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A review by missprint_
Ivy & Bean by Annie Barrows
3.0
Seven-year-old Bean does not want to be friends with Ivy. Her mother keeps telling her that Ivy seems like a very nice girl, but Bean knows what that means. Nice means prim and proper and sitting quietly reading big books. Nice means boring.
At least, Bean thought Ivy was boring. When she plays a trick on her big sister and Ivy offers a quick hiding place, Bean isn't so sure. Nice is supposed to be boring. And Ivy does seem nice. But she's also training to be a witch. Besides, how nice can anyone be who has a vast supply of face paint, her own wand, and a spell that involves lots of worms?
Bean and Ivy didn't plan to be friends, but they might be a perfect match in Ivy and Bean (2006) by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall (illustrator).
Ivy and Bean is the first book in the series which is very popular with younger readers. The text is not as advanced as the Clementine or Ramona books but the characters all have similar qualities that will appeal to readers looking for girls with spunk. This story was not as compelling, for me, as the Clementine series but it was a fun fast read that will work for young readers and reluctant readers. Blackall's illustrations add a lot of appeal with her delightfully horrifying pictures of Bean's horrible older sister and Ivy's wonderfully scary witch attire.
There are some surprisingly vocal negative reviews (seen on Amazon) accusing the book of promoting everything from bad behavior to witchcraft. To such concerns all I can say is books don't make ill-behaved children anymore than guns kill people all on their own. At its core Ivy and Bean is nothing more and nothing less than a sharp book about two singularly creative girls who are ready and willing to make their own fun be it with pranks or a new friendship.
Possible Pairings: Clementine by Sarah Pennypacker and Marla Frazee, Dessert First by Hallie Durand and Christine Davenier, Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
At least, Bean thought Ivy was boring. When she plays a trick on her big sister and Ivy offers a quick hiding place, Bean isn't so sure. Nice is supposed to be boring. And Ivy does seem nice. But she's also training to be a witch. Besides, how nice can anyone be who has a vast supply of face paint, her own wand, and a spell that involves lots of worms?
Bean and Ivy didn't plan to be friends, but they might be a perfect match in Ivy and Bean (2006) by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall (illustrator).
Ivy and Bean is the first book in the series which is very popular with younger readers. The text is not as advanced as the Clementine or Ramona books but the characters all have similar qualities that will appeal to readers looking for girls with spunk. This story was not as compelling, for me, as the Clementine series but it was a fun fast read that will work for young readers and reluctant readers. Blackall's illustrations add a lot of appeal with her delightfully horrifying pictures of Bean's horrible older sister and Ivy's wonderfully scary witch attire.
There are some surprisingly vocal negative reviews (seen on Amazon) accusing the book of promoting everything from bad behavior to witchcraft. To such concerns all I can say is books don't make ill-behaved children anymore than guns kill people all on their own. At its core Ivy and Bean is nothing more and nothing less than a sharp book about two singularly creative girls who are ready and willing to make their own fun be it with pranks or a new friendship.
Possible Pairings: Clementine by Sarah Pennypacker and Marla Frazee, Dessert First by Hallie Durand and Christine Davenier, Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary