Ivy and Bean (Ivy and Bean Series #1)

( 168 )

Overview

The moment they saw each other, Bean and Ivy knew they wouldn't be friends. But when Bean plays a joke on her sister, Nancy, and has to hidequickIvy comes to the rescue, proving that sometimes the best of friends are people never meant to like each other. Vibrant characters and lots of humor make this a charmingand addictiveintroduction to Ivy and Bean.

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More About This Book

Overview

The moment they saw each other, Bean and Ivy knew they wouldn't be friends. But when Bean plays a joke on her sister, Nancy, and has to hidequickIvy comes to the rescue, proving that sometimes the best of friends are people never meant to like each other. Vibrant characters and lots of humor make this a charmingand addictiveintroduction to Ivy and Bean.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

BARNES & NOBLE REVIEW
"Annie Barrows accomplishes the almost impossible task of reflecting the world of second grader, creating the tension and drama of family and friendships in language that can be read easily by child who recently graduated from easy readers to early chapter books. " Lisa Von Drasek, Children's Librarian, Bank Street College of Education

Publishers Weekly
Barrows's debut children's book energetically kicks off a series about two seemingly unlikely pals, just right for kids moving on from beginning readers. Bean's mother suggests that she play with Ivy, the new girl across the street, "She seems like such a nice girl." Seven-year-old Bean says she already has plenty of friends ("Nice, Bean knew, is another word for boring"). After all, Ivy's long, curly red hair is neatly pushed back with a sparkly headband, and she always wears dresses and reads books; headband-, dress- and book-shunning tomboy Bean muses that Ivy "had never once in her whole life climbed a tree and fallen out." But when Ivy offers to get Bean out of a jam with her older sister, Nancy, Bean takes Ivy up on it. Bean discovers that the not-so-boring, wand-toting Ivy is in training to become a witch, and working on a spell that keeps its victim dancing for lifewhich sets Bean thinking about the ideal fate for bossy Nancy. Blackall's (Ruby's Wish) half-tone spot art and full-spread illustrations deftly capture the girls' personalities and the tale's humor, while also filling out fun details about Ivy's room and the neighbors' backyards. Barrows's narrative brims with sprightly dialogue and tidily ties everything togetherboth Bean and Ivy find a fast friend and set the stage for Ivy and Bean and the Ghost that Had to Go, scheduled for the fall. Ages 6-10. (June) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Children's Literature
Ever since the little girl across the street moved in, seven-year-old Bean has hated her. Bean made up her mind without knowing the girl, without talking to her, and without even meeting her. She hates that her mother wants her to make friends with the "nice" new girl. Bean does not want to be friends with anyone who is nice, wears dresses, and reads big books. But all of that changes in a flash when Bean ticks off her older sister, Nancy, and needs someplace to run. With her angry sister hot on her heels, Bean is shocked to find assistance in the form of Ivy, the girl across the street—who is actually wearing a rather odd robe, reading a big book of curses, and is not quite so nice, after all. These two just might have more in common than either one ever thought. Readers are sure to love Ivy and Bean, a dastardly duo embroiled in hilarious hijinx from page one! 2006, Chronicle, Ages 6 to 10.
—Heidi Hauser Green
School Library Journal
Gr 1-4-Seven-year-old Bean likes stomping in puddles, climbing fences into neighbors' backyards, and playing tricks on her older sister, Nancy. She wears dresses as seldom as possible and avoids big books. Her new neighbor appears to be a quiet, orderly girl who sits on her front step day after day reading tomes. The two seem to have nothing in common, and Bean is not interested in getting to know Ivy, despite her mother's prodding to make friends with the nice girl next door. Then Bean gets into trouble, and Ivy helps her out. She discovers that Ivy is practicing to be a witch, and when they decide to cast a spell on Nancy, their friendship is sealed. With echoes of Beverly Cleary's "Ramona" series, this easy chapter book will appeal to children who are graduating from beginning readers. The occasional black-and-white illustrations highlight the text and provide visual clues. The characters are appealing, the friendship is well portrayed, and the pranks and adventures are very much on grade level.-Eve Ottenberg Stone, Cooper Lane Elementary, Landover Hills, MD Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
A charismatic duo makes their debut in this new chapter-book series. Barrows provides a fresh take on the standard odd-couple tale of friendship, with a caveat to readers of not judging a book by its cover-or the new girl by her seemingly goody image. Bean, an energetic girl with an inclination for mischief, just doesn't see the appeal of her new neighbor Ivy, whom her mother extols as such a "nice girl," which Bean readily translates to mean dull. However, when she needs to escape the wrath of her bossy sister Nancy, Bean discovers a whole new dimension to the quiet girl next door. Together Ivy and Bean concoct a plan to cast Ivy's fledgling dancing spell on Nancy, with unexpected and hilarious results. With a hearty helping of younger sibling angst, a sprinkling of spells and potions and a dash of nosy neighbors, Barrows has the perfect recipe for solidifying a newfound friendship. Blackall's saucy illustrations detailing the girls' hijinks and their calamitous outcomes are liberally featured throughout the text. Readers are bound to embrace this spunky twosome and eagerly anticipate their continuing tales of mischief and mayhem. (Fiction. 6-10)
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780811849098
  • Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
  • Publication date: 5/3/2007
  • Series: Ivy and Bean Series , #1
  • Edition description: Reprint
  • Pages: 120
  • Sales rank: 27,098
  • Age range: 6 - 10 Years
  • Product dimensions: 5.50 (w) x 7.37 (h) x 0.37 (d)

