If you grew up in the 1990s, chances are that you’ve read something by Katherine Applegate, known then as K.A. Applegate, author of the incredibly popularAnimorphs series for middle grade readers. Those books are still around, so if you work as a children’s librarian or have a kid of the right age, you might still be familiar with them.

That series isn’t what won her the Newbery, but you might get a kid who liked (or likes) the Animorphs books curious enough to take a look at the book that won her the Newbery, The One and Only Ivan, which is based on the true story of a gorilla that lived in a glass box for many years as an attraction at a circus themed mall. It’s written from the gorilla’s point of view, and just as with the Animorphs books, explores what it’s like to feel like an animal (here’s a link to a Q&A she did with Publisher’s Weekly around the time of its publication).

It’s difficult to break out of your comfort zone, and make the jump from one kind of writing to another, but aren’t you glad she did? Congratulations, Katherine!