Ivy and Bean Book 1: Best Friends Chapter Books for Kids | Elementary School Reading | Early Reader Books for Ages 6-9 | Perfect for Bedtime Stories & Classroom Libraries

The book came in a small envelope, well protected but without being wasteful, and in perfect condition. My daughter already owned the full series. However, she loaned book #1 to a friend whose dog and toddler sibling chewed it up. She is now 9, an amazing reader, and a bit nostalgic so she wanted to re-read the series, which led me to repurchase the missing book 1. She read it again in 1 day. The great thing about this book also is that while it is about 2 girls, it really appeals to multiple personalities of any gender. My 7yo boy is a reluctant reader at 1st grade level with a short attention span. He much prefers sports and running around and finding any way to expend his endless energy. However, he got curious about Ivy and Bean, so we started reading. He sat and read the entire first chapter to me and then even said "Reading isn't boring with a book like this!!!!" (I have tried every type of book imaginable with him .... who knew the trick was under my nose the whole time?!) It is great that he is reading a book with strong, smart, adventurous female leads also because it continues to counteract any gender stereotypes that society might try to sneak into his impressionable mind without being a work of activism. :) Overall, this book and series is a favorite in our household. I read books ~1-3 outloud with my daughter as her first series and then she couldn't wait for our reading time in the evenings, so she took off finishing the series by herself at school, aftercare, in the morning, any chance she could get. I look forward to reading them out loud again with my son although I already caught him tonight reading ahead in his room with his flashlight. I've dreamed of this day for a long time! That's definitely a testament to the quality of writing in this series.