bernice buttman model citizen book read aloud

She is a bully, having grown up from the days when her four brothers bullied others on her behalf. Great writing style, phenomenal pacing, and fantastic narration.īernice Buttman is anything but a model citizen. I'd imagine that younger readers would enjoy this a lot, since my adult brain would constantly go to things like 'Jail! Child services!' Instead of 'Getting grounded! Not going to summer camp!' It means a lot happens in this book without constantly leaving you anxious for Bernice.

With each problem presented in the book, I anticipated the many ways it would end with dread, only for it to wrap itself fairly quickly. While there is conflict and tension in this book, it rarely looms over you for long. I think that speaks to how strong Bernice's POV is, it contains that same strong sense of self every child this age seems to have. Bernice's narration is hysterical and the other characters, while fully formed, never seemed to fight for our attention that hard. Of course, I still gave this five stars because it's a juvenile fiction book and obviously wouldn't have the kind of nuance a longer novel for more mature audiences would. She simply took too much in stride with too open a mind.

But she never seemed to truly lack empathy, like so many bullies do. I know, I know, that's often what makes a bully. Bernice never read like a true bully to me, just a victim of her upbringing.

Bernice buttman model citizen book read aloud