Kid Lit Monday: Ivy & Bean

Do you have a little girl that walks a bit on the wacky side, or one that is a straight arrow, but is always a little fascinated by those girls whose clothes don't match? The Ivy & Bean books by Annie Barrows are just the books for her. So far there are six books in this series. The books are about two little girls, one, Bean, is wild and unpredictable and loud and goofy. The other, Ivy, is quiet and neat. Each thinks the other is weird and they just know they could never be friends with each other. To make matters worse, they are neighbors and their mothers keep trying to push them into being friends!

The first book is how if you look beneath the surface you might just find a kindred spirit. What a good message for little girls (and all kids) to learn! I love what the author said on her website about the friendship between Ivy & Bean:

"...sometimes opposites can become the best of friends because they’re opposites. For example, people who like to talk need people who like to listen. And people with great ideas need people who can put those ideas into action."

What a good perspective on friendship! Beyond a good lesson on friendship, these books are just plain fun. The problems they get into have as equally fun solutions. Keep these in mind when you have a first or second grade (or lower third grade) reader looking for a good read!