The Ivy and Bean series by Annie Barrows is about two girls named Ivy and Bean. They are in second grade in the same class. In the first book, Ivy and Bean know they won’t be friends. Bean loves getting dirty, stomping in puddles, and hates wearing dresses. She sees Ivy next door, sitting on the porch reading quietly and wearing a dress. But when Bean plays a joke on her older sister Nancy, she needs some help from Ivy. From then on, they are best friends. The books go through their adventures, which include getting rid of a ghost and finding a solution to global warming.

I like these books a lot, even though they are for younger kids. I actually got them from the library to read/review, and my seven-year-old sister ended up reading them! I like these books because they are funny, and Ivy and Bean do things that real kids would do. They make mud pies, try to annoy their babysitters, and all sorts of other things that I can imagine my sister doing. I also like how there are pictures every so often, but not as much as a picture book. This series is on a 2nd-4th grade reading level, and is more appealing to girls.

Buy these books here.