Fiction

My 3 year old was very bothered that the girl is named Rex and the boy is named Pinky. We had a little argument about it. That aside, I like the message about how to deal with embarrassing situations. ( )

I liked this book for a few reasons. For one, I liked the characters because I think they are believable and relatable to students in first or second grade. I also like the plot because I think it is relatable to students. In the story, the characters are taking part in a spelling bee. One of the main characters, Rex, is cut from the spelling bee in the first round while the other main character, Pinky, wins the spelling bee. While Pinky is excited about winning the spelling bee, he is also embarrassed because during the competition he had an accident and all the other classmates laughed at him. I think this conflict is relatable to younger students because they all have embarrassing moments and this book reminds them that it will all be ok in the end. In the story, Rex tries to make Pinky feel better and is able to crack jokes to make Rex laugh. The big message of Pinky and Rex and the Spelling Bee is that friends will be there for one another especially when they are upset. Towards the end of the story, when Rex feels dumb about misspelling words, Pinky hands Rex a friendship stone and has her repeat, “As long as I keep this stone. I will never think you’re stupid.” This interaction exemplifies how friends will be there for each other and will never make them feel bad about themselves. ( )

Another short chapter book about Pinky. This book sends an excellent message about friendship. Pinky is embarrassed and the whole class laughs at him but luckily he has a friend to comfort him. ( )