Module #7: Ivy + Bean

Module #7:  Ivy + Bean

Book Summary:

Ivy + Bean is a realistic fiction book by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall.  This book is aimed at older elementary school girls.  Bean is the youngest of two siblings and her day is spent playing pranks on her older sister. When one of Bean’s joke goes a little too far, she has no other option but to plan her disappearance.  Little does Bean know that the new and odd neighbor girl will come to her aid with the use of her magic.  These two set off on a magical adventure, from dressing up Ivy to look like a proper witch, to running through a gauntlet of backyards to get to the magic ingredient in Ivy’s dance spell - worms!  Although their spell is successful, it does come with punishment for misbehaving. Bean and Ivy learn a lesson and, at the same time, become friends.

APA Reference of Book:

Barrows, A. & Blackall, S. (2006). Ivy + Bean. San Francisco, Calif: Chronicle Books.

Impressions:

This book brought back childhood memories of summer and playing with the neighbors. It is the story of two little girls, one more of a tom-boy while the other one is more girly, that find their differences to be one of the reason they like each other.  Ivy is an only child, while Bean is the youngest sister who finds her older sibling unbearably boring.  This book was funny - I kept picturing the girls getting yelled at by the neighbors as they trampled through flowers and backyards. And what is playtime without the use of imagination and magic? This book was delightful and fun.

Professional Review:

In the tradition of Betsy and Tacy, Ginnie and Geneva, come two new friends, Ivy and Bean. Ivy has just moved in across the street from Bean, who wants no part of her. She thinks Ivy looks dull, always with her nose in a book. Bean, on the other hand, is a spark plug; she's full of tricks, especially ones that can be played on her older sister, Nancy. But the day Bean pulls a trick that goes wrong and Ivy comes to her rescue, a friendship is born. The deliciousness here is in the details, with both girls drawn distinctly and with flair. Ivy, who at first seems to be a dud, has aspirations to being a witch, which is dangerously intriguing; Bean's spunky way of talking and acting (there's a classic moment when she wiggles her butt at Nancy) will make readers giggle. Even with all the text's strong points, what takes the book to a higher level is Blackall's artwork, which captures the girls' spirit. A chapter from the second book in the series, to be published in this fall, will whet readers' appetites for more Ivy and Bean. Category: Books for the Young--Fiction. 2006, Chronicle, $14.95. Gr. 1-3. Starred Review (PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books (San Francisco Calif.:), PUBLISHED: c2006.)

Cooper, I. (2006). Ivy and Bean. Booklist, 102(15), 42.

Library Uses:

This is a good to book to encourage young girls to begin reading longer chapter books. The print is large and the book contains comical illustrations of Ivy and Bean.