The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

As we read The One and Only Ivan, keep a close eye on the chapter titles. Most chapters are quite short. How does each chapter title, sometimes only a word or two, prepare readers for that chapter? Is it a clue to what is to come? Is it descriptive? Does it give anything away?

Think about the chapter title after reading each chapter as well. Do you better understand why the author chose that title? Does is make better sense? Are you curious why that title was chosen?

Finally, after finishing the book, does looking back at the chapter titles help you recall the story's events? Do some titles take you back to certain parts? Certain emotions? Certain reactions?

(In the book the chapters are not numbered. They are numbered here to help us find where we left off each day and to help locate certain ones in class discussions.)

The One and Only Ivan - Chapter Titles

1. hello
2. names
3. patience
4. how I look
5. the exit 8 big top mall and video arcade
6. the littlest bit top on earth
7. gone
8. artists
9. shapes in clouds
10. imagination
11. the loneliest gorilla in the world
12. tv
13. the nature show
14. stella
15. stella’s trunk
16. a plan
17. bob
18. wild
19. picasso
20. three visitors
21. my visitors return
22. sorry
23. julia
24. drawing bob
25. bob and julia
26. mack
27. not sleepy
28. the beetle
29. change
30. guessing
31. jambo
32. lucky
33. arrival
34. stella helps
35. old news
36. tricks
37. introductions
38. stella and ruby
39. home of the one and only ivan
40. art lesson
41. treat
42. elephant jokes
43. children
44. the parking lot
45. ruby’s story
46. a hit
47. worry
48. the promise
49. knowing
50. five men
51. comfort
52. crying
53. the one and only ivan
54. once upon a time
55. the grunt
56. mud
57. protector
58. a perfect life
59. the end
60. vine
61. the temporary human
62. hunger
63. still life
64. punishment
65. babies
66. beds
67. my place
68. nine thousand eight hundred and seventy-six days
69. a visit
70. a new beginning
71. poor mack
72. colors
73. a bad dream
74. the story
75. how
76. remembering
77. what they did
78. something else to buy
79. another ivan
80. days
81. nights
82. project
83. not right
84. going nowhere
85. bad guys
86. ad
87. imagining
88. not-tag
89. one more thing
90. the seven-o’clock show
91. twelve
92. H
93. nervous
94. showing julia
95. more paintings
96. chest-beating
97. angry
98. puzzle pieces
99. finally
100. the next morning
101. mad human
102. phone call
103. a star again
104. the ape artist
105. interview
106. the early news
107. signs on sticks
108. protestors
109. check marks
110. free ruby
111. new box
112. training
113. poking and prodding
114. no painting
115. more boxes
116. good-bye
117. click
118. an idea
119. respect
120. photo
121. leaving
122. good boy
123. moving
124. awakening
125. missing
126. food
127. not famous
128. something in the air
129. a new tv
130. the family
131. excited
132. what I see
133. still there
134. watching
135. she
136. door
137. wondering
138. ready
139. outside at last
140. oops
141. what it was like
142. pretending
143. nest
144. more tv
145. it
146. romance
147. more about romance
148. grooming
149. talk
150. the top of the hill
151. the wall
152. safe
153. silverback