I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the story of Ruby, a young elephant who previously had lived in the mall with Ivan, Bob, and her her favorite friend, another elephant named Stella. Now she, along with Ivan and Bob, are cared for at a zoo. Ruby is growing up, and her aunts are planning her Tuskday to celebrate the arrival of her tusks, but how can she tolerate what has caused so much destruction?

Finally we get to hear all of Ruby's story and let me tell you, it is a tearjerker but, like the other two books [that are also excellent], it ends with hope. And love. And caring. And a family that may not look like what we deem is family, but absolutely works for Ruby, Bob, and Ivan.

I have loved these books so much and am so glad that I finally read them - they are great books to read and to have talks about - much as the author says at the end of this book, animal cruelty abounds, poaching is still a HUGE problem and there are now so many animals on the endangered species list, that we need, now more than ever, safe sanctuaries and yes, GOOD zoo's that not only save these animals, but rehabilitate them and re-release them into the wild when possible. These are important talks that we ALL need to have and the younger the better as it will be the future generations that will have to pick up after all of us [who believe in saving not only endangered species, but ALL animals] are gone.

Well done book! So glad that 1. Ruby got her own story and 2. that I got to read it. It was just what I needed!

Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Applegate, Patricia Castelao - Illustrator, and HarperCollins Children's Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

Book three in the "One and Only" series follows Ruby the Elephant. We are introduced to her back story and the belief that you can be no one without your circle of family and friends.

I enjoyed hearing Ruby's story, but I wasn't sure it was quite as good as the other two. I would still recommend reading it in order to get the whole story of the three characters. It's good to read them in order, too, since the present time story lines build on each other.

What an amazing addition to the stories of Ivan and Bob! Apple gate has such a unique ability to tell stories from nonhuman narrators, and to do it WELL. This was a lovely exploration of Ruby’s journey to the zoo, and what her new family is like now. This will be a huge hit with middle grade readers.

What a beautifully written heartwarming story! This book should be in all school library's. Ruby's story will touch your heart and soul and stay with you long after you turn the last page. It's a wonderful book you don't want to miss. I received a complimentary copy from HarperCollins Children's Books via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

So incredibly lovely! After reading Ivan and Bob, I was thrilled to get this extension into Ruby's life, thoughts, and feelings. Fans deserved this glimpse into her world, and she earned the time in the spotlight. Only Applegate could tug at my heartstrings while making me smile life this! This would make a wonderful addition to any children's library and would make a fantastic classroom read-aloud. I can't recommend this one enough!

I loved “The One and Only Ivan” and cried reading it to 4th graders. I love visiting old characters from the new perspective of Ruby. The book was sweet as we learned how Ruby got to the Zoo and then what her herd is like today. It was awesome to include so many important facts about poachers, tusks and ivory.

I have read and loved the previous two books (The One and Only Ivan, The One and Only Bob), and I was really looking forward to reading this book. It didn't disappoint! I really appreciate how the author approaches the issue of poaching and illegal activities around elephant tusks- and how this affects Ruby's perspectives on her tusk day. The way the story was told was moving, including the role the older elephants (Aunt Akello, Stella) play in the narrative.

Classroom use: I think this book would be an amazing resource to talk about endangered animal issues, climate change (how drought etc affects the elephant herds and other animals), AND also about our values (the lode stars of the elephants woven throughout the book)

(Received the ARC from Netgalley)

The third book in the One and Only series is focused on Ruby’s stories about her time in Africa. As always, Ivan, Bob, and Ruby’s bond captivated my family’s attention.

If you are a Katherine Applegate lover, this book does not disappoint. Once again, Applegate makes our list of best middle-grade books of 2023!

Another winner from Katherine Applegate. I love how she's exploring the other characters from The One and Only Ivan and giving us their backstories. This one, which focuses on baby elephant, Ruby, shows that she's experienced a lot more in her young life than she should have. It has the same quick pace as the previous two books, and the free verse style, which makes it a quick and easy read. It also includes snippets and scenes with both Ivan and Bob, which help to keep this story tied together with the previous two. All in all, it is a great addition to the "one and only" series. Perhaps a story about Stella is next??

