Barrows, Annie. Ivy & Bean Get to Work! (Ivy & Bean). Chronicle Books, 2021. 978-1-797-20510-6. 127 p. $13.39. Grades K-3. 

Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall created a truly winning pair in Ivy and Bean, and my daughter and I are so sad to see these adventures end! Barrows and Blackall reunite to make a final story in the series, and the twelfth installment sees Ivy and Bean visiting Career Day at their elementary school. They particularly like meeting Herman the Treasure Hunter and seeing some of his interesting discoveries. In true Ivy and Bean style, there’s no undertaking too large, no challenge too great, so the girls create a divining rod and hunt up some treasure of their own (helping each other out a bit along the way). Their classmates also catch the treasure hunting bug, and the kids enjoy comparing treasures. Ivy and Bean are perfect companions for new chapter book readers and their voices, interests, and nuances are wonderfully authentic. This whole series delights readers, and the final book ends the series on a good note.

THOUGHTS: Introduce Ivy and Bean to as many readers as you can. The final book is great but don’t forget about the first eleven! 

Realistic Fiction          Lindsey Long, Lower Dauphin SD