Chestnut has lately been waxing enthusiastic about the
Pinky and Rex books, which I had never read. "They're the greatest!"
"If you ever find a whole giant set of them together and they're really
cheap or something, you should buy them!" "I want to buy them all!"

We haven't yet gone so far as to buy them all, but I have had a vague
sort of, "I wonder what she likes so much about them?" feeling, and
this morning, when the first section of the newspaper was unavailable,
she brought a few library copies down from her room for me to read. Her recommendation? Pinky and Rex and the Spelling Bee.
I must say, I don't know if I'm easily charmed or if she'd just
softened me up by being so clearly touched herself, but it was so very
nice! I liked that they were a boy and a girl who were friends, I liked
that one was a good speller and the other wasn't, and then (spoiler
alert!): the pee accident.
I so much appreciated the sweet quiet bravery of this book as it waded
(sorry) into these troubled waters. Because, really, pee accidents
happen in elementary school, and it's nice to see that kindly
acknowledged. It's not the focus of the book or anything, it's just
something that happens. This seems crucial to me, that it's not one of
those "Billy's Special Problem," books, it just addresses this to the
world of kids as a whole, as something that could happen to anyone, and I am certain that it has provided some
sorely needed comfort to many a sorrowing second-grader's heart (and a
bruised second-grader's ego). And then it moves on to its real
business, telling its story, and showing kids the possible comforts and
consolations of being, and having, a friend. How nice, really.

If I see a whole giant set
for really cheap, I'm definitely going to buy it.