Pinky and Rex Go To Camp

Pinky and Rex #5

by James Howe, Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

The Pinky and Rex series continues to deliver on first experiences for early readers!

Pinky and Rex are going to camp for the first time. Rex keeps telling Pinky how much fun they're going to have, but Pinky just wants to stay home where he belongs. Can the "Dear Arnie" column in the newspaper help Pinky figure out what to do?

Arnie give Pinky some good advice, and so does Pinky's mother. But it's his best friend Rex who tells Pinky what he really needs to know.

Genres: Childrens, Realistic Fiction

48 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 1999

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

James Howe has written more than eighty books in the thirty-plus years he's been writing for young readers. It sometimes confuses people that the author of the humorous Bunnicula series also wrote the dark young adult novel, The Watcher, or such beginning reader series as Pinky and Rex and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award-winning Houndsley and Catina and its sequels. But from the beginning of his career (which came about somewhat by accident after asking himself what kind of vampire a rabbit might make), he has been most interested in letting his imagination take him in whatever direction it cared to. So far, his imagination has led him to picture books, such as I Wish I Were a Butterfly and Brontorina (about a dinosaur who dreams of being a ballerina), mysteries, poetry (in the upcoming Addie on the Inside), and fiction that deals with issues that matter deeply to him. He is especially proud of The Misfits, which inspired national No Name-Calling Week (www.nonamecallingweek.org) and its sequel Totally Joe. He does not know where his imagination will take him in the next thirty-plus years, but he is looking forward to finding out.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the characters of Pinky and Rex. Pinky is really scared to go to summer camp while Rex is so excited. Pinky is about ready to not go when Pinky admits to being scared.

I enjoy reading James Howe. This is a good little beginning reader. For an adult it is not the most exciting story, but I enjoyed watching the character work. He said Pinky has a lot of James Howe as a child in him. A nice story about facing the unknown and our fears.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

We've enjoyed reading the books in the Pinky and Rex series by James Howe and Melissa Sweet . We like the unusual characters and the purposeful challenge to stereotypes.

Pinky and Rex are in the second grade and the stories reflect issues and concerns for children this age. Our girls love these friends, especially because Rex isn't afraid to like 'boyish' things are Pinky isn't afraid to like pink.

This is a story about going to sleep-away camp for the first time and the fears that the friends have. It's an entertaining story that children of a similar age can relate to and we enjoyed reading this book together.

Now that we've read this book, we've finished the series. We liked the characters and the stories had good themes that children can empathize with. We will certainly look for more books by this author.

[Maria Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read about this book in an article on children’s transitional novels. I was so excited to see the illustrations are by Melissa Sweet, and to top it off, James Howe! I loved his Bunnicula books when I was little. This is a really good book. The art is expressive but not overwhelming, and the text is great. Really enjoyed this!

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another joy to read in the series of books about Pinky and Rex. James Howe can create realistic conversation and feeling with the very best of them, and his abilities in both regards are saliently displayed in this book. "Pinky and Rex Go To Camp" comes with my high recommendation.

[Christina Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I used to be someone who was afraid to do many things without my parents, so the fact that the book taught children not to be afraid and to rely on one another made me happy! I love books that teach moral lessons.

[Ccokie Crummz]

lol lol lol brb im here this book is lol funny lol

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rex and Pinky and their parents are great characters and people I'd love to get to know. Pinky's little sister Amanda is quite the terror, though... and it's only a little bit Pinky's fault. I hope I can find every book in this series.