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Ivy & Bean #10
Take the Case
A Netflix Original Film Series
A New York Times Bestselling Series
Over 8 Million Copies Sold
Watch out, you diabolical masterminds! There's a new detective on Pancake Court: Bean! She laughs at danger! She solves even the most mysterious mysteries! What? There aren't any mysteries? Then Bean and her assistant, Ivy, will make some!
A New York Times Bestselling Series
Over 8 Million Copies Sold
Watch out, you diabolical masterminds! There's a new detective on Pancake Court: Bean! She laughs at danger! She solves even the most mysterious mysteries! What? There aren't any mysteries? Then Bean and her assistant, Ivy, will make some!
128 pages, Hardcover
First published September 24, 2013
422 people are currently reading
855 people want to read
About the author
Annie Barrows
77 books975 followersAnnie grew up in Northern California, and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, with a degree in Medieval History. Unable to find a job in the middle ages, she decided upon a career as an editor, eventually landing at Chronicle Books in San Francisco, where she was in charge of "all the books that nobody in their right mind would publish." After earning an M.F.A. in Creative Writing at Mills College, Annie wrote (as Ann Fiery) a number of books for grown-ups about such diverse subjects as fortune-telling (she can read palms!), urban legends (there are no alligators in the sewer!), and opera (she knows what they're singing about!). In 2003, Annie grew weary of grown-ups, and began to write for kids, which she found to be way more fun.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
July 15, 2014
So here's the thing: this book embraces the place of not-knowing. That is a hard place for any human to occupy, and I've read several parents' reviews that show how even grown-ups want a definitive answer to the mystery these 2 girls come to accept as unsolved and therefore eternally interesting and a valued jumping-off point for imagination. I appreciate this series tremendously...for poking fun at suburbia and cul-de-sacs, for toying with bigger issues (the connection between global warming & indoorsiness, the tension between structured and unstructured time for developing brains, etc.), and generally promoting free thinking and exploration. Whether you're a kid or not, these are good stories that are interesting to discuss. And my five-year-old and I talk about and reread these again and again. Number 10 is my favorite so far.
January 31, 2015
Immediately after finishing this book, the first thought that popped into my head was, "I want my money back." Yes, I get that leaving the plot unresolved is "literary" and allows the reader room to imaginatively finish the story, but c'mon, this is a middle grade reader, not Cormac McCarthy, for cryin' out loud. I really wonder how young readers respond to the lack of resolution of the mystery. As an adult, it just doesn't seem fair to throw out a "real mystery" (someone tying yellow rope to houses and adding more to the end in the dead of night, and no adult seems to care?), then just leave it hanging out there.
As Bean would say, I feel like the chump for buying this book. Here's hoping that #11 will return to the great storytelling of the other books in the series.
As Bean would say, I feel like the chump for buying this book. Here's hoping that #11 will return to the great storytelling of the other books in the series.
Read
October 21, 2013I like reading these books because they're amusing and light. They're good for a quick break between dark scary novels such as The Hunger Games and Gone. (Which are both awesome books for people 12 or older. I wasn't a big fan of this one though. I groaned after reading the first chapter, because although it was funny, I didn't see how it could stretch to fill the whole book. And for about 30 pages I thought I was right. Finally, the plot seems to get started and I enjoyed reading it. It was another Ivy and Bean book. But the ending was extremely unsatisfying.
December 17, 2015
I read this book during the third grade. I really admire this book because it's easy to read, fast, interesting, and passionate. It's about ivy and bean taking over a mystery. I recommend this book to early-readers.
April 11, 2016
Bean's mom is very specific when it comes to watching movies-they cannot have mean characters, no smoking, no bad language, no tough guys...the list goes on. Thankfully, this means that Bean has a good list of 10 movies that she can choose from, but today she ends up getting to watch her moms favorite movie. A classic black and white tale that breaks almost all of the rules that her mother had made about movies. Bean ends up loving the movie (for all the wrong reasons that her mom ends up regretting) and wants to be a detective herself and sets out to solve mysteries in Pancake Court. Kids from around the cul-de-sac are interested in her mysteries but soon get bored with the everyday occurrences. So, Ivy and her decided to go on a walk. They end up running into another mystery, a yellow rope tied to a neighbors chimney. They ask the neighbor if she knows how the rope got there but she doesn't. The rope keeps growing until it is all the way across the driveway and reaching Ivy's stairs. The neighborhood kids get curious and they want this mystery solved. The girls decide to stake out and watch to find out who the culprit is, but Bean struggles to stay awake and when she wakes up the rope has grown again...
