Pinky and Rex and the Bully
Written by James Howe
Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Reviewed by Ryan N. (age 8)
Do you want to read about a boy who is like a girl and a girl who is like a boy? If so, you should read this book. Pinky is the boy and Rex is the girl. One day Pinky and Rex were going to school. The problem is that Pinky likes pink so a kid starts making fun of him and hurting him because he likes pink. The kid says “Pink is a girl color.” That made Pinky feel like a girl. First the bully pushed Pinky off his bike and made him blush. Later, Pinky’s dad said that when Pinky was little they used to call him Billy. So Pinky said, “from now on I am Billy.” The next day, Pinky went to his neighbor, Mrs. Morgan’s, house. She said to him that it’s not what others think that should make you change your name or your favorite color, it’s what you think that matters and nobody can change that. If you want to find out if Pinky gets bullied for the rest of his life or if he will stick up to Kevin, then read this book and find out.
I liked Pinky and Rex and the Bully because I liked how the characters were acting. In the story, Mrs. Morgan came over and said “leave this boy alone!” and Kevin started to lie and said “I was trying to help him up”. Then Kevin pretended to pat Pinky’s back but he was really pinching him. I would be embarrassed if I was saved by an old lady. But, the good details are when the illustrator drew the pictures because it gave me a good idea of what the story was about. I liked Miss Morgan’s character because she taught Pinky a very important lesson and that is that other people don’t make you change: you do.
Do you have a best friend that would stand up for you and not let you get hurt? If you do, you should read this book because it’s not nice if you see somebody get bullied and you don’t help them. It’s nice to stick up for them and not let them get hurt. I also learned that you should make yourself change only if you want to and somebody else shouldn’t make you change.