Ivy and Bean

In the stories, Ivy (a quiet, intellectual child) and Bean (a rambunctious child) become fast friends despite their differences and their initial reluctance to like each other – "two friends who never meant to like each other", as the tagline for the series goes. They are both 7-year-old girls who live on a cul-de-sac in a suburban environment on Pancake Court, in an unnamed town. In each book they get into considerable mischief, and have wild adventures with the other characters in the neighborhood.

The books feature illustrations, but are not picture books; the reading level is suitable for middle grade school readers. As of 2020, there are eleven volumes in the series.

• Ivy: A quiet 7 year old, Ivy is training to be a witch. She has a sense of order and is fairly self-reliant for her entertainment and personal care. She has red hair and is often wearing a purple or blue headband. Ivy can be described as a girly, as she wears skirts or dresses, and keeps herself clean.
• Katrine: Katrina is Ivy's mother. She's quiet and structured, like Ivy, however, she is often unavailable

• Bernice "Bean" Blue: A girl who is Ivy's age but mostly different from her. She is very rebellious, rambunctious, and devious. Bean has blackish brown hair and hates wearing any kind of dresses or skirts being a tomboy. She loves the color green.
• Nancy Blue: Bean's 11-year-old sister whom she does not get along with. Nancy is much to Bean's annoyance, she cares more about herself than Bean. But in a few books, at the end Nancy and Bean are more friendly to each other.
• Mrs. Blue: Bean's mom's first name has never been mentioned in the series.
• David Blue: Bean's dad is smart. He once gave Bean and Ivy the idea for a newspaper when they wanted to buy Beldaloon cheese in a special, "just-for-you" serving size.

• ZuZu: One of Ivy and Bean's friends from school who loves pink and is obsessed with penguins. A special skill that she can do is a perfect backbend.
• Emma: Emma is one of Ivy and Bean's friends from school and she loves doing cartwheels.
• Dino: Dino is a boy who attends to Ivy and Bean's class. He usually wears a white T-shirt with a shark on it.
• Sophie S.: Sophie S. is talented and she goes to Ivy and Bean's school.
• Eric: Eric is a tall kid from Ivy and Bean's class. In Book #2 he teased Dusit by saying: “Do sit, Dusit!”
• Sophie W.: Sophie W. is even taller than Eric, being the tallest kid in Ivy and Bean's whole grade! Sophie W. is in Ivy and Bean's class.
• Dusit: Dusit is a smart, intelligent kid who attends Ivy and Bean's school.

The books in the series are:

• Ivy and Bean (April 2006)
• Ivy and Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go (October 2006)
• Ivy and Bean Break the Fossil Record (August 2007)
• Ivy and Bean Take Care of the Babysitter (April 2008)
• Ivy and Bean: Bound to Be Bad (October 2008)
• Ivy and Bean: Doomed to Dance (September 2009)
• Ivy and Bean: What's the Big Idea? (September 2010)
• Ivy and Bean: No News Is Good News (October 2011)
• Ivy and Bean Make the Rules (August 2012)
• Ivy and Bean Take the Case (August 2013)
• Ivy and Bean: One Big Happy Family (August 2018)
• Ivy and Bean: Get To Work! (Coming April 2021)

The books were planned to have an animated series that would have air on Universal Kids. However, the series ended up in development hell and Universal Kids would eventually ceased developing original content in 2019.[1][2]

• http://www.ew.com/article/2012/10/11/ivy-and-bean-annie-barrows-sophie-blackall
• http://www.sfgate.com/books/article/Annie-Barrows-Ivy-Bean-books-lauded-3943400.php
• http://www.chroniclebooks.com/landing-pages/ivyandbean/fanclub.html - this may not be WP:npov

• Ivy and Bean Website
• Annie Barrows' Website
• Sophie Blackall's Website