| Ivy & Bean No News is Good News (series #8) |
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What You Need to Know:
• Ivy and Bean are, as always, engaging and imaginative.
• Ivy and Bean are nice, strong role models for young girls. Neither character gives a hoot about peer pressure
and both are quite independent-minded and spirited.
• The author, Annie Barrows, either naturally sees the humor in childhood, or just remembers it well!
• This series, as a whole, is a stand-out in the early chapter book genre. |
Sweet Series Background:
Ivy & Bean is the story of two very different friends who also happen to be very imaginative, quirky and entertaining characters. Whether in their neighborhood or at school, they find adventure and fun together, although they sometimes “forget” to listen or follow the rules and end up trying to find their way out of a mess. It is a great selection for those who have recently become comfortable reading on their own. The characters are funny, the storyline is easy to follow and the focus is on events and actions more than thoughts and feelings. |
Sweet Book Summary:
In the latest installment of this first-rate series, Ivy & Bean are obsessed with the cheese everyone has at lunch, except them! The girls parents have deemed the Belldeloon cheese (think Babybel cheese) junk food and too expensive. The girls are bereft. The exciting part of the cheese is actually the wrapper. It is wrapped in red wax and it becomes everyone's favorite toy at recess: all except Ivy and Bean. The girls decide they are going to make some money so they can purchase their own cheese, and they decide to try Bean's father’s idea of writing a newspaper and distributing it. What Bean's father forgot to tell them is this: you can't snoop in other people's windows and then publish their secrets! The fallout is funny and the girls decide the cheese wasn't even worth it, although when used as a disguise the wax does save them from an angry mob!
Annie Barrows has hit a wonderful note with this extraordinary series. It is entertaining and informative, but never preachy! This is such a delicate line to balance in children's literature, and Barrows does it beautifully. The girls friendships and family life are positive and realistic examples for young readers. Sophie Blackall's illustrations are warm and funny, providing a wonderful backdrop to these terrific stories. Although girl-centric, since the color-choices and the illustrations have a decidedly feminine bent, boys would enjoy the stories too. If he doesn't mind a pink book jacket, I am positive he will enjoy the story between these covers! |
Author: Annie Barrows Illustrator: Sophie Blackal Published: 2011, 128 pages
Themes: Family Life, Friendship, Imagination, Individuality |
Sweet Discussion Questions:
• What healthy foods do you enjoy? What unhealthy foods do you enjoy?
• Why should we eat more healthy food than junk food?
• Is it ok to snoop on your neighbors? Why or why not?
• If you started your own newspaper, what would it be called?
• What would you report on in your newspaper?
• How would you find the stories to write about? |
| This recommendation was written by: Melissa Y. |
| Support Independent Book Shops: Click Here to Buy this Book on IndieBound |
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