The One and Only Ivan

The classic animal-narrated novel — White's animals speak English where Ivan thinks in fragments, but both explore loyalty, sacrifice, and the dignity of nonhuman lives

Similarly spare survival prose — Paulsen's Brian is trapped in wilderness as Ivan is trapped in a mall, and both must find agency with minimal tools

Another middle-grade novel that builds empathy through perspective — Auggie faces isolation from society as Ivan faces isolation from his species

Another story of liberation from captivity — Ada escapes an abusive home as Ivan escapes the mall, both discovering what freedom means after years of confinement

A verse novel with similarly spare, fragmentary language — both stories explore displacement and the struggle to find home in an unfamiliar world

Another story where an animal catalyzes human connection and healing — Winn-Dixie builds community as Ivan builds awareness