. We sent them to Ms. Applegate last year and she ever so kindly wrote back to us and thanked us for our time and thoughts. While I didn't notice any of their suggestions in this book, her sweet gesture deepened my sense of a kindred connection among all of us as writers.

*I received this ARC in exchange for my book review.

I got an ARC of this book.

As soon as I heard this book existed, I knew I needed it. I love the Ivan-verse. I love all of the characters. I told my partner immediately when I got it. I had to warn them I was about to cry for a few hours.

And I did cry. Not as much as the first book, but still. There were so many talks about Stella. The elephant that I would die for (though I would be hard pressed to find one I wouldn’t die for). It was amazing to see Stella through Ruby’s eyes. Being able to get Ruby’s backstory was heartbreaking in a way I should have expected, but was not prepared for. I cried in my office, I cried in my car waiting for my partner to get out of work, I cried in bed when I finished the book. Ruby is a treasure.

This book got into how humans can manage to destroy a creature that could easily end us without a second thought. Elephants don’t though. We should be thankful and grateful for that. We shouldn’t hunt them for their tusks. The first time I cried was because Ruby had a secret that was tied so heavily to her trauma of being an elephant in Africa that I almost couldn’t keep going. It read as very trans (which has happened with a few Applegate characters) and as the book went on it was made clear it was about trauma. It worked on so many levels for me.

My only issue with the Ivan book was I wanted more Stella, so having Ruby be able to be that bridge was perfect. Ruby saw Stella in a way that Ivan never could. Stella was so important to Ruby and tried to shield Ruby when she could. So much of this book is about Stella and not about Ruby. It is because an elephant on its own isn’t an elephant.

If you liked the Bob book more than the Ivan book, then this one won’t be amazing for you. If you are all about Ivan and found Bob to be a little weird, then READ THIS NOW.

Be sure to ask yourself what amazed you today and what made you proud today. Ask yourself every day. Be an elephant.

"What gifts did the world give you today? What gifts did you give the world?""

The One and Only Ruby is a sweet story about a young elephant coming of age in a park/zoo environment with her new elephant herd and her old friends, Ivan, a silverback gorilla and Bob, a mutt. Ruby's herd want to celebrate Ruby getting her tusks, but she is afraid. In the wild, she witnessed the cruelty of human poachers. She shares her story from birth to present with Ivan and Bob, and as she reveals her past, we understand her fears.

This book is the third in a series; however, each book can stand alone. The One and Only Ivan (1st book) and The One and Only Bob (2nd book) are more companion novels, although I feel that The One and Only Ivan is the best of the three, and it is probably best to read first.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins Children's Books, and Katherine Applegate for the opportunity to read this e-ARC!

This story starts on the day of Ruby's Tuskday, the day of celebration in the herd for a young elephant who's tusks have started to come in. Ruby is not excited about this day and when her caretaker from the elephant orphanage comes to the sanctuary, she has a flood of memories come back. She tells her story to Uncle Ivan and Uncle Bob, who are the most gracious listeners as she recounts a very hard time in her life.

Ruby has a most special place in my heart, because I LOVE elephants and her story pulled at my heartstrings. It's a quick and powerful read. I cannot wait to put this in my classroom library.

The One and Only Ruby is an impactful novel about family, friendship, and courage. As the protagonist Ruby prepares for Tuskday, where she will celebrate her tusks publicly, the reader takes a journey with her as she faces the pain of the past while sprinkled with humor and a good dose of love, Will Ruby be able to confront her pain of the past so that she may welcome the future?

I was honored to receive an advance review copy to read--this review is voluntary. While I'm eager to explore The One and Only Ivan and The One and Only Bob next, I'm glad that I got the chance to begin my journey with The One and Only Ruby.

Having watched The One and Only Ivan and heard great things about the book series, I was excited to read The One and Only Ruby. Fans of The One and Only Ivan and the One and Only Bob will be happy to see that their characters recur in this 3rd book of the series. While Ruby was rescued from the shopping mall, she still has had hardships in her life through the loss of her mother to poaching and the loss of her adopted mother Stella. Ruby describes the new sanctuary she lives in and how it is better, but not as good as being free.

The book is written almost in verse, but not quite. This means shorter sentence length and more spacing between paragraphs. I really appreciate that the author didn't fill up the chapters with words just to write words. Everything was purposeful, and the story was well told.

I highly recommend this for schools and libraries!

I've been waiting for Ruby's story for such a long time and I can't wait to share it with my students <3

What a treat to get to read Ruby's story and to find out more about her past and how she became part of the group. Katherine Applegate's writing style is so tender and descriptive that you can't help but feel like you're transported into the settings of the animals. I loved it! Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

Title: The One and Only Ruby
By: Katherine Applegate

Recommended:
4th grade and up

Red Flags:
Loss, Poaching

Excerpt:
“You can’t run from growing up. That’s a race you will not win, my friend.”

Summary/Review:
The One and Only Ruby is the third book in the series, but can stand alone. It takes place a couple months after Ivan, Bob, and Ruby are taken from the Big Top Mall. The animals are living at an animal sanctuary, and Ruby is preparing for Tuskday. This special day is a celebration of an elephant growing up, a day which should be exciting, however, Ruby is far from it. She is anxious, scared, and wants to escape the sanctuary to avoid having the celebration.

Kathrine Applegate tackles sensitive subjects, poaching, trauma, anxiety, and loss through the eyes of a young reader, and does it so eloquently. The novel is rich in vocabulary, and would be another great supplement to an elementary classroom. This novel includes a vocabulary list, and additional supplemental resources at the end. The illustrations are perfect. Highly Recommended!

Thank you to Katherine Applegate, Harper Collins Publishers, and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#reluctantreaderreads #katherineapplegate
#oneandonlyruby #elementaryreads
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