It’s a Countdown to Ivy and Bean Day Blog-A-Bration!

October 13th is the 1st Annual International Ivy and Bean Day! That’s the day that bookstores and libraries around the world will be celebrating the launch of the 9th book in the New York Times bestselling series: Ivy and Bean Make the Rules. As part of the celebration, we’ll give away a paperback copy of each of the first eight books—one each week—beginning with the first book in the series, Ivy + Bean. But that’s not all!

Each week, we’re also giving away 3 sets of Ivy and Bean Mini Notes. AND during week 9, a Grand Prize Winner will be chosen from all of the previous winners to receive:

• A complete set of Ivy and Bean hardcover books signed by Annie Barrows
• 1 set of Ivy and Bean Paper Dolls
• 1 Ivy and Bean Button Factory
• 1 Ivy and Bean READ Poster signed by Annie Barrows
• Set of Ivy and Bean Silly Bandz
• Set of Ivy and Bean stickers
• AND – a super-secret really cool prize we’re working on (stay tuned!)

To enter, just leave a comment to this story with a way to reach you (e-mail preferred). Leave your comment by 5pm EST on Saturday, August 18th. One winner will receive a paperback copy of Book 1, Ivy + Bean, and three other winners will receive Ivy and Bean Mini Notes. And all winners will be automatically entered into the week 9 Grand Prize drawing. Next week, we'll have another drawing for Book 2 in the series and another 3 sets of Mini Notes.

The Ivy + Bean series, written by Annie Barrows, illustrated by Sophie Blackall, and published by Chronicle Books, began in 2006 with the first book, Ivy + Bean, the story of a pair of seven-year-old best friends who never meant to like one another. Bean didn’t like the new girl across the street—Ivy— simply because her mom wanted her to. They bond over a trick played on Bean’s big sister, Nancy. Will Ivy and Bean end up in trouble? Maybe. Will they have fun? Of course!

The books themselves are small in size, just right for little hands, with large text, short chapters, and fun illustrations that give early readers the satisfaction of tackling and conquering a chapter book and then a real book series. The stories make fun of older kids and parents in a knowing, slightly rebellious way. Annie Barrows has the rare gift of understanding what it means to be seven: a pre-tween but not a baby; kids who can operate—at times—outside the watchful gaze of their parents. They define their own world and start to call the shots in their own lives in meaningful and touching ways.

Book 1, Ivy + Bean is the origin story of their friendship. Without giving anything away, I think you will enjoy reading this book alongside your little girl. It’s cute but not cutesy. Ivy would rather be a witch than a princess; and Bean would rather be a motorcycle racer than anything. And these girls are multi-faceted; neither can be reduced to an easy stereotype (just like real little girls) which is why they can be role models for so many different girls. There’s a lot of layers there. I highly recommend this series. So don’t forget to leave a comment to this story with a way to reach you. And good luck! And see you next week when we’ll be giving away book 2 in the series, Ivy and Bean and the Ghost that Had to Go.