Ivy and Bean: What's the Big Idea? Read Free Page A

told her in a million years, but Ivy didn’t have an older sister, soshe came right out and answered, “Global warming.”
    â€œWhat?” asked Mischa in a snippy voice. She was Nancy’s meanest friend.
    â€œWe’re curing global warming,” said Ivy. “With ice cubes.”
    Nancy and Mischa burst out laughing. “What
ever
,” said Nancy. “Come on, Mischie. But just so you know, guys, ice cubes won’t stop global warming. The sun is stronger than a billion ice cubes. And besides, making ice cubes uses up energy. Duh.”
    â€œNo offense, but that’s, like, the dumbest thing I ever heard,” sneered Mischa.
    Bean looked down at the trampoline. It was covered with melting ice cubes. Quickly, she grabbed up an armful and tossed them at Nancy and Mischa. “Hailstorm!” she yelled. “Watch out!”
    At least it was fun to watch them run.

No Mold, No Body Parts
    Bean and Ivy hadn’t found a way to stop global warming, but Bean was willing to bet big money that no one else had either. She was famous for her good ideas and excellent fish prints. Ivy knew more about dinosaurs and prehistoric stuff than anyone in the whole school. If they couldn’t figure it out, who could? Take poor Zuzu, for instance. She was going to be an ice skater when she grew up. What did she know about science? Nothing. There was no way she had come up with a good science idea.
    But she had.
    Zuzu and Emma had decided to plant trees all over the school lawn. In fact, they hadn’t just decided it, they had started doing it, during recess. They were digging holes everywhere. “Trees clean the air because they eat car exhaust and make oxygen,” said Emma proudly.
    Bean had to admit that was pretty good. She and a bunch of kids from Ms. Aruba-Tate’s class sat under the play structure and watched Emma and Zuzu dig holes. They had to dig fast so Rose the Yard Duty didn’t catch them. Rose the Yard Duty didn’t care about global warming.

    Eric leaned over the rim of the slide and said, “I’m going to make a garbage robot.”
    â€œYou mean a robot made out of garbage?” asked Bean.
    â€œHow’s that going to fix global warming?” asked Ivy. She was reading a paper called “Science Fair Rules.”
    â€œIt’s not a robot made out of garbage; it’s a robot that attacks people who litter,” Eric said. “I’ll hide behind a corner, and when I see some guy drop a cup or something, I’ll press the button and this giant robot will come out and crush him.

    He’ll scream—AAAAHHHH!— but too bad, he’s dead.”
    â€œWow,” said Bean. It seemed rude to ask Eric how he was going to make the robot.
    â€œIsn’t the dead guy kind of like litter?” asked Drew.
    Eric disappeared down the slide. “It says no mold and no body parts,” said Ivy, reading.
    â€œYuck. Mold is gross,” said Bean.
    â€œI kind of like it,” said Ivy. “But that still doesn’t help us think of an idea.”
    â€œYou guys don’t have an idea yet?” asked Vanessa.

    â€œNo,” said Ivy.
    â€œWhat’s your idea?” asked Bean. Vanessa was either first or best at everything. She even had a retainer already. It was very annoying.
    â€œOkay,” began Vanessa, sounding like a teacher, “you know how Shayna said that the earth gets warmer when carbon dioxide gasholds the heat in? Well, guess what? People make carbon dioxide when they breathe out. So, if everyone breathed less, there would be less carbon dioxide, right?” Ivy and Bean nodded. “My idea is I’m going to make all my brothers and sisters hold their breath for fifteen minutes a day. I’ve got three brothers and two sisters. That’s a lot of carbon dioxide.” She looked at Bean and Ivy. “Good, huh?”
    â€œNo one can hold their breath for fifteen minutes,” said