Ereth's Birthday (Tales of Dimwood Forest #4) by Avi

★★★★

My favorite of the series so far.

Ereth is a (hilariously) cantankerous old curmudgeon of a porcupine with a hidden heart of gold. Up until now, Ereth has always been the protector, keeping Poppy safe with his quills. But in this book, the perspective shifts as Ereth is hunted by a fisher.

Like previous books in series, there are a couple themes and lessons: "Don't be disrespectful or cruel to nature." "Helping others is its own reward." Still, this installment is not nearly as allegorical as the earlier books, and I liked that I could enjoy the book for its pure entertainment value.

Again, I found myself thinking that this book might be better suited for older elementary school readers, maybe 2nd or 3rd through 5th graders. Like Poppy, this book contains a somewhat graphic description of an anthropomorphized animal's death, and the follow-up scene, in which the dead fox's children learn of their mother's death, is pretty emotional. There's also an egotistical, absentee father, which doesn't fit the "happy family" mold usually depicted in children's books.

One thing I found particularly interesting in this book was its portrayal of several different perspectives, perhaps showing young readers that the world is a complex place. Marty the fisher is carnivorous, and he hunts Ereth, yet he gets angry when the human hunters' trap kills Leaper the fox. The animals, though predator and prey of each other, are united against the common enemy of man.

Also, though Ereth starts out pretty antagonistic towards meat eaters - on page 49 he says, "All meat eaters are jerks!" - he eventually accepts that the fox kits eat meat. I actually wondered if there might be a vegetarian agenda in this book, but then realized that it's probably just really difficult to be sympathetic towards carnivores in a book of anthropomorphized animals. In light of that reality, it's pretty remarkable that Ereth, an herbivorous porcupine whose best friends are mice, came to befriend carnivorous foxes who eat mice. (Though rest assured, per Ereth's request, they agree to give up mice.)

Ivy + Bean What's the Big Idea (#7) by Annie Barrows

★★★½

In my opinion, this book is one of the better ones, more in the league of Book 3 and Book 9, my other favorites.

I really like Ms. Aruba-Tate. She's such a great teacher. I loved the way she put words to the way the class was feeling (on page 33): "I'm hearing that you are very worried about global warming. I'm feeling sorry that you're worried, but I'm also feeling glad that you care so much about the earth."

The entire school is having a science fair, and everyone in Ms. Aruba-Tate's class needs to come up with an idea on how to solve the global warming problem. Ivy and Bean's classmates came up with some pretty amusing ideas, and I have to say, Ivy and Bean's final idea was creative while also making a good point.

I like that this book shows the girls engaged in science, and it also introduces an important real-life issue. At one point, Ivy mentions "Lisa Something", and once again, I wondered why the actual historical figure (in this case, Lise Meitner, a woman who helped discover nuclear fission) wasn't mentioned by name. (Book 5 neglects to mention St. Francis of Assisi by name.) As it turned out, though, Lise Meitner was identified in the book's appendix, in which the author further discussed global warming. I thought the Q & A format of the appendix was effective, and that the book was enhanced by the additional information provided.

In this book, I was pleased to see Bean entertain herself using only her natural curiosity for life science. She diligently observes some ants, and she even conducts something of an experiment. (At first, I thought her experiment was a little bit cruel, especially considering the way she seemed to admire the ants, but towards the end of the book, she showed that she understood the outcome of her experiment. On page 95, Bean knows, in regards to ants, "They looked so sure of themselves, but...if she dripped water on them, they'd go nuts.")

On page 96, Ivy and Bean even articulate a pretty valid lesson for adults that I can appreciate: "What really freaks grown-ups out is not being in charge... Grown-ups and ants are a lot alike. If they relaxed a little, they'd have a better time."

As usual, though, the book falls short of a higher rating from me because of its inclusion of mean-spiritedness and disregard for safety. Ivy and Bean's neighbor Katy plays a game called Bad Orphanage, which seemed to have no redeeming value at all. At least games of "cops and robbers" have nominal "bad guys", but Katy was just bullying poor, helpless orphans! And at another point in the story, Ivy and Bean wildly wield hammers unsupervised.