April 3, 2014
WHO DID IT?
I understand teaching children that sometimes mysteries won't be solved and you'll just have to live with not-knowing. But this installment is so open-ended that my kids sat up straight and cried out in dismay when the book ended without any answers whatsoever.
I understand teaching children that sometimes mysteries won't be solved and you'll just have to live with not-knowing. But this installment is so open-ended that my kids sat up straight and cried out in dismay when the book ended without any answers whatsoever.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2014
I love this book! I've read it, and I didn't stop reading it!
May 21, 2022
This book is ok but it was a little to easy for a fifth grader. But it would be good for like a 3-4 grader. It was very informing to want to be a kid investigator.
May 13, 2019
SPOILER: How do we never get a solution to the mystery? Did I miss something? I don't think I missed a thing but this book was weird in so many ways that I'm still kinda wondering what the what?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2013
Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall deliver yet another delightfully creative and intelligent Ivy + Bean adventure. I was surprised to find, however, that plenty of the usual fans on goodreads did not care for this 10th installment. Most of the explanations focused on their “boredom during the first portion of the book” and its “untidy ending.” And I can see that, especially if one misses what is going on in the story.
[quote]
Investigator Bean and her assistant Ivy are having problems solving mysteries that are impressive enough to satisfy the crowd (e.g. the other kids of Pancake Court), and apparently the reader (e.g. goodreads reviews). Or, rather, it is the answers that their investigations reveal that lack audience interest, because Ivy and Bean are not the only one’s who’ve always wondered about the cement thing, Teng’s backyard or the mailman. When they solve the mystery, the answer turns out to be a lackluster one. The girls are increasingly mocked and the pressure intensifies to find a mystery “strange” enough to satisfy their difficult crowd (which, granted, includes themselves).
Suddenly a rope appears and know one knows who hung it from Dino’s chimney. Every night knots add length as it begins to wind about Pancake Court. This is where the “big mystery” kicks in–but obviously not the story. In Film Noir, this is where the story would start, too. But this is Pancake Court and Bean is not a hardened, tormented detective. And this is Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall breaking from the formulaic. In many ways, their willingness to dare something unexpected and different reclaims the word and idea of mystery; and in doing so, they do what they do exceptionally well: argue on the side of creativity and its prerequisite imagination and different points-of-view.
Some mysteries are going to remain mysteries, like the one presented in the first chapter: Why would a mother who restricts Bean’s screen-watching-time to ten movies with a strict personal-parental rating allow her daughter to watch a film that breaks all but one of those rules? Barrows could have launched Bean’s new obsession from another source (as many other picture and early chapter books have done).
Clues to who-dunnit appear throughout the early mysteries before we’ve arrived to the Big Case. There is a lot to suggest the who and why by the time the crowd is threatening a revolt. Did the investigative reader consider all the angles? In Mysteries, does the reader really leave it up to the Investigator to do all the work?
<>
Noting his presence/timing in text/illustration: Jake the Teenager. Why? to help a nutty neighbor out, or to amuse himself, or both? But why leave “The Mystery of the Yellow Rope” unsolved? because the magic of having a mystery is really what Ivy and Bean have discovered to be the most enticing part of a mystery. Think about how quickly the attitude shifted when questions were answered. Boring ol’Pancake Court became even more so.
“Al Seven is always wanting to solve mysteries,” Bean said. “That’s what I don’t get about him,” said Ivy. “Why does he always want to solve them? You solve problems, but a mystery isn’t a problem, so why does it have to be solved?” “Sometimes it’s a problem,” said Bean. “This one isn’t. Nobody’s getting hurt or anything. It’s a nice mystery.” [Ivy said.] (105-6)
Yet again they “solve” the mystery and it isn’t satisfying; the answer’s lack of logic doesn’t help. I am fascinated by the inclusion of the children’s impulse to inform their parents of the rope and inquire of the answer of them. It couples well with this (oft frustrated) need for immediacy and for any work they put in to be rewarded in a way that feels rewarding. The neighborhood kids aren’t getting the “niceness” of the Yellow Rope Mystery, nor are some of its readers, apparently; which is okay. I just find it a smart, creative shift of perspective.
