P received a copy of Beverly Cleary's _Otis Spofford_ from the Easter Bunny. A mischievous 8yo boy for a mischievous 8yo boy. Seemed a good fit.
I realized while reading it with him that I have read it before. Years ago. I was a big Beverly Cleary fan - Ralph the Mouse (which is what reminded me to introduce BC to my big kid), Ramona Quimby, Ellen Tebbits, and Otis.
P loved Otis. Otis, years after reading him for the first time, simply made me sad. Otis has no father, his mother is constantly working and has little time for him, and the lady who is supposed to watch him after school is mean. He likes to stir things up and as a mom (or maybe just as a grown-up?) it seems clear that all he wants is a little attention. And lacking positive attention, he'll take it any old way he can get it. It's not a book about friends and it made me sad to read. I hope P doesn't ask me to read it again anytime soon.
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