Ivy and Bean What's the Big Idea? (Book 7): (Best Friends Books for Kids, Elementary School Books, Early Chapter Books) (Ivy & Bean)

by Annie Barrows

Paperback, 2011

Status

Available

Publication

Chronicle Books (2011), Edition: Illustrated, 132 pages

Description

When all the second grade students must enter the science fair, which has global warming as its theme, best friends Ivy and Bean team up to create an unusual project.

Rating

½ (32 ratings; 3.9)

User reviews

LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
A group of fifth-graders present a talk on global warming to the students in Ms. Aruba-Tate's second-grade class in this seventh installment of author Annie Barrows and illustrator Sophie Blackall's series of beginning chapter-books devoted to the (mis)adventures of best friends Ivy and Bean, and
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the entire group is thrown into despair. What will the animals of the world - especially the polar bears - do, as their habitats shrink? And how can it be that it is humans who are responsible for such destruction? Their teacher, learning of these feelings, suggests that they each devote their Science Fair project to a possible solution to the problem. And so Ivy and Bean, after a number of false starts involving pounding rice, tossing ice cubes, and tying themselves up, hit upon an idea that might just be the beginning of a solution...

As with the other installments in this ongoing primary school saga, I found the story of Ivy + Bean: What's the Big Idea entertaining, and the artwork charming. Barrows does a good job presenting the basic idea of global warming, without getting into too many specifics, and offers a sensitive portrayal of how young children might react to that idea. Although I understand why one fellow reviewer found this title a little less than informative, on the topic - I don't think there ever is a very clear explanation of global warming, or its causes, in the story itself - I think this rather misses the point. Young children often hear stories - through their peers, at school, overheard on the news - that they don't fully understand, but whose import they fully grasp. A child doesn't need to understand all the complexities of global warming, to know that it is a serious problem, or to feel afraid - and it is this, I think, that Barrows is addressing with her story. For those who want more details, there is an informative non-fiction afterword that provides them.

In sum: a satisfactory addition to the series. Not my personal favorite, of the lot, but it will still have appeal for young readers who are fans of Ivy and Bean, as well as for those looking for children's stories that address the theme of global warming.
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LibraryThing member hellokitty201
i think this book is a great young reader book because it is teaching a lesson in the book and the lesson is to work together and if you have a disagreement it does not always have to turn into a fight if you were going to read this book read 1,2,3,4,5,and 6 because it makes more sense on how they
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met and how their friendship works or you will be a little stumbled but i like girls at the age of 6 should read this book it is so amazing and for young girls it will be very interesting to them because it is based on two girl best friends and this is why the book is so great because it does not have hard words in it and i could read it in two weeks the whole collection of book from 1 to 7 so that is how great it is and really good for girls who have a close friendship with one of their friends
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LibraryThing member Stahl-Ricco
Ivy and Bean tackle the topic of global warming! And the author adds some information after the story. Cute!
LibraryThing member RobertaLea
Adults have a lot to learn from these two young scientists.

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2010

Physical description

7.25 inches

ISBN

9781452102368
Page: 0.188 seconds