Ivy + Bean Doomed to Dance

Doomed to Dance by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall is the latest installment in the Ivy and Bean series. In Doomed to Dance the girls enroll in ballet lessons assuming that ballet is a form of karate in costumes and set to music. Upon discovering the true nature of ballet they scheme to evade performing their assigned squid roles in the class recital. The girls initially plot to escape their fate by trying for bodily injury or illness. When these attempts are thwarted they decide to runaway on the school field trip to the local aquarium. The girls decide that living in the aquarium is the perfect hideaway. The fun really begins with the girls' adventures at the aquarium where they learn about real life squids. Doomed to Dance is a delightful tale for age appropriate readers. Parents will also appreciate the book's educational value. The class field trip to the aquarium defines "Coastal Zones" (tide pools); uses the term "sea anemone" (water dwelling predatory animals) and vividly describes the squid the girls encounter. In short, it is clear that the authors did their aquatic homework - in fact they even thank Dr. George Matsumoto of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute "for useful information regarding squid."Careful readers will also catch the book's reference to the classic children's book: The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg. Doomed to Dance is an engaging story for readers both young and old! Publisher: Chronicle Books (October 14, 2009), 122 pages Advance Review Copy Provided Courtesy of the Publisher.

Once again, Ivy and Bean enthralled my reluctant reader 9 year old. She can't wait for each new Ivy and Bean adventure. She got it for her birthday and had finished it before the week was out.

Thanks again to Annie Barrows, one of the most talented writers for kids today, who has given us another fun Ivy+Bean story. For those devoted Beanies, this one really lives up to the other ones in the series!!! If you haven't gotten your daughter going on these books start now. They're imaginative, well written and fun!

The best birthday present Georgia received this year was the latest installment of the Ivy & Bean series, Doomed to Dance. I am on a constant quest to find books that are both the right level and interesting enough to hold Georgia's attention. The pickings are slim, my friends. However, there are a couple of good ones, like the Franny K. Stein series, the Max and Maddy Series, and the Akimbo books. But, by far, for Georgia, the winner is Ivy & Bean. We have been waiting for this new release for six months, and were thrilled it arrived before Georgia's birthday. In Doomed to Dance, Ivy and Bean read a book about the ballet, Giselle, and decide they simply must take ballet class. Taking a page from my own playbook, the moms allow them to join, but also insist that they have to stick with it through the entire session. The grim difference between Giselle and a beginning ballet class for 7 year olds quickly becomes obvious and the rest of the book is the story about how they try to get out of their promise. I don't want to give it away, but let's just say that it involves running away and very scary giant squids. You've gotta love any book for a second grader that manages to include both Giselle and giant squids with grace. Aside from Georgia's devotion to them, what I love most about Ivy & Bean is that the characters are believable and charming. While sometimes naughty, there is always a logic and justification for their behavior. In addition, the parents react with appropriate and realistic discipline. By contrast, books like Junie B. Jones and Eloise imply that arbitrary bratty behavior and, even worse, bad grammar, is somehow endearing. It's a relief to find a book both with fun young girl characters and positive relationships. Georgia believes that the best book in a series is always the third one. She says that way the characters are really well developed, but the author is still not out of ideas. Ivy and Bean is the exception, we both agree they just keep getting better and better. - Jessica Wheeler

I love books that combine laugh-out-loud moments with the ah-ah moment "that could really happen to me!" Ivy and Bean is one of my favorite series for 1st - 3rd graders - I love these two friends who are so goofy and full of mischief, and yet remind me of all the things I almost did! Don't we all know kids who have begged, and I mean begged, for something? A puppy? a new toy? a glittering pair of shoes? Well, Ivy and Bean have seen amazing pictures of ballet dancers and they're sure that it's the perfect thing for them. Giselle kicks her pointed toe so fiercely toward the duke that she's surely going to snap his head off. And the Wilis get to dance with these cool long flowing finger nails, as they dance the duke to death! What kid wouldn't want to do that?! So Ivy and Bean beg, and beg, and beg with wobbly lower lips to take ballet class. They promise that it will be different than ice skating or softball. And they promise: no quitting. And NO complaining. But that's before they know ... how ballet classes really are. Especially when you get assigned the roles of the squid in the final performance. If your child has fun with this series, they'll enjoy this latest book. It's a great series to read aloud to kindergartners or 1st graders, or for 2nd & 3rd graders to read by themselves.