<>
Not all mysteries can be solved, some you do not want to solve, and many have really lackluster answers. That the audience longs for creativity, not only in the mystery but its answers is a central conflict that Take the Case handles beautifully, because it remains a mystery as to why the demand for creativity often ends up in a loathing of the creative revelation or response; or is it? Is this all too much for a grade school chapter book? Hardly…which is why I really love knowing Ivy+Bean exists. In Literature, we expect the form to contribute to the coherence of the work. You needn’t a degree to discover it; if it does, I suppose it fails. I do not believe Take the Case fails. I am continually impressed with how thoughtful the crafting of this series has proven itself to be while yet possessing utter charm and entertainment.
---
For all the talk of mysteries, Barrows/Blackall keep the friendship center stage as the two explore a childhood and all its strange mysteries together. Like the mutually supportive fictional duo, Blackall’s illustrations are without fail a flawless partner in the rendering of personality the text would infuse into the characters and story. There is no second-guessing or mystery as to whether these to two will stick together come what may.
---
recommendations…girl or boy, grade school, who like humor, contemporary fiction, and friendship stories. A series for those who desire to nurture their young (or to-be) creative writer and reader of Literature. Not for readers who expect (and desire) a transparent tale and its simplistic ribbon-tied ending for their young reader.
L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/20...
[quote]
Investigator Bean and her assistant Ivy are having problems solving mysteries that are impressive enough to satisfy the crowd (e.g. the other kids of Pancake Court), and apparently the reader (e.g. goodreads reviews). Or, rather, it is the answers that their investigations reveal that lack audience interest, because Ivy and Bean are not the only one’s who’ve always wondered about the cement thing, Teng’s backyard or the mailman. When they solve the mystery, the answer turns out to be a lackluster one. The girls are increasingly mocked and the pressure intensifies to find a mystery “strange” enough to satisfy their difficult crowd (which, granted, includes themselves).
Suddenly a rope appears and know one knows who hung it from Dino’s chimney. Every night knots add length as it begins to wind about Pancake Court. This is where the “big mystery” kicks in–but obviously not the story. In Film Noir, this is where the story would start, too. But this is Pancake Court and Bean is not a hardened, tormented detective. And this is Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall breaking from the formulaic. In many ways, their willingness to dare something unexpected and different reclaims the word and idea of mystery; and in doing so, they do what they do exceptionally well: argue on the side of creativity and its prerequisite imagination and different points-of-view.
Some mysteries are going to remain mysteries, like the one presented in the first chapter: Why would a mother who restricts Bean’s screen-watching-time to ten movies with a strict personal-parental rating allow her daughter to watch a film that breaks all but one of those rules? Barrows could have launched Bean’s new obsession from another source (as many other picture and early chapter books have done).
Clues to who-dunnit appear throughout the early mysteries before we’ve arrived to the Big Case. There is a lot to suggest the who and why by the time the crowd is threatening a revolt. Did the investigative reader consider all the angles? In Mysteries, does the reader really leave it up to the Investigator to do all the work?
<>
Noting his presence/timing in text/illustration: Jake the Teenager. Why? to help a nutty neighbor out, or to amuse himself, or both? But why leave “The Mystery of the Yellow Rope” unsolved? because the magic of having a mystery is really what Ivy and Bean have discovered to be the most enticing part of a mystery. Think about how quickly the attitude shifted when questions were answered. Boring ol’Pancake Court became even more so.
“Al Seven is always wanting to solve mysteries,” Bean said. “That’s what I don’t get about him,” said Ivy. “Why does he always want to solve them? You solve problems, but a mystery isn’t a problem, so why does it have to be solved?” “Sometimes it’s a problem,” said Bean. “This one isn’t. Nobody’s getting hurt or anything. It’s a nice mystery.” [Ivy said.] (105-6)
Yet again they “solve” the mystery and it isn’t satisfying; the answer’s lack of logic doesn’t help. I am fascinated by the inclusion of the children’s impulse to inform their parents of the rope and inquire of the answer of them. It couples well with this (oft frustrated) need for immediacy and for any work they put in to be rewarded in a way that feels rewarding. The neighborhood kids aren’t getting the “niceness” of the Yellow Rope Mystery, nor are some of its readers, apparently; which is okay. I just find it a smart, creative shift of perspective.
