One School, One Book gets students and parents excited about reading while building our community of readers.

Every family receives a copy of the same book and is asked to read it together at home over the next 21 days.

The first day of the program includes a kickoff assembly where the book is revealed and the first chapter read aloud.

Students are then given the book and reading schedule. Each day there will be trivia questions, activities and discussion about the previous night's chapter.

Join us in the reading journey!  ​

Katherine Applegate is the Newbery Medal-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of numerous books for young readers, including The One and Only Ivan, The One and Only Bob,  The One and Only Ruby, Crenshaw,  Wishtree, Odder, the Roscoe Riley Rules chapter books series, and the Animorphs series. She lives with her husband, who writes as the author Michael Grant, and their children in California. 

Katherine was inspired to write The One and Only Ivan after reading about the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, the “Shopping Mall Gorilla.” The real Ivan lived alone in a tiny cage for twenty-seven years at a shopping mall before being moved to Zoo Atlanta after a public outcry.

The One and Only Ivan is a bestselling novel about hope and friendship. It was inspired by a real silverback gorilla named Ivan who was held captive for 27 years. 

Narrated by Ivan himself, a beautiful story of friendship unfolds between Ivan, an elephant named Stella, and a stray dog named Bob. Ivan is comfortable in his domain in the shopping mall where he watches TV and makes artwork that is sold to the people who watch him through glass windows far from the jungle.

Stella, on the other hand, has a longer memory than Ivan and she longs to live in a zoo where larger domains are provided. Ruby, a new baby elephant, which has been plucked from the wild, is introduced to the Big Top Mall where she is to learn circus tricks from Stella. Soon after, Stella becomes sick. Before she passes away she charges Ivan with taking care of Ruby. Ivan begins to recall his time in the jungle and his desire for freedom and to help Ruby rise.