Ivy has a wild side, too. Because she reads a lot she has a lot of crazy ideas. She is teaching herself to be a witch. She goes around putting spells on people and plans to make a secret potion lab in her room. Ivy and Bean don't think that they will ever be friends because they are so different, but when they get together for a common cause, they find that friendship is about more than being the same as someone else and you never know what will happen when you give people a chance. This book was recommended to my niece, nephew, and me by Cheryl in CCNV, and it was a good recommendation! My niece loved this book! I think she identified with the main characters. She understood their friendship and their motivations, and enjoyed the growth of their relationship. She was excited by the story almost immediately, and urged me to read multiple chapters to her in one sitting, which is rare. My nephew also listened to the story, and he seemed to enjoy it to a certain extent. He seemed to have a surprisingly good grasp on the complexities of the sibling relationship, and really seemed to identify with Bean's frustration with her older sister (no surprise there). He did tell me he didn't like the book, but for a four year old, he sure did sit quietly and listen to me read it! Are you looking your next feel-good friendship book series? Are you six years old (or older)? Do you LOVE adventure? Then let us introduce you to the dynamic (and ultra naughty) duo, Ivy and Bean!

In this story the mothers of both Ivy and Bean (Bernice) have been telling them they should become friends. They live across a cul-de-sac from each other. But both girls have hesitations and have not bothered acting on the advice. Until the day Bean is about to get in big trouble, and Ivy encourages her to run from her older sister who is getting their mother. And helps bean to hide and formulate a plan. Ivy believes she is a witch and from the set up of her room she has fairly liberal parents. She has a spell book she got from an aunt that is over 100 years old. The two plot to put a spell on Bean’s sister to force her to dance non-stop. To do so they need worms, lots and lots of worms. Kids will be kids, and that certainly involves their fair share of mischief. But unlike protagonists in other children's books (think Beverly Cleary's Ramona or Judy Blume's Fudge), Ivy and Bean revel in their misdeeds and are never called to account for them. Bean's mom even found it mildly funny that the girls threw worms in the face of her older sister. Whether they enjoy reading big books quietly like Ivy, or love shouting and running like Bean, every child will find a friend for life in this heartwarming and super funny book series! With over 8 million copies sold, a musical and now a Netflix original film.One of the big problems of being a kid is that your parents often try to make you play with people you don’t really like. My parents were forever trying to get me to like the kids of their friends. These kids were often weird. I didn’t want to play with them. It was a problem.

The illustrations in this book are great, although sometimes ugly. There is one picture where Bean looks just like a demon, and it gives me the heebie-jeebies. The artist plays up Ivy and Bean's differences by representing them physically: Ivy is taller, with long, red hair. Bean is short and dark with dark, short hair. I can't believe it's been five years since Pre-School. I can't believe it's been 5 years since she's first read these books. Crazy.* The books feature illustrations, but are not picture books. The reading level is suitable for grades three and above. As of 2021, there are twelve books in the series. [1] Books [ edit ] I had heard so much about these books from kids. Last year, my son read all that he could get his hands on. My son's friends talk about them because their teacher is reading them to the class. They all say how much they love these books, how funny they are, how much they love when the teacher reads them. We were at the book store and my son wanted me to buy him one, so I did. When his older brother said: What do you want that for? It's a girls' book. My younger son turned around and said: No, it's not. It's a good book. Bean already knows she wants to be an arborist since they get to climb trees while Ivy wants to be a witch. Unfortunately, neither of these are represented at the fair. However, there is Herman, the Treasure Hunter, who entrances everybody in second grade. Soon everybody hunts for hidden treasure with some success, except for Ivy and Bean who hurry to get their shovels and improvise.Eleanor: I don't know. Maybe if you want to do the dancing spell, you stand on the edge of the pit and wave your arms and do the dancing spell. Ivy and Bean is a cute story that many children will find intriguing. In the story, you get to meet two seven-year-old girls who are as different as day and night and see how their daily lives look like. At the heart of the story is an important lesson, there is more to friendship than being the same. If you give people a chance, you will realize that they are a better company than you had assumed. Incredibly, a beautiful friendship is born out of these two girls’ interactions. While there is some mischief involved, it is also notable that the girls get appropriate punishment for their actions. However, it was what the relationship formed around that was troubling. The two become friends when Ivy helps Bean escape punishment for one of the many instances when she torments her older sister. Bean then discovers that Ivy wasn't reading books because she was bookish, but because she is studying to become a witch. The rest of the book involves the two of them lying and causing trouble in their attempt to cast a spell on Bean's older sister. Ivy and Bean go searching for treasure in Book 12 of the New York Times bestselling early chapter book series!

This story is as intriguing as the first one. The girls will be getting into more mischief at home and in school. While the girls get in trouble a few times, this story remains entertaining to the end. Ivy and Beans teacher is such a great person. She was kind to her students yet firm with the naughty ones, just like any teacher should do. As Ivy misuses her imaginative mind, Bean will be causing mayhem at home. The naughty girl cuts her sister’s hair, and you cannot help but wonder how far this sibling rivalry will go. Fortunately, the adults are always there to stop the mischief before things get too far.This is my first experience reading about this duo. It might not be the last. The story was cute enough, and I thought the girls' characters were done pretty well.