Ivy and Bean - #6 in a Series of many more

Ivy and Bean
Doomed to Dance
by: Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall
Ages: 6-10

This book is great to pick up without having any prior knowledge of the series or who the characters are. This book is directed towards girls and travels through the adventures that two friends (Ivy and Bean) have and how they get out of the messes that they get into. The chapter length varies (around 7-10 pages) and is broken up with black and white pictures which could keep an early chapter book reader excited about what will happen next. The pictures are also helpful for this specific book in the series because ballet positions are often referenced. This way, a child could see what Ivy and Bean are talking about when they say, "first position." The author does a good job of being descriptive about specific items in the book and about different action scenes that take place. One thing I found slightly age-inappropriate was the fact that the author references to a dancer who committed suicide by stabbing herself. I felt that this might not be something that a parent or teacher would know by looking at the front cover, reading other books in the series, or reading the inside panel. For this reason alone, I would be hesitant to give this to a child who may be a more advanced reader, but who is under the age of 10. The book is a quick read, but a great introduction to young girls who are moving from simple chapter books to more advanced ones.