Meet the Author

Annie Barrows

Annie Barrows has written many books for adults, but Ivy and Bean is her first series for children. She lives in northern California with her husband and two daughters.

Sophie Blackall is an Australian illustrator whose books include Ruby's Wish and Meet Wild Boars. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Biography

A voracious reader (but an admittedly poor speller!), Annie Barrows grew up in northern California. One of her first jobs, while she was still in school, was re-shelving books in one of her favorite haunts, the public library. She attended the University of California at Berkeley and graduated with a degree in Medieval History. After graduation, she went to work for a publisher, editing books in many different fields.

Bitten by the writing bug, Barrows received her M.F.A in Creative Writing from California's Mills College. She wrote several books on such diverse topics as fortune telling, urban legends, and opera before branching into children's literature. In June of 2006, she released Ivy and Bean, the first award-winning book in a series about two young girls who become best friends in spite of their differences. In 2007, she published The Magic Half, a standalone children's fantasy about the middle child (between two sets of twins) who travels back in time and befriends a young girl in need of her help.

In addition, Barrows and her aunt, the late Mary Ann Shaffer, collaborated on a post-WWII epistolary novel entitled The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Conceived by Shaffer, the novel was accepted for publication in 2006, shortly before Shaffer fell ill. Barrows stepped in to complete the project, and the book was published in 2008 to positive reviews.

Good To Know

Here are some fascinating outtakes from our interview with Annie Barrows:
  • I can read palms. I learned when I was researching a book on fortune-telling, and I figure it's my back-up career if this writing thing doesn't work out. I can also read head lumps, but no thanks.

  • In my house, we have a Museum of Despair. The collection includes a burst pipe; the wire hanger that was being used to open my car when I surprised the thief; the stitches from my daughter's knee; a bottle of vodka so old that it's a product of the Soviet Union; and a broken thermometer.

  • There are two quotations stuck to the wall over my desk. Here they are: .

    "But how could it be true, Sir?" said Peter.
    "Why do you say that?" asked the Professor.
    "Well, for one thing," said Peter, "if it was real why doesn't everyone find this country every time they go to the wardrobe? I mean, there was nothing there when we looked; even Lucy didn't pretend there was."
    "What has that to do with it?" said the Professor.
    "Well, Sir, if things are real, they're there all the time."
    "Are they?" said the Professor; and Peter did not know quite what to say.
    --from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis

    "Behold, you look on a man that is soon to be dust. Yet because love endures all things, tell me, I pray you, how fares the human race: if new roofs be risen in the ancient cities, whose empire is it that now sways the world; an if any still survive, snared in the error of the demons."
    --from "The Life of St. Paul the Hermit"

    Most of the time, I don't do anything but work and hang out with my family, but I just got back from a three-week trip to England, where I got a chance to indulge some of my secret fascinations: Neolithic standing stones, haunted battlefields, out-of-the-way castles, and Victorian anthropological collections.

    • Read More Show Less
      1. Also Known As:
        Ann Fiery Barrows; Ann Fiery
      2. Hometown:
        Berkeley, CA
      1. Date of Birth:
        August 24, 1962
      2. Place of Birth:
        San Diego, CA
      1. Education:
        University of California at Berkeley, B.A. in Medieval History; Mills College, M.F.A. in Creative Writing

    Customer Reviews

    Average Rating 4.5
    ( 168 )
    Rating Distribution

    5 Star

    (118)

    4 Star

    (22)

    3 Star

    (9)

    2 Star

    (3)

    1 Star

    (16)

    Your Rating:

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    See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 169 Customer Reviews

    • Anonymous

      Posted February 21, 2010

      I Also Recommend:

      Ivy and Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go (Ivy and Bean Series #2)
      Ivy and Bean Break the Fossil Record (Ivy and Bean Series #3)
      Ivy and Bean's Treasure Box

      Ivy & Bean book #1- Great book!!!

      My daughter is 6 & primarily loves Fancy Nancy books well we had read all of those so I was looking for something similar. I FOUND IT! We LOVE this book even my son liked it, who is also 6. I am going to be purchasing more from this series that is for sure. I love the contrast between Bean who is a tomboy, loves creating "adventures for the to get into and Ivy who at first you think is a girlie girl but soon find out she has a few crazy ideas of her own. I recommend this book highly!

