Pinky and Rex and the Mean Old Witch: Ready-to-Read Level 3

by James Howe, Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

Overview

Level 3: Reading Alone
From the earliest stages of sounding out words to the excitement of reading a whole book without help, Ready-to-Read books open up a world of possibilities to children at three different levels:
Level 1: Starting to Read
Level 2: Reading Together
Level 3: Reading Alone
Pinky and Rex's neighbor Mrs. Morgan isn't really a mean old witch. But she sure acts like one, yelling and waving her broom around every time the kids step onto her lawn. Now she's taken their ball, just because it accidentally rolled into her yard.
So Rex and Pinky and Pinky's sister, Amanda, come up with the perfect trick to play on the Mean Old Witch. But somehow, seeing Mrs. Morgan sitting all alone in her living room makes Pinky think getting even isn't such a good idea after all. He tries a different plan, with results that surprise the kids as well as their neighbor.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780689828799
Publisher:	Simon Spotlight
Publication date:	09/01/1999
Series:	Pinky & Rex
Edition description:	Repackage
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	364,728
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	270L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Melissa Sweet has illustrated more than eighty children’s books, including the Caldecott Honor books The Right Word and A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams both written by Jen Bryant. She also wrote and illustrated Tupelo Rides the Rails; Carmine: A Little More Red, which was a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book; and Balloons Over Broadway, a picture book biography that was named a 2011 Publishers Weekly Best Nonfiction Picture Book. When she is not in her studio, Melissa can be found taking an art class, hiking with her dogs, or riding her bicycle. She lives with her family in Rockport, Maine.

James Howe is the author of more than ninety books for young readers. Bunnicula, coauthored by his late wife Deborah and published in 1979, is considered a modern classic of children’s literature. The author has written six highly popular sequels, along with the spinoff series Tales from the House of Bunnicula and Bunnicula and Friends. Among his other books are picture books such as Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores and beginning reader series that include the Pinky and Rex and Houndsley and Catina books. He has also written for older readers. The Misfits, published in 2001, inspired the nationwide antibullying initiative No Name-Calling Week, as well as three sequels, Totally Joe, Addie on the Inside, and Also Known as Elvis. A common theme in James Howe’s books from preschool through teens is the acceptance of difference and being true to oneself. Visit him online at JamesHowe.com.

Editorial Reviews

K-Gr 3-- A remarkably sensitive boy, Pinky; his little sister, Amanda; and Rex, a forthright girl who collects dinosaurs, learn to cope with a nasty old woman. After a particularly unpleasant encounter with ``the mean old witch,'' Pinky and Rex plan revenge. Pinky comes to realize, however, that the elderly woman may just be lonely, and he comes up with a better way to cope with her. This is not a fairy tale, so the woman does not turn into a good elf; however, the subtle transformation from cantankerous to just grumpy is very satisfying. Although Pinky and Rex spark faint memories of Dick and Jane, they are far more intriguing. This fourth book about the two friends stands alone, but confusion about who is Pinky and who is Rex can be avoided by reading the first book that explains Pinky's love for pink. Sweet's vibrant illustrations, crisp with color, show how effective a simple line can be within the simplicity of representative cartoon art--watch the eyebrows. All this and a cookie-baking father make a delightful read aloud or a satisfying book for all young readers who encounter people who may have ``forgotten how . . . to love.'' --Jody McCoy, Casady School, Oklahoma City

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