Ashley T: Alright today were reading a book called: Pinky and Rex and the Bully Ashley T: And

this is By James Howe Illustrated by Melissa Sweet Ashley: So, is anyone familiar with this book? Or have you seen it before? Maria; Ashley V.; Ivan: No Ashley T: No? Just by looking at the cover, or by the name, does anyone have a prediction or guess what this book might be about? Ivan: It might be about bullying, like a kid is bullying. Um, a little girl and a little boy because right there on the picture it shows a little boy and a little girl playing. Ashley T: Very good, anyone have any other ideas? Maya Maya: I think that, um, that the, um, that the taller boy is going to pick on them and bully them, on the short boy and girl because thats the way they are and hes gonna pick on them every time they see him and like Ashley T: Good. Now we are just reading a part of this book, there is more to it, so if youre interested, you can find it in the library and read it on your own, but were just reading two chapters of the book today. And this one is called recess. Ashley V: Is it this library or a different one? Ashley T: Wake county public library. Ashley V: Oh. Nicholas: I think I saw it there. Ashley T: Alright, this chapters called recess. At recess the next day, Kevins foot stopped the soccer ball Pinky was chasing. Pinky grabbed for it, but Kevin grabbed it first. How come youre always playing with girls? Kevin asked, wrapping his arms around the ball. Pinky glanced over his shoulder at Rex. Shes my friend, Pinky said. Kevin laughed, which brought two other boys to his side. This little squirt plays with girls, he told the new arrivals. Thats because hes a girl too. Know what his name is? The boys looked as if they werent sure whether to laugh or act tough. Ashley T: Have you ever seen, or been a part of someone getting picked on for playing with, like a girl who plays with boys, or a boy who plays with girls? Ashley? Ashley V: Wait, were we supposed to say?

2:00

Ashley T: Like if you have any connection to that, like someone getting made fun of for that. Maria? Maria: Um, when I was playing with, um, a boy, we were playing tag and then the girl, and then a girl walked up and said, and said that, um and said that Im a boy because I play with boys. Ashley T: Really? Wow. Chica? Chica: He said that, if he, one time me and my friend Charlie were playing this game called monopoly, and then someone else named (unintelligible name), he said Why are you playing with a girl? and then he said stop sleepwalking, and he said no Im not. And they keeped arguing back and forth. Ashley T: Really, so he pointed out that I guess that boys shouldnt play with girls? Why do you think, I mean why is that an issue? Ivan: I have a connection because um Daniel and I went on the playground with Angel, and I was talking with Ashley and Maria, and he said I kept, I liked them and all that stuff. Ashley T: Ohh, so Ashley what were you going to say? Ashley V: I think , because like, he kept saying that just because hes nice, and he likes us just because were playing and hanging out together. 4:00 Ashley T: So people think that if youre playing with someone of the other gender then that means that you like them more than a friend? Interesting. Maya what do you have to say? Maya: Um, one time I was playing with my friends, and we were playing basketball, and they was, and then this um my friend walked up and said Why are you playing with them? and Youre a boy and I was like, I like to play sports and stuff. Ashley T: Right. So boys dont have to play boys stuff and girls dont have to play girl stuff. Ashley V: Yeah, boys can play with girl stuff. Ashley T: But, do people point that out when it happens though? Sometimes? Maria, what do you have to say? Maria: Um, one time when I was playing ball with these boys, this girl walked up to me and said why are you playing with all these boys, is it because you like them? And I said no, its just because I wanted to play.

