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Iva Honeysuckle #2
Iva Honeysuckle Meets Her Match
Uncertain, Virginia is no place for an explorer like Iva Honeysuckle to spend the summer. When Iva finds out her family is going on vacation, she's thrilled. She knows she will make her next great discovery at Stingray Point. The very name promises adventure and danger.
Iva soon realizes that Stingray Point isn't the exciting place she thought it was. But then Iva hears about the legend of Chessie, the town's very own sea monster. Spotting Chessie would blow all other discoveries out of the water.
Stalking a sea monster isn't as easy as it looks. Iva needs a partner--all the best discoverers have one. Iva may have the brains and determination to find Chessie, but she needs someone with a healthy dose of luck. When Iva realizes just who happens to be her perfect match, it will be her greatest discovery of all.
Iva soon realizes that Stingray Point isn't the exciting place she thought it was. But then Iva hears about the legend of Chessie, the town's very own sea monster. Spotting Chessie would blow all other discoveries out of the water.
Stalking a sea monster isn't as easy as it looks. Iva needs a partner--all the best discoverers have one. Iva may have the brains and determination to find Chessie, but she needs someone with a healthy dose of luck. When Iva realizes just who happens to be her perfect match, it will be her greatest discovery of all.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published June 11, 2013
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 19, 2016
In Iva’s family, everyone has a cousin who is also his or her best friend. Her older sister, Arden, has Hunter, who shares her newfound interest in boys and clothes. Her little sister, Lily Pearl, has Howard, who always shares in her adventures. But the only cousin Iva’s age is Heaven, an insufferable goody two-shoes who doesn’t like exploring, always says her prayers, and is a world-class tattletale. It is Heaven who must share the sleeping porch with Iva on the family’s vacation to the beach at Stingray Point. It is Heaven who keeps threatening to tell Iva’s mother that she hasn’t bathed during the entire trip. And it is Heaven who steals away the girl Iva meets on the beach whom she is sure is destined to be her best friend. Still, though Iva and Heaven aren’t the best of friends, during this summer vacation, Iva will learn that they might still be on the same team.
I have to admit that I don’t remember much about the first Iva Honeysuckle book now, except that there is a memorable incident in it involving a flannel board. This second book, though, is sticking with me much more closely, and I think that’s because it was a more engaging story. I felt like I got a sense of each pair of cousins’ personalities and relationships, and more importantly, of Iva, not just as an explorer (though she does some exploring), but as a person. Heaven, too, comes across as less obnoxious this time. True, she and Iva are complete opposites, but the author does a nice job of balancing Iva’s dislike for her cousin with a few moments of insight into Heaven’s gentler, kinder side.
Iva reminds me a lot of Dessert Schneider (from Hallie Durand’s Dessert series), in that she is stubborn, spunky, and believably flawed. Like Dessert (and Ramona, and Clementine), Iva embodies the true emotions of childhood - not just joy and peace and excitement, but also jealousy, anger, guilt, and shame. Kids will understand Iva’s feelings because they have been in her shoes, and they will like her because though she isn’t perfect, she’d make a great best friend.
Iva Honeysuckle Meets Her Match is a great book for early elementary schoolers to take on vacation, or for families to read aloud together. With this second book, Iva has truly earned her place among my favorite chapter book heroines, and I hope Candice Ransom will tell us more stories about her in the future!
I have to admit that I don’t remember much about the first Iva Honeysuckle book now, except that there is a memorable incident in it involving a flannel board. This second book, though, is sticking with me much more closely, and I think that’s because it was a more engaging story. I felt like I got a sense of each pair of cousins’ personalities and relationships, and more importantly, of Iva, not just as an explorer (though she does some exploring), but as a person. Heaven, too, comes across as less obnoxious this time. True, she and Iva are complete opposites, but the author does a nice job of balancing Iva’s dislike for her cousin with a few moments of insight into Heaven’s gentler, kinder side.
Iva reminds me a lot of Dessert Schneider (from Hallie Durand’s Dessert series), in that she is stubborn, spunky, and believably flawed. Like Dessert (and Ramona, and Clementine), Iva embodies the true emotions of childhood - not just joy and peace and excitement, but also jealousy, anger, guilt, and shame. Kids will understand Iva’s feelings because they have been in her shoes, and they will like her because though she isn’t perfect, she’d make a great best friend.
Iva Honeysuckle Meets Her Match is a great book for early elementary schoolers to take on vacation, or for families to read aloud together. With this second book, Iva has truly earned her place among my favorite chapter book heroines, and I hope Candice Ransom will tell us more stories about her in the future!
March 9, 2014
Sissy One and Sissy Two are brave in Iva Honeysuckle Meets Her Match. These two sisters head to the beach for a week-long vacation with all six children.
