Ivy + Bean and the Ghost that Had to Go

In another installment of the cute Ivy and Bean series, the girls are up to a new adventure that is fueled by child-like imagination. This time, the girls are convinced that a ghost is haunting the bathroom at their school. Actually, Ivy is the one doing the convincing. Too afraid to admit in front of the other kids that she can't do a cartwheel, she makes up the story about the ghost. However, as Bean and other students report a cloudy form and moaning voice that surely belong to the ghost, Ivy even manages to convince herself that the ghost must be real. When the rumors take on a real force and cause disturbances in the classroom, Ivy gets in trouble for being the cause of the stories. Ivy and Bean then only have one option: the must show more expel the ghost! With their powerful imaginations and creativity, they decide to make a magic potion that will banish ghosts, and try their hand at a blood oath (don't worry, they're both too squeamish for real blood, they substitute with spitting, instead).

As with other books in the series, this one is charming and hilarious. It captures the way kids think - their superstitions, their friendships and fears, their power of creation. Add to that the easy readability of the story, and this next book in the Ivy and Bean series is a winner for young readers. show less

Best friends Ivy and Bean return in this second chapter-book adventure from author Annie Barrows and illustrator Sophie Blackall, this time confronting the ghost that is haunting Emerson School. Attempting to distract her classmates from her lack of cartwheeling skills one lunchtime, Ivy draws their attention to the misty white cloud to be seen - if looked at in just the right way, with just the right extended gaze - hovering at the entrance to the girls' bathroom. The second grade's excitement, at the discovery of this paranormal occurrence in their school, soon leads to trouble however, as their teacher, Ms. Aruba-Tate, insists that there be no more talk of ghosts. Clearly, the girls decide, the only option is to expel the spook, show more using a special potion and ceremony dreamt up by Ivy...

Like its predecessor, Ivy + Bean, with its "spell" to make Nancy dance, here we have an ambiguous story in which a magical occurrence might (if one really squints sideways at the story) be real, or might (as seems more likely) be the result of two very imaginative girls, and their play. Here we also have, like the first, an engaging story and charming artwork that work together to perfectly capture the distinctive personalities of each girl, from the seemingly shy Ivy, who is really an unconventional little dreamer, to the boisterous Bean, who really likes to please people. I enjoyed Ivy + Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go, particularly as I thought it was a little less mean-spirited that the first - no worm-throwing here, thankfully! - and think it is a worthy sequel. Recommended to any young chapter-book reader who enjoyed the first Ivy and Bean book. show less

This is a cute series that I enjoying reading aloud to my kid. Ivy and Bean are two best friends who get into (mis)adventures. What I like about it is that while ivy and bean are very different, they aren’t characterized as being polar opposites, or two sides of a binary. Often it seems there will be one friend who is wild and silly and the other who is calm and rationale. Nope. They both have wild imaginations and stir up chaos, but still come at it with different personalities. I also like that there is a characterizing of a girl who is quiet and seemingly reserved but also really very much a troublemaker- in a good way.

Hopefully the real second graders reading this are a bit brighter than the ones in the book, but experience begs to differ. It's a cute story, if not infuriating. While it's obvious the kids were rubbing their hands because they had just washed them (and not because they'd just passed through the chill of a ghost), we never learn what the puff of air was - I really doubt you'd be getting *steam* from a second grade bathroom.

Best friends Ivy and Bean are back and looking for adventure in the second installment of this engaging new series. This time they've made an amazing discoverya ghost in the school bathroom! Ivy and Bean can see its cloudy form and its glowing eyes. They can hear its moaning voice. This is the best thing that ever happened at schooluntil the teachers find out. Now Ivy and Bean have to figure out how to get the ghost out of the bathroom. Will they succeed? Maybe. Will they have fun? Of course!

Ivy and Bean are very likable and easy to relate to, even for adults. Annie Barrows writes in a uniquely mature yet child-like voice which draws the reader in while making them laugh! This "early reader" will delight even more advanced readers.

I think I have fallen out of like for these books. The first one caught my attention and seemed better then this 2nd book. No huge complaints. I just feel there is better material out there for read aloud with my little girl.