Ida B:...and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan

Received: At the library

Rating: 4.0/5.0 stars

Ida, or Ida B as she prefers to be called, is a fourth grade home-schooled girl living in Wisconsin. Although she lives on her family’s apple orchard with few people other than her family to interact with, Ida B is not at all lonely. Readers learn that Ida B had a pretty negative experience her first few days at school, including an awful teacher who would not let her be called Ida B instead of just Ida. After witnessing how Ida B was in school, her parents decided homeschooling would be a better choice. Ida B has a deep connection with life on the orchard and looks to the trees and nature to guide her. Just when she thinks life couldn’t get any better, a tragedy strikes Ida B’s family and life is quickly changed. Forced to attend public school, Ida B decides it would be better to guard herself against not only her family, but the teachers and students at the school. Ida B must face emotional difficulties and fitting in at school, while trying to figure out the type of person she wants to be.

Ida B:…and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World is a heartwarming story filled with strong characterization, emotions, and life experiences. Ida B is a quirky character that questions life and the world, finds joy and satisfaction in living the simple life, and experiences emotions, both negative and positive, in which she must face who she really is. Rather than having Ida B stay strong and positive with the events that occur in the book, Katherine Hannigan allowed Ida B to act like a real person would, questioning not only themselves, but those around them. With this story being so character driven, it could have easily flopped. Yet, Hannigan does a wonderful job of creating a very real, relatable character that you just can’t help but enjoy reading about. 

At the beginning of the story, I thought it was going to be a sort of fun-filled, happy book. I was pleasantly surprised that Ida B had to experience two pretty life changing events that made the story that much more interesting, especially making me want to know how Ida B’s story would turn out. Ida B:…and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World is one of those stories that just warms you from the inside out. A quick read and perfect tween (and also “safe”) book, this book will delight readers from the first page all the way to the end.