<>
Not all mysteries can be solved, some you do not want to solve, and many have really lackluster answers. That the audience longs for creativity, not only in the mystery but its answers is a central conflict that Take the Case handles beautifully, because it remains a mystery as to why the demand for creativity often ends up in a loathing of the creative revelation or response; or is it? Is this all too much for a grade school chapter book? Hardly…which is why I really love knowing Ivy+Bean exists. In Literature, we expect the form to contribute to the coherence of the work. You needn’t a degree to discover it; if it does, I suppose it fails. I do not believe Take the Case fails. I am continually impressed with how thoughtful the crafting of this series has proven itself to be while yet possessing utter charm and entertainment.
---
For all the talk of mysteries, Barrows/Blackall keep the friendship center stage as the two explore a childhood and all its strange mysteries together. Like the mutually supportive fictional duo, Blackall’s illustrations are without fail a flawless partner in the rendering of personality the text would infuse into the characters and story. There is no second-guessing or mystery as to whether these to two will stick together come what may.
---
recommendations…girl or boy, grade school, who like humor, contemporary fiction, and friendship stories. A series for those who desire to nurture their young (or to-be) creative writer and reader of Literature. Not for readers who expect (and desire) a transparent tale and its simplistic ribbon-tied ending for their young reader.
L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/20...
September 9, 2023
I read this out loud to my daughter and it was pretty fun. Some things went over her head, like the stereotypes for detectives, but it was a fun book full of the antics and humor we have come to expect.
January 1, 2020
Cute middle grade read. My 3rd grader has these in her classroom and I wanted to check it out.
December 29, 2013
I haven't read an Ivy + Bean book since I left K-8 to teach in middle school. I remember them fondly, and there were moments in #10 that reminded me of why I thought they were good but there were inconsistencies that bothered me. Starting with a mom that is so strict about movie viewing but allows Bean to watch her favorite film noir and then wonders why Bean gleans some of the negative behavior from it. Yes, adults/ parents can be inconsistent. Just the other day, I went searching for some blog reviews of a book I had finished and stumbled upon a blog that is written with the concerned parent in mind. The book, which I loved, was flagged like crazy. Curious, I read a few other posts and was rather stunned to learn that this concerned parent allowed her young children to see The Hobbit movies. Plenty of violence and scary themes there. Those orks are terrifying, truly stuff of nightmare. So, okay, I guess it's funny. I did like how it inspired Bean to set up her own detective agency. But adults appear and disappear at the whim of the plot. If my kid pointed out a yellow rope hanging from my roof, I'd freak, not just complacently go back to whatever it was I was doing. Finally, the ending in which there is no resolution at all. This one didn't work for me.
February 14, 2016
I haven't read any of the earlier Ivy and Bean books, but after this one, I am also not planning to read them. This was a nice book, but that ending, those characters.. Just not my kind of thing.
First of all the characters.
Bean was highly annoying. I also wonder about those parents, your kid is saying all kinds of things from a movie (some not that nice) and pretends to be like that guy and you don't do much about it? Just let it go?
Also Bean was quite easily influenced. She saw one movie and just wanted to do everything that was done in the movie. Totally changing her personality and all that.
Her friends, or should I say, the ones that surround her? Urgh, they are pretty mean towards Bean, I at times felt sorry for Bean I just wish she would have kicked their buts or at least said something about it.
The mystery was fun, though the ending ruined it. What is up with that ending? Sorry, but that is -1 star for your book. I was so looking forward to the mystery being solved, finding out who the culprit was, and it just ends.. nothing is revealed. Unless I missed something.
All in all, interesting book, but I won't continue or read the older books.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
First of all the characters.
Bean was highly annoying. I also wonder about those parents, your kid is saying all kinds of things from a movie (some not that nice) and pretends to be like that guy and you don't do much about it? Just let it go?
Also Bean was quite easily influenced. She saw one movie and just wanted to do everything that was done in the movie. Totally changing her personality and all that.
Her friends, or should I say, the ones that surround her? Urgh, they are pretty mean towards Bean, I at times felt sorry for Bean I just wish she would have kicked their buts or at least said something about it.
The mystery was fun, though the ending ruined it. What is up with that ending? Sorry, but that is -1 star for your book. I was so looking forward to the mystery being solved, finding out who the culprit was, and it just ends.. nothing is revealed. Unless I missed something.
