A must-read for animal lovers

If you're concerned about animals and how they're treated, you've got to read The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate.  The narrator is actually Ivan, a gorilla who's lived for many years at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade.  Living conditions aren't great, but Ivan generally accepts them as he makes clever observations of the animals and humans around him.  However, his friend Stella the elephant was injured and has been ignored (mistreated?) for too long.  Ruby, a baby elephant, joins the group, and as Stella is dying, Ivan promises that he'll help Ruby have a better life. But how will he do it?  Winner of the 2013 Newbery Award and inspired by a real gorilla who's now living at Zoo Atlanta, the story is heart-warming, funny, and thought-provoking.