Poppy and Rye (Tales of Dimwood Forest #3) by Avi

★★★

Even though I have not been entirely captivated by this series, I am content to read more, mainly because the books are short and easy to read.

I think it's about time I give some props to Brian Floca, the illustrator for this series. His illustrations are delightful and endearing, and sometimes, just when I start to feel indifferent about the story, his illustrations pull me back in.

In this installment, Poppy embarks on a mission to find Ragweed's home and tell his parents what she knows about Ragweed. It's very touching, and we see how bold and brave Poppy is, to take on this difficult task, despite not knowing exactly how to go about doing it.

This book seems to be centered around emotional themes of love, jealousy, anger, etc. We see an example of sibling rivalry, explore the extent of Poppy and Ereth's friendship, discover the wonders of new love, and witness the various ways in which individuals deal with their feelings.

As in earlier books of this series, there are plenty of take-away lessons, if you like that sort of thing. "When you are feeling emotional, don't act rashly! You'll just get into trouble." "You might think that one individual may be too small and insignificant to make a difference, but when many individuals band together, they can become a force to be reckoned with." "Progress for progress's sake is not really progress at all." And, "Some people are bullies because they are so self-centered and egotistical that they just can't see beyond themselves."

I think Ereth is a really entertaining character, and I'm rather fond of Thistle, too. I think I would enjoy reading more about her.

While this book did offer a good story and a satisfying resolution, I still felt disappointed several times along the way. It seemed to me that Rye running away to "prove himself" without any real plan only supported the idea that he was a pale version of Ragweed. We know that Poppy has a thing for taking on big ventures, but in this case, it seemed like such a shame that she was willing to risk the lives of Thistle and Curleydock, especially since, ultimately, they served no purpose on the mission. I was glad to see Rye taking charge when Poppy was scared of swimming, but my hopes were immediately dashed when events took an unexpected turn, and Rye did not get a chance to step up after all. I would have really liked to have seen Rye do something useful.

Ivy + Bean Make the Rules (#9) by Annie Barrows

★★★½

This Ivy + Bean book ties with Book 3 as my favorite of the series so far. (We have only Books 6 and 7 left to read.)

Bean isn't old enough to attend the week-long girls camp that Nancy is going to, so she and Ivy decide to make their own camp. The two girls show initiative, creativity, and leadership!

I like that this book introduces readers to a real-life historical figure, Boudicca, the queen of a British tribe who died around 60 AD. (Similar to how Book 3 introduced readers to Mary Anning.)

I also really liked the more sympathetic portrayal of Nancy in this book, and how the girls mostly got along, especially in the end.

Like Book 3, this book had the potential for 4 stars, but it just didn't quite get there, for me. There's no mean-spirited behavior, but Bean does steal some string from Nancy's room, and a bunch of kids dangerously swing sticks at each other, unsupervised. At least, in the end, the kids re-direct the sticks towards garbage, and some nearby mothers point out the safety issue.

Also, I didn't like that in the end, Nancy's camp turned out to be lame. It almost supports Bean's self-justifying thinking, "That camp is stupid, I don't want to go anyway." Instead, I would have liked to see Nancy have fun at her camp, Bean have fun at her camp, and in the end, both girls realizing that everyone had a good week of age-appropriate fun.

Finally, I'll mention that at one point, the kids play zombies, which is okay with me, but I can imagine there might be some parents out there who might not like that.

Henry Huggins Roundup

Here's a summary of all my ratings for the Henry Huggins series:

1. Henry Huggins (#1) ★★★★★
2. Henry and Beezus (#2) ★★★★½
3. Henry and Ribsy (#3) ★★★★★
4. Henry and the Paper Route (#4) ★★★★★
5. Henry and the Clubhouse (#5) ★★★★★
6. Ribsy (#6) ★★★★

Ribsy (Henry Huggins #6) by Beverly Cleary

★★★★

I'm so sad to see the Henry Huggins series come to an end!

