By Deena Cook and Cherie McIntosh
P&P Publishing LLC
www.pinkyandpeanut.com
425-221-6997
4957 Lakemont Blvd SE, Suite C-4 #316
Bellevue, WA 98006
Pinky and Peanut: The Adventure Begins is the first in what I hope is a long series of paperback books for children. This first book has 78 pages. The book talks about Pinky moving to a new town just before second grade begins. Pinky
and Peanut: Trouble Times Two is a delightful book about the friendships that second-grade girls form--and a wonderful surprise. (I don't want to spoil the ending for you!) I would estimate that these books are at the second/third grade reading level. There are a few sketches in the book by Trina Scruggs that really add to the story and keep the interest of the young reader. There is also a website (www.pinkyandpeanut.com) where children can view the characters and complete a few activities.
The Pinky and Peanut series was written by two former second-grade teachers, Deena Cook and Cherie McIntosh. To me, this says that they had second graders on their minds as the main audience. The chapters have about three pages of writing and an illustration. We used the books as readers at the beginning of third grade. Pinky and Peanut attend school. They each have a set of parents. The series was not developed specifically for homeschoolers, but the stories definitely appeal to 7 and 8-year-old girls.
This is the perfect series for a second or third-grade girl. My daughter never finishes a book in one day, but she did with this series! Brothers will enjoy the role of Scott and the dog Ralphie, but the girls in the house will love that the two main characters are girls. It seemed to me to be a wholesome, contemporary series for young girls. Although there was a part of the series where the girls were working on developing good character traits, there is no mention of God or a religion in the book. We chose to use these books as readers and used a different book for our religious studies. I hesitate to mention other series books directed at young girls, but I do much prefer Pinky
and Peanut to any of the series books that our public library has to offer. They were fun, easy to read (but not too easy), and wholesome.
All I can say is, when is the third book coming out? We can't get enough of Pinky and Peanut!
Product review by Maggi Beardsley, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, August 2009
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