Why brave? Well, Iva and Heaven and Lily Pearl and Howard aren't exactly calm, predictable, obedient children. Though in Howard's defense, he is led by Lily Pearl most of the time. In the first chapter book, Iva Honeysuckle Discovers the World, Lily Pearl was in a witchy phase. (One of her favorite games was playing Naked Witch which involves running wildly around the house: naked, of course.) Howard was a ghost, I believe, in that game. In the second book, Lily Pearl has moved on to playing BRIDE. And Howard, of course, is her victim-playmate. But as it turns out, all six children take a notion to be disobedient and break all the rules set for them by their moms.
Summer vacation. One week. Plenty of adventures and misadventures. They meet new (and interesting) people. They try to manage their own spending money. They try to problem-solve.
Iva, poor dear, has a time of it during vacation! She sees a SEA MONSTER, takes her mom's camera, DROPS it into the ocean, doesn't confess and lets her mother search for it all week long. She feels bad--really bad--so then she starts trying to SOLVE this problem all on her own, how to make restitution AND how to establish proof of the sea monster.
Plenty of action and fun in this one. And the characters, while far from flawless, continue to be entertaining.
I would definitely recommend this one!
Why brave? Well, Iva and Heaven and Lily Pearl and Howard aren't exactly calm, predictable, obedient children. Though in Howard's defense, he is led by Lily Pearl most of the time. In the first chapter book, Iva Honeysuckle Discovers the World, Lily Pearl was in a witchy phase. (One of her favorite games was playing Naked Witch which involves running wildly around the house: naked, of course.) Howard was a ghost, I believe, in that game. In the second book, Lily Pearl has moved on to playing BRIDE. And Howard, of course, is her victim-playmate. But as it turns out, all six children take a notion to be disobedient and break all the rules set for them by their moms.
Summer vacation. One week. Plenty of adventures and misadventures. They meet new (and interesting) people. They try to manage their own spending money. They try to problem-solve.
Iva, poor dear, has a time of it during vacation! She sees a SEA MONSTER, takes her mom's camera, DROPS it into the ocean, doesn't confess and lets her mother search for it all week long. She feels bad--really bad--so then she starts trying to SOLVE this problem all on her own, how to make restitution AND how to establish proof of the sea monster.
Plenty of action and fun in this one. And the characters, while far from flawless, continue to be entertaining.
I would definitely recommend this one!
March 25, 2013
Iva Honeysuckle Meets Her Match was a charming book. It was playful, funny, pleasantly moody, kinetic and downright sweet. What appealed to me from the beginning was Iva's sense of adventure. She had a curious and restless but good energy about her. She longed for more, and by golly, she would have it. Those traits made for a very endearing heroine.
I really thought the author did a great job with the names of the characters. I found them to be quirky and memorable in a way that young readers would like. Each character's personality was colorful and peculiar. This book had wonderful word pictures which is so good for encouraging kids to use their imaginations. With that said, I also thought the illustrations were perfect. Finally, I adored all of the little details that the author included in this story, such as the fake plant tower with the names of those who were nice to Iva, the daily life cards that Heaven seemed driven to create, the ongoing listing of similarities and differences between each set of cousins, and the interesting research tidbits that were presented by Iva.
I would definitely recommend this book to a young reader or to those who, like myself, love uniquely different characters who have a strong voice and a vivid sense of wonder. Iva is a delight. I look forward to going on more adventures with her.
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. The words I have expressed are my own.
I really thought the author did a great job with the names of the characters. I found them to be quirky and memorable in a way that young readers would like. Each character's personality was colorful and peculiar. This book had wonderful word pictures which is so good for encouraging kids to use their imaginations. With that said, I also thought the illustrations were perfect. Finally, I adored all of the little details that the author included in this story, such as the fake plant tower with the names of those who were nice to Iva, the daily life cards that Heaven seemed driven to create, the ongoing listing of similarities and differences between each set of cousins, and the interesting research tidbits that were presented by Iva.
I would definitely recommend this book to a young reader or to those who, like myself, love uniquely different characters who have a strong voice and a vivid sense of wonder. Iva is a delight. I look forward to going on more adventures with her.
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. The words I have expressed are my own.
May 14, 2015
http://noranydroptoread.com/2015/05/1...
This is a fun summer read for the chapter book set. Lilah and I both enjoyed Iva’s antics. Iva’s mother and aunt have decided to bring all the children (six of them!) to the beach for a week. Lilah has no idea why that made me laugh hysterically. Poor Sissy One and Sissy Two. I hope they’re well-stocked with cocktails. While the little kids do little-kid things and the teenagers do teenager things, eight-year-olds Iva and Heaven do what they do best – bicker. Iva is desperate for adventure, and yearns to prove the existence of Chessie the Chesapeake sea monster. While Heaven is off playing with a new friend, she takes her mother’s camera to document the monster…and drops it in the ocean. Her anxiety and guilt mount as her mother searches for the missing camera.