In this book, Ribsy gets lost, and we follow his adventures as he tries to find his way home. It reads kind of like Harry the Dirty Dog, in that the main character is a dog, and we see events from the dog's perspective.

This is a great book about Ribsy, but I did find that I missed Henry and Beezus and the other kids on Klickitat Street. Isabelle gave it 4 stars because she thought it was too exciting; she actually felt a lot of anxiety about whether or not and how Ribsy would get back to Henry. I had to repeatedly reassure her that Beverly Cleary wouldn't let Ribsy stay lost forever, and it was a bit of comfort, too, that she peeked ahead and saw an illustration of Henry and Ribsy together at the very end of the book.

Tulip - Stoneham, MA

★★★


One of the most effective ways of judging an Asian restaurant is to look around at the clientele and observe how many customers are Asian. If you see a lot of Asian faces, then chances are the restaurant is authentic and highly regarded.

Unfortunately, walking through the dining room of Tulip, we saw nothing but Caucasian faces. We went for the lunch buffet, which consisted of predominantly "Americanized Chinese" foods, e.g., lots of fried options, General Gau's Chicken, and Egg Foo Young - which I actually finally ate for the first time. (It was really bland.)

Looking at the menu, it's just too varied. They offer Japanese hibachi and sushi in addition to Chinese food and Thai dishes. It's too broad to do any one cuisine really well.

I'm really not a fan of Americanized Chinese food, but for what this restaurant was, and considering its target audience, it seemed pretty decent. The place was clean, and our waiter was friendly. I probably won't go back myself, but I wouldn't mind recommending it if I knew someone was looking for an Americanized Chinese restaurant.

Ivy + Bean Bound to be Bad (#5) by Annie Barrows

★★

This book was surprisingly... boring. Other books that I've read in this series all have a solid plot to drive the story along, but this one just seemed lacking.

Ivy was on a mission to be "pure of heart" in order to attract wild animals who would love her for her goodness. It seemed to me that Ivy's inspiration came from having seen a picture of St. Francis of Assisi, and it would have been nice if the book had mentioned him by name, like how Book 3 mentioned Mary Anning by name. Anyway, Ivy decided that the best way to be good would be for Bean to be especially bad, and then Ivy could reform her. Somehow, the story just didn't pull me in. I wasn't really interested in finding out what would happen next.

Now, you might think, from my previous reviews of these books, that the "bad" versus "good" behavior would turn me off. Actually, I liked the tone set by the opening chapters, in which Bean's bad behavior was explicitly presented as "bad", and she finally faced clear consequences for her actions. Even when Bean - and the other neighborhood kids - were purposely trying to behave badly, I was somehow less bothered by the bad behavior in this book than in other Ivy + Bean books because in this case, the context showed that the kids clearly understood that they were behaving badly. They chose to behave badly, which means they understood that bad behavior resulted from bad decisions. (In other Ivy + Bean books, bad behavior comes across as just "regular behavior", and consequences are rare.)

Ironically, Isabelle was turned off enough by the bad behavior in this book that she at first gave it 2 stars! But then she upgraded it to 4 stars because she admitted that she still enjoyed the book. And she did read it mostly in one sitting, with just one snack break.

Most of the bad behavior in this book did not involve mistreating others, but when it did, I was on the one hand gratified that Ivy and Bean did not get away with their meanness (finally!), but on the other hand disappointed that the other kids returned meanness with more meanness (even if it was kind of funny).

Poppy (Tales of Dimwood Forest #2) by Avi

★★★

*** Warning: This review contains SPOILERS!! ***

Overall, I just found this book to be less satisfying than Ragweed.

