The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate Wins the 2013 Newberry Medal

Posted on January 31, 2013

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (HarperCollins) is the 2013 Newbery Medal winner.

Newbery Medal Committee Chair Steven Engelfried said, "Katherine Applegate gives readers a unique and unforgettable gorilla's-eye-view of the world that challenges the way we look at animals and at ourselves." The fantasy was inspired by the real-life story of Ivan, a gorilla who lived for 30 years in a circus-themed mall in Washington State. Written in Ivan's narrative voice, the book explores themes of friendship, hope and art.

The John Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

The 2013 Honor Books are Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz (Candlewick Press), a dark fantasy set in Dickensian England; Bomb: The Race to Build-and Steal-the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin (Flash Point), a historical nonfiction drama; and Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage (Dial Books for Young Readers), a Southern mystery adventure novel.