Interview with Ivy + Bean



Today on the blog Ivy and Bean answer questions from their biggest fan, Andrea ("Andy"), a third grader at my school.  Andy sent a letter to Ivy & Bean with some questions, and here is what they had to say.  

Hi Andrea,


Ivy says: We’re glad to know that you like the books about us.


Bean says:  Of course she likes them. Who wouldn’t like them?


Ivy: She’s asking us what books we like besides The Amazing Book of World Records.

Bean:  I don’t like any other books.


Ivy: Yes you do. You liked that book called The World of Weird: Unbelievable Animals.


Bean: Oh yeah. I did like that one.  And I liked that one about how to pan for gold. Even though I never found any gold.


Ivy:  I just read a great book called Penny Dreadful.


Bean: I like Brave Potatoes too!


Ivy: Now she asks whether we like being book characters.  Do you? 


Bean: I don’t care.  Annie Barrows comes around and sits in my backyard and asks us questions, and then she writes about us. It’s no big deal.


Ivy: Yeah, I guess I don’t really care either.  Annie’s okay, but I don’t know why watches us instead of anyone else.


Bean: And why she doesn’t just remember the things she did when she was a kid?


Ivy: Maybe she has a bad memory. She’s kind of old.


Bean: What’s the next question?


Ivy: Hobbies. What are our hobbies?


Bean: Horses.


Ivy: Really? You don’t have a horse.


Bean: Thinking about horses is my hobby.


Ivy: My hobby is cooking.


Bean: What do you cook?  I’ve never seen you cook.


Ivy: I made toast this morning. That’s cooking.


Bean: I like toast.


Ivy: Now she’s asking about secrets.  She says Ivy, does Bean have any secrets?’


Bean: You promised.


Ivy: I know. I won’t. I promised.  Then she says Bean, does Ivy have any secrets?


Bean: Yes, but I’ll never tell. Even if you hang me upside down over a pot of boiling oil, I’ll never ever tell, not even for a million, gazillion dollars.


Ivy: And besides, it didn’t turn on anyway.


Bean: Right. But I’ll never ever tell not even if they shoot me out of a cannon.


Ivy: Do you want to be in a fashion show book? That’s the next question.


Bean: Do I get to decide what to wear?


Ivy: No, you have to wear a dress. Do you  have a dress?


Bean: Nope. Guess I can’t be in the fashion show.


Ivy: And I have to wear pants.


Bean: You can borrow some of mine.


Ivy: Okay. Here’s her last question: Is there a continent that you both wish to travel to and why?


Bean: Easy-peasy. I want to go to Africa so I can see the cheetahs. They can run faster than any animal in the world.


Ivy: Okay, and then we’ll go to Antarctica, because hardly anyone goes there.


Bean: You want to see penguins?


Ivy: No, I want to see glaciers.


Bean: Okay. First Africa and then Antarctica.


Ivy: Bye, Andy.
Bean:  See you later, alligator.

Thank you to the wonderful, and talented Annie Barrows (author and creator of the Ivy and Bean Series) for taking time out of her busy schedule to make one 3rd grade student the happiest girl in the world.

Thank you Andy for creating all of the great questions for Ivy and Bean.  You rock!

For more information about Ivy and Bean check out the Chronicle Books website:
http://www.chroniclebooks.com/landing-pages/ivyandbean/

For more information about author, Annie Barrows and her books, check out her website:
http://www.anniebarrows.com/ivyandbean/ivyandbean/about/

Check out this great interview with author, Annie Barrows as she talks about Ivy and Bean.

It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA (3)

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey.  Jen & Kellee from 

Teach Mentor Texts have adapted this to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.
Each week I'll recap what I've read/reviewed the week before 
and then look ahead to what I am planning on reading/reviewing in the upcoming week.

Last week's book adventures:
In an effort to catch up with my GoodReads Reading Challenge Goal of 1200 books for 2011(I am seriously behind), I read 53 picture books and early readers.  Some were good.  Some were great.  Some just meh.  You can check out my GoodReads page if you want to check all of the titles. 

Here are some highlights...

My preschoolers loved when I read YES DAY! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld.

I loved HIPPO & RABBIT: IN THREE SHORT TALES.  They reminded me of FROG & TOAD.  


I learned quite a bit about mammals from a non-fiction early reader by Scholastic MAMMALS: TRUE & FALSE

I discovered more about the art and science of snowflakes from THE SECRET LIFE OF A SNOWFLAKE

And if all YA Contemporary Fiction could be as good as Holly Goldberg Sloan's debut novel I'LL BE THERE, I would be reading contemporary fiction all the time. 

Upcoming book adventures:

This week will likely find me reading many more picture books and early readers.  I still have 193 books to go.  But I suspect that I will be finishing up Leisl & Po and starting Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare.  