On the plus side, each character is skillfully drawn with clear personalities. The story, too, is interesting. Poppy (a mouse) and her family want to move from Gray House to New House. Mr. Ocax, an owl who rules over the mice, forbids it, and Poppy goes on an expedition to New House to figure out what Mr. Ocax is hiding. Somehow, though, the book stopped short of endearing itself to me. I did enjoy it, and I will probably read the next book in the series, but somehow, I just don't see myself going out of my way to recommend this series to others.

Having spent an entire book getting to know Ragweed, I was seriously disappointed when he met an unceremonious end at the very beginning of this book. His death, and another that occurs (somewhat graphically) later in the book - along with the fact that there is talk about one individual being "sacrificed" (literally) for the good of the group - made me think that perhaps this series is better suited for older kids, maybe in grades 2 or 3 through 5.

Unlike other children's books I've read, this book is not written chronologically. First, Ragweed dies. Then, through Poppy's memories, we learn about Ragweed's role in Poppy's life. In trying to figure out why Isabelle didn't like this book (she simply calls it "boring"), I wonder if she (a first grader) just wasn't ready for this kind of storytelling. When reading other books, she is always keen to know "what happens next", as if reading is all about moving the story forward. Maybe these flashbacks - which do serve a purpose in fleshing out the story - just seemed like wasted time to her.

There is also some amount of suspense in this book, and I wonder if that might have turned Isabelle off a bit as well, since dragging out an unanswered question seems to fly in the face of her "I-want-to-know-what-happens-next" attitude. I have to admit, too, that the revelation of the secret of New House was kind of a let-down, not anything so unexpected or dramatic as I had thought it might be.

Towards the end, I felt the story just didn't hang together as tightly as I would have liked. Why did Poppy tell Mr. Ocax the secret about the barn owl, when that barn owl would have been the mice's only protection if they moved there? What was the meaning of Mr. Ocax's last words? Was he just being ironic? And why even include that last chapter? Probably the author wanted to provide a bit of closure for Ragweed, but it seemed like it was hastily added as a teaser for the next book, a rather clumsy way of introducing Rye.

This book does include some name-calling, but it's mostly limited to "idiot" and "jerk". Like Ragweed, Poppy has quite a few take-away lessons, which probably adds to why it's a good book for older elementary school readers. "Stick up for yourself, but don't be foolishly brazen." "It's okay to be different, just be yourself." "It's okay, sometimes even necessary, to challenge authority." "Don't take for granted that what others tell you is true; do your own research." "Sometimes, you have to be brave and do difficult things, even if you don't want to do them." "Bullies pick on others to compensate for their own shortcomings."

Henry and the Clubhouse (Henry Huggins #5) by Beverly Cleary

★★★★★

Another fantastic book about Henry Huggins! This book ended on such a high note that towards the end, I just couldn't stop smiling.

It's true the book is about Henry building his clubhouse, but the title easily could have been Henry and Ramona. I loved seeing Ramona play a bigger role in this book, and I especially enjoyed reading about her relationship with Henry. Even though Ramona is generally considered the neighborhood pest, she really redeems herself in the last couple chapters of this book. She is downright endearing! (Especially if you read an edition illustrated by Tracy Dockray.)

As usual, I just loved Henry Huggins. He is so resourceful and hard-working! Just an all-around really good kid. He knows the value of a good idea, he understands the importance of seeing things through (even if it's something you don't want to do, but you know you have to do it), and he takes pride in his work. He's not perfect, and we see how he struggles with Ramona, who bugs him a lot. But instead of just complaining about her, he finds a solution - and not just any solution! A really ingenious one!

Ragweed (Tales of Dimwood Forest #1) by Avi

★★★½

Isabelle's teacher is reading the "Tales of Dimwood Forest" series out loud in school. Isabelle really dislikes them. She said she would give the whole series 0 stars, but then after a little pressing, she relented and said 1 star because the books do get better.

I tried to get her to articulate what she doesn't like about the books, but it wasn't easy. I had to ask leading questions, and then I don't know if I was influencing her answers by prompting her with ideas. From what I can gather, she seems to not like the whole idea of anthropomorphized animals. I remember having to read The Wind in the Willows in fourth grade, and not really liking it, plus I tried to read Watership Down some time in college, I think, and could never get into that book, either. (It's still on my to-read list.) So I think I know what she means. She also just says it's boring.

