Katherine Applegate
2 books analyzed
Biography
Katherine Applegate (born 1956) is best known for the Animorphs series, which she co-wrote with her husband Michael Grant under the name K.A. Applegate. The One and Only Ivan was inspired by the true story of Ivan, a western lowland gorilla who lived at the B&I Shopping Center in Tacoma, Washington from 1964 to 1994. Applegate learned about Ivan's story and was moved by the gap between what humans saw (a tourist attraction) and what Ivan experienced (isolation). The novel won the 2013 Newbery Medal.
Katherine Applegate at a glance
Works
The One and Only Ivan
2012 · 305 pages · ★☆☆☆☆ Accessible
Based on the true story of a gorilla who spent 27 years in a shopping mall, told in his own quiet, devastating voice.
Wishtree
2017 · 215 pages · ★☆☆☆☆ Accessible
A 216-year-old red oak tree watches a neighborhood tear itself apart over a Muslim family — and decides to do something about it.
Diction Across Works
simple-lyrical
gentle-literary