children's books
Bernadette and the Lunch Bunch
"Everyone agreed that Bernadette Inez O''Brian Schwartz was a most unusual child.
Her first word was 'Why?' So was her second word, and then her third."
So begins Bernadette and the Lunch Bunch, a fresh and funny look at the
life of a not-so-ordinary eight-year-old girl. Bernadette's imagination
is so big, she
manages to win a prize at the science fair even though
she's too young to enter it; so big, she inspires everyone she meets
to turn everyday events into adventures. Join
Bernadette and her three
best friends, Annie, Keisha and Megan, as they come up with ingenious
strategies for
surviving the school lunch room, or helping a friend regain a smile.
Plan a pirate party, write secret code, make a magical
mystery meal--anything can happen on a day with
Bernadette!
recommended as a first chapter book for ages 7-10
or to read to children of any age
ISBN 978-1-897186-51-7
only $6.95
available from
Amazon, Chapters, or your favourite independent bookstore!
Starred selection of the Canadian Children's Book Centre's
Best Books for Kids & Teens: Annual, 2009
FROM THE REVIEWS:
"Bernadette Inez O’Brian Schwartz is about to start third grade, and without her best friend, who moved away, it’s going to be 'the worst year ever.' This curious girl is an engaging and quirky character who loves to ask 'Why?' and investigate the world around her through science. Bernadette is seeing a lot of changes in her life this year, in addition to the loss of Jasmine, and she doesn’t like it. One of the big changes is that she has to eat lunch at school every day. This is a most terrifying prospect without a best friend, but after a few weeks she becomes friends with Annie, Keisha, and Megan and they team up to form the 'Lunch Bunch.' Written with light humor throughout, the story unfolds nicely to share many of the challenges Bernadette faces, such as not having a talent to showcase in the talent show and not being able to enter the science fair. Bernadette is good at developing 'strategies' to figure out how to deal with different situations, and, with the help of her friends, she always comes out on top. A few black-and-white illustrations are scattered throughout. This is a fun read with accessible language and appeal for early chapter-book readers."
--Bethany A. Lafferty © School Library Journal, 2009
"First her best friend moves away and then the school system excludes third graders from the science-fair competition. For third grader and budding scientist Bernadette Inez O’Brian Schwartz, this promises to be the worst school year ever. Bernadette is an original—imaginative, organized, moody, but resourceful. Slowly, she makes new friends, a Lunch Bunch with whom she can share strategies for making lunch at school interesting. She has a pirate party, comes to terms with being nothing more than one of the audience for the Talent Show, concocts a project that makes her sad friend Megan smile and circumvents the science-fair decision. Poet and literary critic Glickman’s first novel for children realistically captures elementary-school life with sympathy and humor. Allard’s occasional line drawings show a diverse cast of characters and add to the appeal of this substantial chapter book first published in Canada in 2008."
-- © Kirkus Reviews, January 2009
"Susan Glickman has created a credible heroine in Bernadette Inez O'Brian Schwartz whose curiosity and drive are as long as her name. Bernadette's portrayal as a single-minded, dramatic girl full of 'strategies' who is determined to change an unjust decision is completely believable. Indeed, her over-the-top exaggerations are what one might expect from an incorrigible, imaginative eight-year-old. "
--Jonine Bergen, Canadian Materials (Feb 09)
"Bernadette and the Lunch Bunch by Susan Glickman is the fun story of a very small girl with a very big imagination.”
--Marie Bruni, “Library Corner,” The Daily Star, Oneonta, New York, Thursday May 14, 2009