I had never even heard of this series, so I figured I'd read it myself and see what Isabelle was complaining about. I thought this book, the first in the series, was alright. It's about a country mouse named Ragweed who wants to see the world. Leaving his family and the comforts and safety of home behind, he heads to a city called Amperville. There he meets a city mouse named Clutch who shows him the ways of the city.

The writing style was descriptive, but not simplistically matter-of-fact. I liked that this book was actually more elegantly written than I would have expected for a children's book, but I do wonder if that contributed to Isabelle's impression of the book being boring.

I liked the enthusiasm and bravery of all the main characters - Ragweed, Clutch, and even Blinkers. I thought it was cute that the country mice had plant-related names, while the city mice had car-related names. I also liked that there were any number of positive lessons a reader could take away from the book. "Explore the world and see what's out there." "Don't be afraid to go beyond your comfort zone." "Every life has challenges, just keep persevering." "Respect and celebrate differences." "Stick up for yourself, and don't let others push you around."

Silversides, the antagonist of the story, was actually a pretty interesting character, for a cat. Since this is a children's book, I at first took for granted that Silversides was supposed to be "the bad guy", like how the wolf is "the bad guy" in The Three Little Pigs or Little Red Riding Hood. Wolves are wolves, they need to eat, that's just how they are. Cats hate mice, and that's just how it is, right? But the book gave us examples of cats who do like mice, and we kept seeing glimpses of the girl's cruel and unfair treatment of Silversides - she basically transferred any love she used to have for her cat to her new pet mouse. I really sympathized with Silversides, and I wonder if another message of the book might be, "Treat each other kindly, and don't feed the cycle of hate."

I can appreciate the intended humor regarding Clutch's use of slang, but the overuse of "like", "Know what I'm saying?" and "dude" did irritate me. I was disappointed when Ragweed adopted the lingo, too. I also thought that the potential for a love triangle was a bit much, but then again, I am always down on superfluous romance in books and movies.

Henry and the Paper Route (Henry Huggins #4) by Beverly Cleary

★★★★★

This installment of the Henry Huggins series does not disappoint! As soon as I read the final sentence and closed the book, Isabelle shouted, "Five stars!"

In this book, Henry shows compassion, initiative, drive, and determination. He sees four adorable kittens and goes to great lengths to keep them from being sent to the pound. He wants a paper route, and by golly, he will convince Mr. Capper that he is responsible enough to have one! His school has a paper drive, and - inspired by an off-hand suggestion from a friend - he comes up with an idea to collect the most paper. Henry quickly becomes overwhelmed with the success of his idea, but he follows through and keeps his word.

I LOVE that Henry typed up his advertisements on a typewriter and used carbon paper! It was really fun talking to Isabelle about how Henry had to do things the old-fashioned way because home computers, printers, and photocopiers weren't invented yet. It was interesting, too, to see how the primary definition of a word can change over a few decades. To Henry, a "premium" is something that comes free with the purchase of something else, while I generally associate the noun "premium" with the cost of insurance.

Ivy + Bean No News is Good News (#8) by Annie Barrows

★★½

After reading the first four books in this series more or less in order, it occurred to me that after you read the first book, in which Ivy and Bean meet, there really is no need to read the rest of the books in order. The girls are second graders in all the books, and each book describes a stand-alone incident spanning no more than a few days. So, even though I haven't read all the books through Book 7 yet, I picked up Book 8 because it was available at the library. I don't think I'm missing out by reading the books out of order.

As usual, my concerns about this book boil down to the fact that the girls engage in inappropriate behavior (all in fun), but they don't suffer any consequences for their bad decisions.

I like that the girls were willing to do some work to earn money. With a suggestion from Bean's father, they decided to sell subscriptions to a neighborhood newsletter. Unfortunately, I was quickly disappointed when they tried to weasel out of actually writing the newsletter - after already having collected the money!

