Chapter Book 8

Title: Ivy and Bean (and the Ghost that had to go)
Author: Annie Barrows
Illustrator: Sophie Blackall
Readability Score: 3.2
Genre: Realistic Fantasy
Sub Genre: Juevenile Fiction
Theme: Best friends aint afraid of no ghost(s).
Primary Characters: Ivy and Bean
Secondary Characters: classmates of Ivy and Bean and their teachers Mrs. Aruba-Tate
ISBN: 10 0-8118-4911-2
Published: 2006
Publishication company: Chronicle Books
Awards: None
SUmmary: Ivy and Bean are best friends- such best friends that they even have a pact a BLOOD pact (well they chicken out and used their own spit- but still). Bean is very talkative and not afraid to speak her mind, Ivy (equally clever) but very soft spoken and shy. Bean does most the talking even for Ivy. One day Ivy sees a ghost coming out of the girls bathroom and all the girls exiting the bathroom are shiver- which of course is a tell-tell sign of a ghost. The word slowly gets around about the ghost and girls everywhere are skipping the bathroom altoghter. WHen the teachers found out they are angry and to find out Ivy is at the root of the ghost story is shocking to Mrs. Aruba-Tate. Ivy and Bean know what they must do- they must conjur up a spell to expel the ghost from the bathroom. The spell even includes Bean's sisters's hair! They go to the bathroom and smear the potion- just then the bathroom groans, and the toliet (full of presents to the ghost) overflows. This is a sure sign that the ghost has fled and all is well again.
How would use: This was a cute book for most girls to read. With the story being about a ghost I think the boys could become interested as well. I would have the students right a story about their best friends and some of their adventures- just like Ivy and Beans. I would also have a discussion about what it means to be a good friend- and why we should all be nice to one another.