All in all, interesting book, but I won't continue or read the older books.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
February 13, 2024
Bean can only watch two movies a week, and they have to be "good movies" with no bad words, no mean people, no tiny clothes, etc. So that means that Bean only has ten movies that she can watch over and over again. Then, her mother breaks all of the rules and makes her watch "Seven Falls"--a movie about a private investigator named Al Seven. It has all of the “no” things. After watching Al Seven solve mysteries, Bean hangs out her shingle-- Bean P. I.--and begins to look for mysteries to solve like what is under the cover of the rectangular metal boxes in everyone's yard or why the mailman is asleep in his mail truck. Bean is desperate for a real mystery when the yellow rope appears. Each night, someone or something adds to its length, and, soon, the rope is snaking its way around Pancake Court. Bean and Ivy sneak out one night to catch the rope maker, but Bean falls asleep. The next morning, all the other kids are disappointed in Bean. That's when Ivy comes to the rescue.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
May 16, 2018
I loved Annie Barrows's humor sprinkled throughout Ivy and Bean Take the Case! Plus, Sophie Blackall’s illustrations added a fun touch, too.
Bean's sense of humor shone through, especially at the beginning. Also, I enjoyed seeing the different neighborhood kids and other characters previously mentioned throughout this series. I thought this was a fun way to wrap everything up for the last book.
However, I am slightly annoyed the mystery was not solved.
In any case, I enjoyed laughing with Ivy and Bean throughout all their books!!
Bean's sense of humor shone through, especially at the beginning. Also, I enjoyed seeing the different neighborhood kids and other characters previously mentioned throughout this series. I thought this was a fun way to wrap everything up for the last book.
However, I am slightly annoyed the mystery was not solved.
In any case, I enjoyed laughing with Ivy and Bean throughout all their books!!
November 13, 2019
After watching a noir detective film with her mom, Bean sets out to be a private investigator. But the only trouble is, suburban Pancake Court doesn't present a lot of mysteries. Ivy and Bean solve a few "boring" mysteries and then stumble upon a true conundrum. A yellow rope has been tied around a neighbor's chimney. Each night another length of rope is added. What could be the rope's purpose? Who's the culprit? Bean, P.I. is on the case.
Review questions for this book are available in the Nothing But Kids Books store on TpT!
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Review questions for this book are available in the Nothing But Kids Books store on TpT!
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October 26, 2013
O.k. I am totally confused with this edition of Ivy and Bean; a series I normally LOVE. My daughter and I spent the last hour reading, giggling and enjoying the humorous narrative only to find it reach no ending. There was absolutely no conclusion to the case of the “mysterious yellow rope.” Did Annie Barrows mean to leave it open for a possible sequel? And if so wouldn’t that have been mentioned somewhere in the afterward?? Or is the reader supposed to decide themselves if the growing yellow rope is a mystery or magic?? Are invisible rabbits, aliens or possibly leprechauns coming around and night and screwing with the children on Pancake Court by elongating and ever twisting and turning rope? Why are all the adults oblivious to the rope traveling around their mailboxes, flowerbeds and fences?? I don’t get it!!!!! Did my daughter and I both overlook something?? Was a page or ten ripped out of our book??? Or did Ivy in fact cause the rope drama???
December 6, 2018
Ivy and Bean Take the Case is an adorable book that keeps you guessing along the way. This book takes you to Pancake Court (where they live) and suddenly a mystery happens. There is a mysterious rope hanging from the chimney in a house in the neighborhood. They try to find out how it got there, why it is there, etc. Suddenly, the rope gets longer and longer. Who is doing this? Will the girls be able to solve the mystery? This book dives deep into the friendship of these young girls and how children can pull together to support and help each other.
This book is a great way to get students talking or writing. They can write about what they think happens next in the story. Each chapter keeps you interested and the students will be excited to read more and try to predict what will happen in the next chapter.
This book is a great way to get students talking or writing. They can write about what they think happens next in the story. Each chapter keeps you interested and the students will be excited to read more and try to predict what will happen in the next chapter.
April 4, 2014
The Ivy and Bean series is one of my favorite early chapter book series. Without feeling dated or precious, the books harken back to a time when kids could roam the neighborhood finding fun and parents engaged in benign neglect. The books are fun to read aloud and contain a lot of humor and word play. Even though the title characters are girls, the books' plots appeal to both boys and girls (e.g., ghost in the school bathroom, trying to get into the Guinness Book of World Records, digging for fossils, starting a detective agency). Indeed, my twin boys loved these books when they were in first and second grades (the intended audience for the series). If you like the Stink and Judy Moody series (two of my other favorites), I recommend Ivy and Bean.