Bean's father gets them back on track, but in order for them to collect "news" for their newsletter, they basically trespass and spy on people in their own homes. They completely violate the privacy of others, and when the neighbors see the newsletter, adults and children come to Bean's house to complain.

Yes, I can see the humor in the resulting newsletter, but I would have preferred having a satisfying moral ending along with the funny outcome. The girls weren't acting maliciously, so maybe punishment wasn't necessary, but they still should have had to apologize to the neighbors for spying, making up stories, exaggerating, and violating their privacy. They didn't, and there was no lesson learned, no remorse. Instead, they actually got rewarded with more money.

Like other books in this series, this one also includes name-calling.

Ivy + Bean Take Care of the Babysitter (#4) by Annie Barrows

★★★

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers! ***

In this installment, the girls do not engage in any mean or disrespectful behavior (as they do in Books 1 and 2), but they do ignore safety, which is troubling.

I was pleased to see that in this book, Bean's behavior is more measured, and sometimes is even chastised. Bean decides not to throw a rock at her sister because "she knew better than that." Before playing with the mound of dirt in her friend's yard, she first seeks permission from the babysitter. When she's rude to her mother, her mother admonishes her; when she says "God" in front of Nancy, Nancy tells her not to say it. I like the tone set by this book much better than the first 2, in which misbehavior goes mostly unpunished.

Unfortunately, there is still some of the inappropriateness that is found in the earlier books. Ivy talks about making a "sacrifice to the gods", and I can just imagine that there might be some parents out there who aren't ready to explain that phrase to their first-graders. Also, Bean makes a plan to climb out of her second-story bedroom window with a rope ladder. Thankfully, she is unable to procure a rope, but it's never pointed out that it was a dangerous idea to begin with. She does manage to succeed in throwing a long, hooked metal pole out her window (!??!), which lands right at Ivy's feet - and nothing is said of the potential for serious harm that could have been done to Ivy if the pole or hook had hit her.

As for the babysitting story itself - I have to admit, I think Nancy and Bean's parents set the girls up for failure. They must have known Bean would resent Nancy being put in charge. I completely understood Bean's frustration, especially because she was missing out on great fun at the neighbor's house, and even more especially when Nancy started behaving badly herself (though Nancy did put in a good effort in the beginning). Honestly, knowing Bean and Nancy, I think the parents should have paid Bean $4 from the start, just to be good for Nancy.

Of course, having said that, there was no excuse for Bean going into the crawl space, which was explicitly off-limits for safety reasons. And just when I think Bean was going to learn a lesson about obeying rules, the lesson eludes her - she does the right thing by calling for Nancy's help, but once she realizes that Nancy is genuinely frightened, instead of just sitting tight, she plays a trick on her! It's just that kind of behavior that exhausts someone's good will - it's hard to have sympathy for someone who needs help but is not cooperating with being helped. In the end, Bean and Ivy basically applaud themselves for getting away with their mischief.

And while some people will surely have a problem with Bean and Ivy getting paid to keep quiet, I actually liked that the girls talked it over among themselves, reasonably, and found a win-win-win solution for everybody. And I like that Nancy showed some maturity by reporting to her parents that she isn't really ready babysit Bean.

Ivy + Bean Break the Fossil Record (#3) by Annie Barrows

★★★½

I definitely like this book better than Book 1 or Book 2 of the series.

Mainly, I was quite pleased to see that Ivy and Bean's adventures in this book did not involve being mean or disrespectful to other people.

Ms. Aruba-Tate, in a clever move that shows how great a teacher she is, gets a distracted Bean back on task (reading) by introducing her to "The Amazing Book of World Records". The rest of the book is about how Ivy and Bean go about trying to set a world record.

I LOVE the way the book introduces readers to Mary Anning, a real British paleontologist who dug up an ichthyosaur at age 12. Mary Anning gives the girls the confidence to believe that even a 12-year-old girl can do something big and important.

