• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2011 December #2
  At lunchtime everyone has low-fat Belldeloon cheese "in a special just-for-you serving size," except for BFFs Ivy and Bean. The appeal is not really in eating the cheese but in playing with its squishable, Silly Putty–like wax case. In this eighth adventure in the tireless series, the slightly mischievous Ivy and Bean unite to raise money to buy their beloved cheese. Inspired by Bean's good-natured dad, they decide to write and sell subscriptions to a newspaper about their neighborhood of Pancake Court. When that turns out to be boring, the pair resorts to snooping in windows and stretching the truth. Enthusiastic illustrations heighten the comedic results. Copyright 2011 Booklist Reviews.
• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2006 April #1
  /*Starred Review*/ Gr. 1-3. In the tradition of Betsy and Tacy, Ginnie and Geneva, come two new friends, Ivy and Bean. Ivy has just moved in across the street from Bean, who wants no part of her. She thinks Ivy looks dull, always with her nose in a book. Bean, on the other hand, is a spark plug; she's full of tricks, especially ones that can be played on her older sister, Nancy. But the day Bean pulls a trick that goes wrong and Ivy comes to her rescue, a friendship is born. The deliciousness here is in the details, with both girls drawn distinctly and with flair. Ivy, who at first seems to be a dud, has aspirations to being a witch, which is dangerously intriguing; Bean's spunky way of talking and acting (there's a classic moment when she wiggles her butt at Nancy) will make readers giggle. Even with all the text's strong points, what takes the book to a higher level is Blackall's artwork, which captures the girls' spirit. A chapter from the second book in the series, to be published in this fall, will whet readers' appetites for more Ivy and Bean. ((Reviewed April 1, 2006)) Copyright 2006 Booklist Reviews.

Annie Barrows is a bestselling author of books for both children and adults, including the YA novel Nothing, and the bestselling novel The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two daughters.

Sophie Blackall has illustrated over 20 books, which have won awards such as the Caldecott Medal, the Ezra Jack Keats Award, and the Founders Award from the Society of Illustrators. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.