      33 out of 38 people found this review helpful.

      Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

    • Anonymous

      Posted December 28, 2011

      Who can hate Ivy and Bean??

      They are awesomeee!!! I love them!!! ;)))))) theres nothing negative to say about them

      21 out of 27 people found this review helpful.

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    • Anonymous

      Posted January 3, 2012

      LOVE IT

      I love ivy and bean

      18 out of 28 people found this review helpful.

      Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

    • Posted February 28, 2012

      more from this reviewer

      from Missprint DOT wordpress DOT com

      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

      15 out of 23 people found this review helpful.

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    • Anonymous

      Posted December 26, 2011

      It's good!

      I loved it! Cant wait to get #2

      12 out of 17 people found this review helpful.

      Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

    • Posted October 3, 2011

      So good!

      This book is so good!

      11 out of 14 people found this review helpful.

      Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

    • Anonymous

      Posted January 4, 2012

      Love

      I love this book

      9 out of 14 people found this review helpful.

      Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

    • Anonymous

      Posted May 1, 2012

      Ivy and Bean is a really great book to read!!!

      I really enjoyed reading "Ivy and Bean" these 2 girls never wanted to meet.Bean didn't even need Ivy,all the kids in the neighborhood came to Bean so they could play.And Ivy didn't need Bean,she was more interested in magic and potions... but Ivy and Bean meet.i would tell you more but then i'll end up telling yal the whole story.i really think u should read this book.

      8 out of 11 people found this review helpful.

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    • Anonymous

      Posted August 16, 2012

      Paris

      I remember last year when my mom said I could pick out any book. I picked Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but Mommy was bugging for me to check out Ivy and Bean. But I was like " Diary of a Wimpy Kid is good. " And then when I started 2nd Grade, My teacher told us pick out a chapter book, by the time I got there, there only one left. And you guessed it. Ivy and Bean. Soon math class was over. And my teacher said " Okay class, 20 minute break. Take out your chapter books." And then I read it. I fell in love with it!!!!!! I recommend this to people who start 3rd Grade ( that is the grade that im in ). Signed, a Ivy and Bean fan, Paris.

      7 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

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    • Anonymous

      Posted January 29, 2012

      ?...

      It was an easy read but great wish they were longer

      7 out of 11 people found this review helpful.

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    • Anonymous

      Posted October 21, 2012

      Hottie

      I love ivy and bean they are soooo funny!!!!!

      6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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    • Anonymous

      Posted July 12, 2012

      Ivy=hailey

      I have the hole set i love ivy+bean theare good books

      6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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    • Posted August 8, 2011

      Ivy + bean

      This book does not really deserve bad comments

      6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

      Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

    • Anonymous

      Posted November 1, 2012

      Nicky02

      This book is AMZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

      Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

    • Anonymous

      Posted November 1, 2012

      Awsome

      The first book is amazing, so if you like the first book, THEN DON' T BE CRAZY AND JUST READ THE WHOLE AWSOME SERIES!!!!!!!!!!

      3 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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    • Anonymous

      Posted June 2, 2012

      Funny

      This is a funny book

      3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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    • Anonymous

      Posted April 5, 2012

      Good book!

      It is a good book with trost and friend ship. Thats why i think it shood be a 4 stare

      3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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    • Anonymous

      Posted April 12, 2010

      I Also Recommend:

      The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary (Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series)

      Ivy and Bean is a juicy, fantastic book

      The main charactors in the book Ivy and Bean are Ivy and Bean. Bean plays a trick on her older sister then Ivy needs to help. It is always a nice, blazing hot day when their adventures begin. Her mom would be so mad at her and ground her for her life.

      My favorite part of the book is when Ivy helps Bean do a halarious
      trick on her older sister, Nancy. I don`t want to tell you what happens so read Ivy and Bean to find out!!!!!!!!!

      I think it is a great book to share with your friends and I also love this book because it is about friends. It is a great book to read to your friends to have fun. I think you can count at least 20 adjectives in this book. Also if you don`t have a lot of friends you can learn how to get friends in this book.

      I would recommend all kids to read Ivy and Bean. That is why Ivy and Bean is a great book for kids!!!

      3 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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    • Anonymous

      Posted March 6, 2013

      I love it!!!!!!!

      I love Ivy and Bean I have book 1,6,7,and 8 and Bean is my favirite because she has really funny and she is so like me I'm funny and I make fuuny noises and I have ideas like and I have brown hair and si does Bean.

      2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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    • Anonymous

      Posted December 1, 2012

      !!!!!!!!!

      Ok, so I am tweleve and i still love these books!!! I have been reading them since, i dont know , since i was 7? six??? I love these books and in my mind, anybody can read this book and still have a good time with it.

      2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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    See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 169 Customer Reviews
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