So, what are you reading this week?
Please share! And remember to check in at Sheila's or Jen & Kellee's blog to see what they and others are reading!

Winter Wishlist 2011 (2) - Nerdy Book Club

I wasn't expecting to do another Winter Wishlist post quite so soon but I was checking out the new Nerdy Book Club Café Press store and had to share.

What is Winter Wishlist you might ask?  My wonderful buddies - Alethea, Kimberly, & Thuy - over at Read Now, Sleep Later  are hosting a seasonal meme that is perfect for this time a year and for all you book lovers out there.  

Week One - Books or Bookish Things that I would love to get:
The focus for the first week is on gifts we would love to get (btw, this is not a ploy to get gifts, I am actually having fun just sharing things that book lovers might enjoy).  I do know that hearing about what gifts others want to get gives me an idea about gifts I can get for wonderful book loving friends.  Yesterday, I mentioned a great source for some book-related jewelry.  Today, I am featuring the Nerdy Book Club Café Press store.  By shopping at the Nerdy Book Club store, not only do you get some neat designs from Tom Angleberger (author of The Strange Case of Origami Yoda among other books), but the proceeds support RIF (Reading Is Fundamental).  And you get to proclaim your passion for books in a cool way.  

Hmmm, now do I want the Nerd Horde Shirt...


Or the mug I can use for my Sunday #bookstack on Twitter?




Decisions, decisions.  While I am trying to decide what I want or what I want to give.  Go check out the Nerdy Book Club Blog and their new store.  Oh, and remember to follow them on Twitter at #Nerdybookclub




Winter Wishlist 2011

My wonderful buddies - Alethea, Kimberly, & Thuy - over at Read Now, Sleep Later  are hosting a seasonal meme that is perfect for this time a year and for all you book lovers out there.  Here's the lowdown on what you can expect:

Week 1: Write about Books or Bookish Things that you would love to get.
Week 2: Write about Books or Bookish Things that you would love to give.
Week 3: Write about a charity/nonprofit/community group that works with books and/or literacy.

Week One - Books or Bookish Things that I would love to get:

I joke that I would rather get a book or some kind of techie toy than jewelry, but if you haven't seen Viviane Hebel's book related jewelry then you need to check out her Etsy page or her website.  Viviane specializes in jewelry related to the books of authors Cassandra Clare and Holly Black.  

I had a hard time choosing from all of the Curse Worker creations (based on The Curse Worker Series by author Holly Black which I love by the way), but I finally settled on her Transformation Protection Charm Pendant.  Isn't it beautiful?

You can check out this and other designs by Viviane by clicking here.  You can also check out her website:  www.hebeldesign.com to see all of her book related jewelry.  Or you can follow her on twitter:  @hebeldesign


It's Monday! What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey.  Jen & Kellee from 
Teach Mentor Texts have adapted this to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.
Each week I'll recap what I've read/reviewed the week before 
and then look ahead to what I am planning on reading/reviewing in the upcoming week. 

Last week's Book Adventures:
My reading this past week was all over the place.  I finally finished The Night Circus on audiobook which I would highly recommend in that format.  For a book without pictures, it was truly visual and rich and very complex.  I fell in love with May Amelia and Mattie (Hound Dog True).  Two different girls living in two different times but both wonderful stories.  Of course, I can't forget The Chronicles of Harris Burdick - inspired by the artwork various authors provide their own often eerie interpretation in short story form.  Desert Elephants is a non-fiction picture book that shows the relationship between the people of West Africa, the elephants and the land.    









Holiday Book Adventures:
Here are a few of the holiday picture books that I sat down to explore.  Six books and six very different stories representing the spirit of the upcoming holidays.







2012 Releases - A Sneak Peak:
This week I had a chance to read advanced copies of three picture books that will be released in early 2012.  The Cloud Spinner was a beautiful tale that I truly enjoyed.  My Heart Will Not Sit Down was a dramatized account of a real incident from 1931 and the story was truly moving.  And How to Babysit Grandpa is a make you smile, laugh out loud sort of book.  I would recommend putting these on your future TBR pile.








Upcoming Book Adventures:
I honestly have to say that I don't know which books will be my book adventures for this upcoming week.  I did really enjoy Our Only May Amelia this past week and looking forward to continuing with The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm.  I have Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver ready to go on my iPod as my next audiobook choice (Jim Dale is the narrator).  And after seeing the movie trailer for The Borrowers, I was thinking about reading this childhood favorite.  I guess you will have to wait till next week to see what I actually read. 









So, what are you reading this week?
Please share! And remember to check in at Sheila's or Jen & Kellee's blog to see what they and others are reading!