Ashley T: Right, thats a good example. Chica? Chica: This one time, I wanted to play with the boys instead of the girls, and I said, I asked Can I play and the boys wouldnt answer so I said kept saying can I play? can I play? and they said no. And so then this person, I wont name anybody, it starts with an N Ashley T: Its okay we dont have to say names of anybody Chica: And so then my friends are like You cant play with them so I was like okay, and then the bell was about to ring, and the boys saw that we were playing fooseball and said can we play and we said no because you didnt let us play with you Ashley T: Hmm, so they wouldnt let you play with them, so you wouldnt play with them. Alright, let me read a little bit more. They watched Kevin for a sign. Kevin pursed his lips. Pinky, he said, on a mocking way. He started to laugh. The other boys faces relaxed as they started laughing too. Just then, Pinkys friend Anthony came over. Give him back his ball. Anthony said. Ooo, crooned one of the boys. Second-graders. Im so scared. Yeah, well, being in the third grade doesnt make you anybody, Anthony said, punching the ball hard and knocking it out of Kevins arms. Kevin went for it but Anthony was faster. Come one, Pinky, Anthony said, lets go. Kevin started after them, then changed his mind. Hey kid,, watch out who you play with, he shouted. You might turn into a girl too! Ashley T: Have you ever heard anyone say that before? Like if you play boy things youll turn into a boy or if you play girl things youll turn into a girl. Nicholas: Im already a boy! HA ha ha. Ashley T: Anthony scowled. Whats he talking about? he asked Pinky. Pinky shrugged. Beats me, he said. But inside he wondered if Kevin was right. Maybe he was a girl. Ashley T: This Chapters called Billy That night after dinner, Pinky was helping his father clean up. Is is bad that I like pink? he asked. Of course not, his father said. Pink has always been your favorite color. Yeah, but now that Im seven maybe I should like a different color. What does being seven have to do with it? Pinky put down his dish towel and slumped into a chair. Finally, he said, Maybe you shouldnt call me Pinky anymore. When you were little, we called you Billy, his father said. Pinky thought for a long time. Then he said, From now on, Im Billy. Ashley T: Ashley you have a connection?

6:00

8:00

Ashley V: I have a connection, so when I was little I loved a show called pinky-doo, and I had this cousin who is eleven, hes eleven, and his favorite color was pink, his favorite color is pink. Ashley T: A boy whos favorite color is pink? and did that make you think that thats not normal or that it was weird? Why? Ashley V: Because in my world, boy dont usually like girl colors. Nicholas: Justin likes pink and purple. Ashley T: Some boys do likeNicholas: I like pink... red and purple. Ashley T: Raise your hand if you want to say something. Why is it that boys can like some colors and girls can like some colors, but there are some colors that boys cant like? why is that, who has a comment? Maria. Maria: Its because girls wear pink, and boys usually, they usually dont wear other colors besides pink and stuff, so they find it odd when boys wear pink. Ashley T: So because its different? Ashley, what were you gonna say? Ashley V: I was going to say that usually girls wear pink a lot because its like a girl color, and I think that boys only wear pink at like parties and special occasions. Ashley T: Now are there certain colors that girls shouldnt wear because those are boy colors?

10:00

Ivan: Ive got a connection, well me and my brother were, we have the color pink in tshirts and well wear it, and everybody kept on saying why do we have pink, when the rest of the people had pink too. and then they saw the rest of the people had pink too. Ashley T: Ah, so was it a shirt that you had to wear? Ashley V: Yeah, it was like a birthday party, and they had to dance with this (unitelligable) Ashley T: So, let me ask you this, when you wore that shirt did you feel uncomfortable in it? (Ivan shakes his head no) Good. Did it bother you that people were pointing it out? Good. Niko, what were you going to say? Nicholas: So are we talking, just about colors? Ashley T: For right now, yeah. if theres something else you want to add, you can say it.

Nicholas: Im talking about bullying so, and making fun of, so my brother, so we were at a wedding and so after he was done dancing with all of the little kids, he went up and asked a grown up, when he was dancing with his wife, may I dance with her, and he said sure, and he kept on dancing with her and they danced and they danced until it was the end. Ashley T: Tell me how thats bullying? Nicholas: because some kids made fun of him. Ashley T: ohhh, okay chicas had her hand up so were gonna go to her and the finish the chapter. Chica: I had a question, what was the question about colors? Ashley: The question was, why are there colors that girls shouldnt wear? 12:00 Chica: You know the question in the book, with the building, the building? Can you repeat that question? Ashley: Okay, so his nickname is Pinky, and he didnt mind his nickname being Pinky, but when he got to school and people started making fun of him, of his nickname, he decided he wanted to be called by a different name. So is there something that you like, or in the past have liked, but decided not to like it because you got made fun of for it? Chica? Chica: I used to, I actually wanted, I actually when I was like I was called Chica, til my grandma started calling me Chichi, until I was nine, my grandma was at my school shed say Hey Chichi, and everyone was laughing at me so I was like Grandma, can I change my name so you only call me Christina and she said why, and I said because the kids were picking on me, for being called chichi, and she said just dont do that be confident in yourself. Ashley T: Thats great advice, just to be confident in yourself and dont let the things that other people say bother you. Were gonna read a little bit before we have. Nicholas: Wait, I have a question, So did you actually change your name? (Chica shakes head no) Ashley T: We still call her Chica dont we? She wanted to go by Christina, but her grandmother gave her good advice to be confident with her name and not worry about what other people say. So I know I can connect with this next part, when I was a kid, Im curious to see if you all do to. Later in his room, Pinky looked at all his stuffed animals. Every one of them had pink on it somewhere. He could just imagine what Kevin would say about them. He