There is also a healthy "don't worry about what other people think" message in this book. Ivy and Bean enjoy their paleontology activities, and they forge ahead, even though their peers might doubt and ridicule them.

This book really had the potential for 4 stars, but in the beginning, I was disappointed in the way Bean - not surprisingly - did not respect Nancy's property. Also, I was a bit uneasy about the way some of the kids were going about trying to break world records. In the end, it's clear some of the ideas were bad ideas, but it almost seemed like this book should have come with a "Kids, don't try this at home!" warning. Finally, towards the end of the book, the name-calling appeared. If my daughter did not before know the "L-for-loser" hand gesture, she does now. Sigh.

Ivy + Bean (#1) by Annie Barrows

★★★

I like this book better than Book 2 (which I read first), but I'm still not crazy about this series.

When it comes right down to it, Bean and Ivy and even Nancy all strike me as more bratty than endearing. Ivy and Bean clearly know the difference between right and wrong, yet they continually make bad decisions. In this book, we have rudeness, stealing, trespassing, lying, name-calling... All sorts of behavior that I try very hard to teach Isabelle as being unacceptable. At least in this book - unlike in Book 2 of the series - the girls do get caught, and Bean is punished. Unfortunately, neither girl actually shows any remorse, or learns from the experience, and instead, their attitude is more along the lines of, "That was kind of funny. What should we do next?!"

On the plus side, I do like the "don't judge a book by its cover" message. I liked, too, that when they first start hanging out, Bean was actually polite and kind to Ivy. The book mentions that Bean is nice to younger kids in the neighborhood, and those little tidbits do make her more appealing to me.

I also like that at one point, there is a short-lived moment during which we see that Bean and Nancy are not really mortal enemies - they can sometimes actually be quite sisterly towards each other. Alas, the moment is fleeting, and in a flash we are faced with three bratty girls again.

Incidentally, I'll mention that this book has kind of a Halloween-y feel to it. Ivy plays the part of a witch, and there is talk about spells and potions (involving a dead frog) and blood.

All in all, if I had my druthers, I would not have introduced this series to Isabelle. Book 2 was a gift, and after reading it, Isabelle was hooked. When she saw that I got Book 1 from the library, she was so excited, she sat herself down and read the whole thing in one sitting - just like she did for Book 2. I have to admit that Ivy and Bean definitely appeal to her first-grade sensibilities, and I'm happy to see her reading independently. I'll continue to borrow the rest of the series from the library, but I plan to read each book before Isabelle reads it, and, if necessary, remind her that "book life" is very different from "real life" - even though some things are funny and entertaining in book life, we do NOT do them in real life!

Ivy + Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go (#2) by Annie Barrows

★★½

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers! ***

First off, I have to give this book praise because it is the first chapter book that Isabelle read all on her own, cover to cover. She got it as a gift, and though she was at first indifferent to it, once she picked it up, she read the entire book in one sitting. She is now very excited to go back and read book one - this book is the second in the series - and the rest of the series, too. The reading level is exactly appropriate for her, and clearly she finds the content amusing.

I want to say, too, that I really liked Ivy and Bean's teacher, Ms. Aruba-Tate. I thought she was kind, yet firm, and just what an elementary school teacher should be.

So, why the low rating? Basically, I don't like the way the two girls behave. I'm probably over-thinking it, but here goes...

Sure, Ivy and Bean's antics appeal to young readers. But I just can't get over the worry that maybe Isabelle will pick up some bad ideas, with disastrous results. Yes, Ramona Quimby behaved badly, too, but for the most part, by the time she got to be school-aged, she was well-intentioned, though sometimes misguided or misunderstood. Ivy and Bean, on the other hand, cause trouble even though it seems like they should know better.

