The Midwest Book Review

June 2012

“Bernadette to the Rescue” is the fourth adventure book of a popular series about a third grade eccentric, lovable girl detective with eco-learnings. Bernadette and her friends Annie, Keisha, and Megan decide to attend day camp together after finishing third grade, and although Bernadette fears she will miss her usual museum camp experiences, she finds challenge and meaning in investigating a mysterious disappearance of a local frog population. Using scientific method, Bernadette arrives at some surprising findings and enjoys good fellowship and growth in meeting new challenges along the way. “Bernadette to the Rescue” is a chapter book for readers ages 7-9, with appealing characters, quirky black and white drawings by Melanie Allard, and fast action with built in surprises. To instill a healthy send of self and empowerment especially in young girls along with improving language and reading skills, there is nothing like this charming series. The characters radiate genuine concern for each other and the environment, and the political correctness factor is not annoyingly obsessive, just underlying.