Ivy and Bean Bound to Be Bad (9 page)

“Really? You don’t mind?” asked Bean.

“No! Don’t you get it?” whispered Ivy. “He’s an animal, and he’s following me! Because I’m pure of heart!”

Bean stood on tiptoe again. Blister did look happy. So did Ivy. “How long are you going to let him stay there?” she asked.

“He can stay forever if he wants to,” said Ivy firmly. She stood very straight so Blister wouldn’t fall off.

Bean glanced at the mud puddle. Now Katy was stamping in it, too. “I’m going to stop being bad. I’m just going to be regular.”

“That’s okay,” said Ivy. “I’ve got Blister. You can be regular now.”

“Okay,” said Bean. She turned around and ran down the driveway toward the mud puddle. “YAH!” she screamed, jumping into the center.

Big drops of mud flew through the air, spattering over Dino, the Sophies, Liana, and Katy.

“Get her!” yelled Liana, but Bean darted away and grabbed the hose from Crummy Matt. Before he could blink, she had sprayed him in the face. Then she whirled around and around, water spurting in a circle. Nobody could get near her.

“You’ll never take me alive!” she yelled.

Crummy Matt jumped at her and slipped sideways down the grass. Liana was chasing Katy. Dino and Sophie S. were laughing so hard they were choking. Sophie W. was scooping big handfuls of mud and throwing them at Bean.

But up by the tree, Ivy and Blister rested peacefully, both pure of heart.

SNEAK PREVIEW OF THE NEXT IVY & BEAN ADVENTURE

Hi. Annie Barrows here. I’m the author. No, really. I am. Have a seat. Are you comfy? Good. I have an announcement to make.

Here it is: There isn’t going to be a sneak preview this time.

Why?

I can’t tell you. Government secret.

Oh all right, it’s not a government secret. Here’s the truth: I haven’t written the next Ivy and Bean book yet, not even a single page, so there’s nothing to preview.

But I don’t want you to be bored, so—ta da!—I herewith present . . .

The First and Best
IVY AND BEAN QUIZ!

Come one, come all! Test your Ivy and Bean knowledge! Earn a star for every correct answer! And don’t worry—peeking at the answer key is fine!

1. What fruit does Bean smash into Leo’s hair?

(Hint:
Ivy and Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go,
BOOK 2
)

a. bananas

b. spiders

c. plums

d. kumquats

2. What is the name of the dog that lives on Pancake Court?

(Hint:
Ivy and Bean,
BOOK 1
)

a. Hester

b. Hippolyte

c. Bob

d. Fester

3. The world’s record for Number of Spoons on the Face is . . .

(Hint:
Ivy and Bean Break the Fossil Record,
BOOK 3
)

a. 4

b. 15

c. 42

d. 12

4. Ivy and Bean study a marine reptile with a super-long neck. It’s called . . .

(Hint:
Ivy and Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go,
BOOK 2
)

a. Elasmosaur

b. Giraffopod

c. Pteranodon

d. Crocoface

5. Bean’s favorite babysitter, Leona, can draw perfect . . .

(Hint:
Ivy and Bean Take Care of the Babysitter,
BOOK 4
)

a. goldfish

b. horses

c. wands

d. herds of sheep

6. What is Bean’s middle name?

(Hint:
Ivy and Bean,
BOOK 1
)

a. Blue

b. Lima

c. Solon

d. Alice

7. One of the three things that Ivy flushes down the toilet belonged to Zuzu. It is a . . .

(Hint:
Ivy and Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go,
BOOK 2
)

a. pickle

b. sock

c. hairclip

d. worm

Beep-Beep! Math question ahead!

8. How much money does Nancy earn by babysitting Bean?

(Hint:
Ivy and Bean Take Care of the Babysitter,
BOOK 4
)

a. $20

b. $12

c. $24

d. $16

9. What’s Ivy’s last name?

a. McIntosh

b. Pippin

c. Braeburn

d. Smith

10. Eric tried to break the world’s record for . . .

(Hint:
Ivy and Bean Break the Fossil Record,
BOOK 3)

a. eating M&Ms

b. cartwheels

c. longest fingernails

d. eating scorpions

You finished—give yourself a pat on the back. Now, let’s check the answer key:

1. c 2. d 3. b 4. a 5. b 6. a 7. c 8. d
(She started with $20, but she had to give Bean and Ivy $4, so she ended up with $16. Get it?)

9.
Ahahaha! There’s no answer! Ivy’s last name isn’t in any of the books!

10. a

Oh boy, you’re an Ivy and Bean expert now!