Early on in the book, I was appalled that Bean physically tackled another student to the ground and then smashed plums into his hair - at school! Okay, I can see the humor in the situation, and in the book, Bean and the other student were simply told to "work it out." Yet, in these days of hyper-awareness regarding bullying, most schools have a zero tolerance policy, and if something like that happened in real life, Bean would be sent to the principal's office for sure, maybe even suspended. Bean also uses phrases like "shut up" - which I work hard to get my kids NOT to say - and she cuts her sister's hair in her sleep. Ivy, though sweet and quiet on the outside, misuses her active imagination and tells a tall tale at school about a ghost in the bathroom, eventually leading to another girl literally being scared to tears. She does end up feeling bad about getting in trouble, yet she doesn't learn the lesson about not spreading false stories. She continues to adhere to her ghost story, causing even more trouble. In the end, she basically gets away with her antics, never having to take responsibility for the mess she made in the bathroom.

Another issue I have with this book is that I think it unnecessarily exposes young readers to ideas they may not be ready for. First of all, there is this talk of ghosts and death and graves. I actually didn't mind it so much, personally - I know Isabelle can handle that kind of talk - but I can imagine that maybe there are other first graders who might not be ready for a book about ghosts and the underworld. Second, the girls at one point want to make a blood oath. Even though they didn't go through with it, I'm not sure I'm entirely comfortable with the idea that my young daughter now knows that some people will actually consider purposely making themselves bleed just for fun. Finally, when Ivy makes her ghost-begone potion, she finds that "ponie" is an ingredient, but she doesn't have a "pony", so she glosses over it. Now, I am a mother who encourages my daughter to look up words she doesn't know. Luckily, Isabelle doesn't use Google on her own yet, but one quick search tells me that "ponie" is slang for a "sexual female being that dances in a weird yet shexual [sic] manner". "Shexual" is apparently another slang word that means especially sexual. Not exactly the types of words I want my first grader exposed to...

I ended up spending a lot of time talking with Isabelle about the difference between "book life" and "real life", and how things that happen in book life are entertaining and funny, partly because they are things we would NEVER do ourselves in real life, or else we'd get in REALLY big trouble.

In the end, I am allowing Isabelle to read the rest of the books in this series, but I plan to read the books, too, so I can talk to her about specific concerns, if any more should arise.

Henry and Ribsy (Henry Huggins #3) by Beverly Cleary

★★★★★

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers! ***

This book is aptly named. Even though Ribsy is an important supporting character in all the Henry Huggins books, in this one, he is in the spotlight. If he behaves, Henry can go on a fishing trip with his dad!

For some reason, this book was much more dramatic than any of the other Beverly Cleary books we've read so far. At one point, there is a scene in which Henry is in a bit of a pickle. He is at the playground, and a bunch of mothers gather around him because it looks like Ribsy chased a wailing Ramona up the jungle gym. We readers know that the situation is not at all what it looks like, but the mothers are determined to get Ribsy sent to the pound. Isabelle was so anxious, she actually stood up because she couldn't sit still! She made worried, whining noises, and couldn't bear the suspense - I thought she might even cry! Even though it was like I couldn't read fast enough for her, I had to pause and calm her down, reminding her that Henry is resourceful, and Beverly Cleary wouldn't let anything bad happen to Ribsy! (Thankfully, the resolution was very satisfying, and both Isabelle and I felt relieved!)

The ending of this book also seemed like it was more of a high than any other happy occasion in any of the other books. Henry goes on the fishing trip with his father, and though it started off disappointing, Henry more than made up for it with his big catch! It was such an exciting crescendo that Isabelle and I were practically giddy as we read. And of course, Isabelle said her favorite thing about this book was that Henry caught his fish!

Ka-Noon - Bedford, MA

★★★


Small and quaint, I was pleased with the ambiance when I walked in. But the summer rolls were bland and the shrimp practically microscopic, if they existed at all. My coconut chicken soup was excellent, while the "thunder noodles" (spicy flat rice noodles) were good, but not especially noteworthy. The waitress forgot to offer us dessert before handing us the check. Overall, a nice place to go if the primary purpose is to meet up with a friend, but not necessarily worthy of being the destination itself.