I love this series so much! Applegate does such a good job of balancing sweet moments, humor and animal rights. The short chapters are great for kids who are intimidated by big books.In this story Ruby is preparing to celebrate her tuskday, which is an important milestone for any young elephant. This causes her to reflect on her past. She shares the story of her time in Africa with her friends. In her short life Ruby has seen both the best and worst of humanity. We also learn about favorite elephant passtimes like floppy-running. I love Ruby as a narrator, her voice is a perfect blend of innocence and wisdom beyond her years.

This is book three in the series. I have not read The One and Only Bob yet, and that didn't seem to matter. You should definitely read The One and Only Ivan first though, or a lot of the story won't make sense to you.

I just read The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate. #NetGalley This is the third book by Katherine Applegate with the characters Ivan, Bob, and Ruby and focuses on Ruby and her story.

I loved this book just as much as The One and Only Ivan. Applegate writes in a way that will make this book very appealing to kids- the text is not made up of extremely long sentences and the paragraphs and chapters are short. This will be an easy recommendation for any students who read and loved Ivan or who are interested in animals. There are also opportunities for curricular connections related to poaching and habitat destruction. I will definitely be purchasing and recommending to teachers as a read aloud.

My kids are obsessed with the One and Only books and The One and Only Ruby did not disappoint. Seriously, I may have won mom of the year when I told them that they had an advanced copy to read. They fought over who got to start the book first... luckily they each read it in about a day. They LOVED it. Loved Ruby, loved the characters from the previous books. Katherine Applegate does an amazing job capturing the attention of kids and creating a book that they get lost it... and want to discuss in detail over dinner!

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate (HarperCollins, May 2023) is the third in the series that started with The One and Only Ivan (based on a true story) and continue with The One and Only Bob. (My kids and I listened to the audio of Bob last year, fantastically narrated by Danny DeVito, but I unfortunately did not review it on this blog.) Now Ruby the elephant gets a chance to tell her story. The three friends (Ivan, Bob, and Ruby) are now safe in a conservation park, but Ruby still feels unease, especially now as her tusks are coming in.

With this story frame, the author gives Ruby a chance to tell her friends her story. As can be expected, a baby elephant taken from Africa leads to a troubled elephant childhood. A common adage is “elephants never forget,” and Applegate takes that in stride, with Ruby telling her friends her story, beginning the moments after she was born. Ruby’s early weeks of life were shaped by tragedy. First, a severe drought lead to dangerous thirst for all the elephants. Then, Ruby and her weakened mother were separated from the herd. Ultimately, Ruby watched her mother be shot by poachers and she heard them take her tusks.

But Ruby’s sad story is also interspersed with hopeful kindness from some other humans, as she is both rescued from a mud pit by a village, as well as nurtured by a loving keeper in an elephant “orphanage.” The reader knows that Ruby has more sadness ahead, including being stolen from Africa, sent to America, sold to a circus, and then eventually sold to the mall (where she met Ivan and Bob). But with Ruby’s loving new “herd” at the conservation park, and with support from Ivan and Bob, in the end, Ruby can face “growing up” with confidence that she will be safe and always supported by her elephant “aunts.”

This strong sense of friendship and support gives the book has an overall hopeful feeling, even though I certainly was moved and angry at the sad parts of Ruby’s story. While reading this, I found myself wishing we could know that her story was based on a true story, as was Ivan, so that I knew there is hope for elephants today. As the end notes make clear, so many elephants are going through these kinds of tragedy even today. This is still a real issue. Readers will finish reading The One and Only Ruby with the desire to help conserve elephants in order to avoid sad stories like this in the future.

I read a digital review copy of The One and Only Ruby.

Thank you to Netgalley for review copy of The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate! I was so excited to see Ruby's story from The One and Only Ivan being told. Ruby is a wonderful character. I loved visiting the characters of Ruby, Bob, and Ivan again. The book is humorous and heartfelt. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves animals, beautiful characters.

