Review: Ivy + Bean by Annie Barrows

I squeaked in reading Ivy + Bean by Annie Barrows on New Years Eve (had to get that one last book in before the New Year!).  I won this copy from John Schumaker (@mrschureads) on Twitter.  

                                                                 
Image and Summary from Goodreads:
The moment they saw each other, Bean and Ivy knew they wouldn't be friends. But when Bean plays a joke on her sister, Nancy, and has to hide quickly, Ivy comes to the rescue, proving that sometimes the best of friends are people never meant to like each other. Vibrant characters and lots of humor make this a charming and addictive introduction to Ivy and Bean.

I'd like to know, who hasn't had a friend like this?  You were just sure that you'd hate that person, but in the end, they turned out to be one of your closest friends.  I know I have!  I'm glad Ivy + Bean talks about that initial reaction to a person, but also how you need to look past that to realize who a person truly is/what they are really like.  

I love Bean's spunky personality and how she is always into something.  Of course, being the big sister, I would not have condoned such behavior, but its nice to read about it!  :)  But, I especially loved how Ivy dealt with the cranky neighbor.  That was a stroke of genius!  

All in all, a really cute book that I enjoyed reading.