This is a funny, light, relatable read. Iva is a believable hero who reminds me a bit of Clementine. She isn’t well-behaved, though she’s a good kid. She makes mistakes, she gets too excited and doesn’t think before acting, and she’s not sure what to do when things go wrong. Her boundless enthusiasm is infectious, and her exasperation/love for her same-age cousin is endearing. Highly recommend.
Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this title courtesy of the publisher.
This is a fun summer read for the chapter book set. Lilah and I both enjoyed Iva’s antics. Iva’s mother and aunt have decided to bring all the children (six of them!) to the beach for a week. Lilah has no idea why that made me laugh hysterically. Poor Sissy One and Sissy Two. I hope they’re well-stocked with cocktails. While the little kids do little-kid things and the teenagers do teenager things, eight-year-olds Iva and Heaven do what they do best – bicker. Iva is desperate for adventure, and yearns to prove the existence of Chessie the Chesapeake sea monster. While Heaven is off playing with a new friend, she takes her mother’s camera to document the monster…and drops it in the ocean. Her anxiety and guilt mount as her mother searches for the missing camera.
This is a funny, light, relatable read. Iva is a believable hero who reminds me a bit of Clementine. She isn’t well-behaved, though she’s a good kid. She makes mistakes, she gets too excited and doesn’t think before acting, and she’s not sure what to do when things go wrong. Her boundless enthusiasm is infectious, and her exasperation/love for her same-age cousin is endearing. Highly recommend.
Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this title courtesy of the publisher.
March 24, 2013
Iva Honeysuckle, an eight year old self proclaimed explorer and adventurer, spends a week at the beach with her mother, siblings, aunt and cousins. She is sure that she will have one adventure after another and will find evidence of Chessie the Chesapeake sea monster which will bring her the acclaim she deserves.
What she finds instead are the dilemmas of her teenage sister and cousin, the abandonment of her same age cousin, Heaven, and the problems that her younger sister and cousin bring on the family. Heaven abandons her for the friendship of London another eight year old vacationing at the beach, the younger children have mishaps typical of pre-schoolers and the boy crazed teenagers add to the fun of this family vacation.
Although the names of the characters tend to be out of the ordinary, (Aunt Sissy Two, Heaven and Lilly Pearl) young readers will get past that to enjoy the antics and mishaps of Iva and her family and will be able to relate to the situations that cause her pain and joy. Following in the footsteps of Clementine and Junie B. Jones the Iva Honeysuckle series will develop a following of young readers waiting for the next in the series.
What she finds instead are the dilemmas of her teenage sister and cousin, the abandonment of her same age cousin, Heaven, and the problems that her younger sister and cousin bring on the family. Heaven abandons her for the friendship of London another eight year old vacationing at the beach, the younger children have mishaps typical of pre-schoolers and the boy crazed teenagers add to the fun of this family vacation.
Although the names of the characters tend to be out of the ordinary, (Aunt Sissy Two, Heaven and Lilly Pearl) young readers will get past that to enjoy the antics and mishaps of Iva and her family and will be able to relate to the situations that cause her pain and joy. Following in the footsteps of Clementine and Junie B. Jones the Iva Honeysuckle series will develop a following of young readers waiting for the next in the series.
July 26, 2013
Iva and her family are off to the beach for summer vacation. Their trip is full of sibling and cousinly rivalries and arguments. The older girls spend their time swooning over the lifeguard while the youngest two decide to dig the biggest hole ever in beach history. This leaves Iva and Heaven to do what they do best...not get along at all. Iva is sure she has many things in common with new friend London, so why does she pick Heaven to hang out with instead? As usual, Iva is full of well-intentioned adventure and some blundering mischief. She just needs to remember that friends may come and go, but family will always be there!
June 3, 2013
A cute story perfect for summer: Iva and her family (including her cousins) travel to the beach for a few days. Her cousin, Heaven, gets a lucky penny, and from then on--everything good seems to happen to Heaven while nothing goes quite right for Iva. Finally, at the end of the trip, she learns that blood is thicker than water--that family really IS important, even if you don't always get along.
Great for 2nd-4th graders!
Great for 2nd-4th graders!
February 10, 2013
Another story with a rather self-centered heroine we're meant to think is quirky and adorable. She's not IMHO. She's annoying as is nearly the whole large, extended family who are vacationing together. While it breaks no new ground, it's a gentle story if that's what your collection needs.
January 20, 2014
A decent read. Third grade and up would enjoy this book about family and friendship and the jealousy that can come between the two. It's a longer read, so it would appeal to higher readers.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews