Parents' Guide to Zelda and Ivy Series

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Common Sense Media Review

Carrie Kingsley By Carrie Kingsley , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 5+

Fun adventures of fox sisters with wild imaginations.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 5+?

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Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

The ZELDA AND IVY series is a funny, realistic look at the shenanigans that happen among siblings and friends. Fox siblings Zelda and Ivy run away to their backyard to protest cucumber sandwiches, play pirate ship in their tree, make "creative juice" to help Zelda write a letter, and more. When Eugene, the new boy next door, joins their imaginative games, the girls see how it can be tough to have an odd number of people playing.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

Simply written and without being preachy or saccharine, these Seuss Award-winning books are full of situations young readers can relate to. Sisters Zelda and Ivy have built a world full of imagination: They make up games and activities rather than expect anyone to entertain them, they team up against their parents, and they make friends with the new fox next door.

Readers won't sense that there's a lot to learn from the books, but the language that author Laura McGee Kvasnosky uses and the colorful illustrations will grab the interest of emerging readers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Zelda and Ivy play on their own so much. Their parents almost never appear in the books. Is that how you and your siblings and friends play?

  • What's the difference between being bossy like Zelda and showing leadership skills? How can someone be in charge of something like a pretend pirate ship and still make everyone feel welcome and involved?

  • What are some of your favorite books about siblings?

Book Details

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