14:50

picked up his favorite, Pretzel the pig. Hi, Pretzel, he said. Im Billy now. The name felt funny in his mouth. I guess I have to make some other changes, too. I just want you to know that no matter what happens, youll always be my friend. I heard you and Daddy talking before. Pinky turned round as his little sister Amanda came into his room and flopped down on the bed. Well, Im not going to call you Billy. You have to because thats my name, from now on, he told her. Amanda shrugged. Okay, but then you have to give me your stuffed animals. Why? Because if youre not going to be called Pinky anymore, then you cant like pink anymore. And if you dont like pink anymore, then you cant have these animals anymore. Pinky though about what his sister said. Then he gave her every one of his stuffed animals. That night he woke up several times. He looked around his empty room and wondered where he was. Ashley T: Now. No connections just yet, I want you to think, in this story, do you think he made the right decision, or do you think that he couldve dealt with being teased in a different way than changing himself? Maya, what do you have to say? Maya: I was going to say that he couldve dealt with them teasing another way because he couldve said dont call me that or he couldve just ignored them and what they said and if its him being called Billy he dont like it and his sisters like (unitelligible) Ashley T: Nicho Nicholas: Um, I have a connection, so my favorite color was blue, so my mom bought me a blue stuffed animal and I kept on loving blue but then one day she said that Id had it too long and there may be ticks and bugs inside of it so she got rid of it and she said she was going to get me a new animal but it would be a different color, she said that you could have a second favorite color, you can choose your second favorite or I can get you a new one but they didnt sell teddy bears there so, blue teddy bears, so I didnt get it, it had a little bow tie and a red hankerchief.

16:30

Ashley T: Was it hard to give away something you liked? Nicholas: Uhh, yeah at first we sold it at a yard sale, so we had a yard sale, and I tried to sneak it in, and I put it for five dollars, we one, yeah um for five dollars, and this little kid, he wanted it but my mom, and when he said I wanna buy this my mom, she said Thats not for sale and I just went back into the house. Ashley T: Alright, who has a comment or connection this this question: Do you think this story, I know we just read part of it, but do you think its realistic? Is it something you have seen, or something that could happen in your school? Just, yes or no. Maria? Maria: Yes Ashley T: Why? Maria: Because people can make fun of you by your name because its different and stuff.

Ashley T: And this story the character dealt with it by changing himself so he wouldnt get made fun of anymore, and Maya said that a better way would be to just ignore what theyre saying, does anyone else have any other ideas about what you could do? Ivan: Like wait, what was the question? Ashley T: If people are making fun of you for something you like, what should you do? And you told us that in your situation you didnt let it bother you but if it did bother you then what would be a way they could deal with it? Ivan: you can, not even go over there or you can just handle it by yourself and tell them to stop doing that. Ashley T: Chica has something to say? 18:30 Chica: um the question, what was the question? To what she said. I meant the question that you asked her. Ashley T: Do you think the story was realistic? Chica: Yeah Ashley T: Now what age group or grade? Maya? Maya: i would say second and up. Ashley T: Second grade and up. Interesting, why do you say that? Maya: Because hes a second grader too and hes a third grader, and theyre gonna get bullied by that type of age, so thats why I said that because even though theyre small and stuff people can still tease you because of your size or how tall you are, like if somebody in kindergarten is this short, and then another kindergartener is this short, no matter what size or weight or how tall they are, so thats why I said second and up, because of that. Ashley T: Thats a great point. One more person who wants to comment about what age group, that would be good? Lets- Ashley, do you have a comment? Okay, Maria? Maria: Um, for like third grade and up. because third graders, they usually they get to a stage where they start bullying, like being meaner. And its easier for fourth graders to pick on thirds graders. And then, so thats why I think its third and up. Ashley T: You disagree, tell me why you disagree? Ivan: because some third graders would be in fourth grade because they started school

late. Ashley T: Alright thank you guys, great discussion I appreciate it.