Katherine Applegate is back with another sweet tale about the delightful characters many of us fell in love with when we read The One on Only Ivan. This time, it's Ruby the baby elephant's turn to share her story. What a story it is! Ruby's young life has been filled with loss but she has been lucky enough to also find friendship and love. This is a delightful story about found family that also gently teaches about poaching and gives readers tons of facts about elephants. Grab this one and add it to your collection. It's not just for kids! It will warm the hearts of readers of all ages.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Ruby's story.

**Many thanks to HarperCollins Children's Books/HarperCollins Publishers LLC, and Netgalley for an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of this book**

Oh, dear Katherine (KA) Applegate, what animal story can't you write?

The One and Only Ruby is the latest in the "One and Only..." Series, and I really hope it's not the end. Because, it's a beautiful little world that you can escape into, built on friendship, love and respect, that we need more of in the world.

This book focuses on Ruby, the "no-so-little" littlest elephant in the park, as she prepares for a very special rite of passage for all elephants. And, even though her story is shorter than Ivan's or Bob's (at 240 pages, instead of 325 and 352 respectively), and a LOT milder... After what she's gone through in her very young life, it's fitting for her. It's also no less important.

THE BLESSING OF THE HERD
1. I love little Ruby- she deserved her time to shine, and the moment I finished The One and Only Bob, I said "I want a Ruby book!". She is feisty, and sweet. She's still growing up, learning how to deal with big elephant feelings and things, even after going through a lot in her life. I loved her self discovery and her growth through Applegate's story.

2. What animal can't Applegate write in the animal kingdom?!? I am always astounded by her attention to detail of the actual, real life animal; and what human characteristics that she can merge into an animal that fits those animalistic characteristics.

3. Gaining "Safety for freedom" is something heartbreaking to read: any elephant in the wild is in danger of poaching, or deforestation, or evil things caused by a number of factors- mostly humans. Applegate never shies away from harsh realities. She didn't do it in Animorphs, Everworld, and she doesn't do it here. Her books make you think of what others have done, and makes you consider your own place in society- will you be the same way as the "bad" humans, or "good" humans? If you felt something for these characters, will this spur you to do something to help these animals, or do nothing? And, if you want to help... There's always, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, a short acknowledgement in the back with suggestions of who Applegate spoke with, and how you, too, can learn more and do more. I love it. I love it all.

PACHYDERM IN ABSENTIA
1. Is it bad to say that this book is great because it's short, but also bad because it's short?! I wanted more of Ruby! This is not a critique on Applegate at all: it's because I love her books, I love all her characters, and all of her stories feel like they end sooner than I want them to. May a "The One and Only" spinoff continuation could be "The Always and Forever..." Ivan/Bob/Ruby? Maybe do a spinoff for Kinyani, or Stella... Or maybe another friend that could visit? Maybe a cat character, or another elephant?

I just want more, Ms. Applegate. I love your books that much.

Another delightful "One and Only" book. I so enjoyed getting to know Ruby better and hearing more about Stella and the very kind and loving elephant she was.

The One and Only Ruby might be my favorite in the The One and Only Ivan stories. I loved it was in verse. I loved Ruby's perspective-- her past in the elephant rescue, the first human she trusted, her grief over Aunt Stella. You almost forget she is an animal. Katherine Applegate is one of my favorite children's authors. This book just cemented that for me.

"The One and Only Ruby" is a heartwarming and charming middle-grade novel and a companion to the best-selling book "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate. This story follows Ruby, a young elephant who was rescued from the same circus as Ivan, and now lives at the local zoo. Ruby longs for adventure and excitement, but also struggles with fitting in and finding her place in her new home.

Applegate's writing is beautifully descriptive and engaging, creating a vivid and immersive world for the reader to get lost in. Ruby is a lovable and relatable protagonist, and readers will root for her as she navigates her new environment and learns valuable lessons about friendship, courage, and perseverance.

The story is full of heart and humor, and it explores important themes such as belonging, identity, and the power of hope. The book also touches on animal rights issues and promotes compassion and understanding towards animals and their well-being.

Overall, "The One and Only Ruby" is a touching and captivating book that will appeal to both young readers and adults alike. It's a beautifully written and thought-provoking story that will leave a lasting impact on its readers. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys middle-grade novels and animal stories, and to fans of "The One and Only Ivan" in particular.