November 19, 2015
This is a fun story about Bean who wants to be a private investigator just like the character in a show she likes. She sets out to find mysteries to solve, some of them were pretty easy, and others took more time to figure out. She was made fun of by others, but was determined to be a good private investigator and solve as many mysteries as she could.
Discussion questions:
1) Why did Bean think the people in Al Seven's world were different from the world she lived in?
2) What are some of the mysteries Bean and her friends solved?
3) Why were the other kids making fun of Bean and Ivy?
4) Bean found several "mysteries". What are some mysteries that you would like to solve?
5) Why did Bean decide she didn't want to be a Private Investigator anymore?
October 19, 2013
I like Ivy and Bean. And have read a bunch of these books with my niece who is 8 years old.
I didn't really like this edition as much as some of the others. The idea was good. Bean decides to become a P.I.
But I found the first part of the story to be a bit boring. Then it became quite interesting. The case they were trying to solve (the case of the yellow rope) was fun to read about. But the resolution was not good IMO. Even my niece (who loves most books) did not think the ending was a good one.
But if you enjoy the series then it was still a fun read.
March 17, 2016
Read this with my five-year-old. She found the last bit a little spooky, but overall enjoyed it.
I found it a little frustrating--we're solving mysteries, we solving mysteries, and then, we're not actually solving the central mystery (but feeding a fake solution to the neighborhood kids) because we're supposed to enjoy a little magic or mystery in our lives. Uh...OK. This bait and switch didn't perturb the kiddo, but it annoyed me.
However, I found Bean's comments about hard-boiled detective Al Seven to be hilarious.
I found it a little frustrating--we're solving mysteries, we solving mysteries, and then, we're not actually solving the central mystery (but feeding a fake solution to the neighborhood kids) because we're supposed to enjoy a little magic or mystery in our lives. Uh...OK. This bait and switch didn't perturb the kiddo, but it annoyed me.
However, I found Bean's comments about hard-boiled detective Al Seven to be hilarious.
November 4, 2013
Disappointed with the ending. Kids will be left wondering about the yellow rope, but not in a good way. These kinds of early chapter books always have an ending that wraps everything up in a neat and tidy way. This will be confusing for these types of readers. And the "mysteries" that Bean was trying to solve at the beginning of the book were not mysteries, more like wonderings. Did I miss something? Was going to read this aloud to my 2/3 graders, but now I'm rethinking it.
September 25, 2014
Mystery Solved! Nice amusing trek through Pancake Court with Ivy & Bean playing detectives with the rest of the kids following them around asking questions and voicing concerns. They solve mini mysteries along with the illusive yellow rope mystery. Written in true Ivy and Bean light hearted amusing style. Each book in the series stands alone and does not require reading them in order of publication unless you are like me and have to go by the numbers.
January 2, 2016
I love this series & was excited to see how imaginative Bean & studious Ivy took on the role of noir private investigators. There are some really great scenes with Bean's role playing & a few kid mysteries, but the big mystery makes no sense & is never resolved. They can't figure it out so Ivy lies about it, which seems out of character & isn't exactly a good message. Their inquisitiveness & imagination is great for the first 90% though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2016
I picked up this book for the Sophie Blackall illustrations. I recently viewed an exhibit of some of her work for the Ivy & Bean series and other books as well. Her illustrations are great, capturing both the earnest and goofy sides of two best pre-adolescent friends and, in this book, their foray into detective work. The story by Annie Barrows is very good too, especially as it demonstrates the two girls' fast friendship.
January 7, 2019
My first grade son was participating in a reading program at school that encouraged kids to explore different genres, and this was one of the books. I read it to him, and it was fine. I was bummed the mystery never got solved. I was like what did I just read all this for? 😂 But there were some amusing parts. My husband was cleaning the kitchen while we read, and he chuckled overhearing it at points.
January 8, 2017
I liked this book and give it 4 stars because I like mysteries. What I didn't like was that it was a little creepy. The mystery of the rope wasn't actually solved at the end. You still didn't know who did it and that's what made it a little creepy. But I still liked it and I would tell other people to read it because there were parts that made me laugh.
- Nora, nearly 7
- Nora, nearly 7
April 12, 2018
The kids in my reading group liked this book. I did not. I felt it had some grammatical errors and the writing style was juvenile (not a good example for them). The story line was a little too off the wall for me as well. The only thing I liked was it ended in a mystery and kids get to come up with their own conclusion about the detective case,
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews