Bernadette in the Doghouse

September 15, 2011

When her former best friend Jasmine comes to visit during winter break, third-grader Bernadette ignores her current friends, hurting their feelings and coming close to breaking up the Lunch Bunch.

Bernadette, Keisha, Megan and Annie not only eat together, they plan special menus to make their lunchtimes more interesting. Walking to and from school together, Bernadette and Keisha keep a special dog-watching notebook. They even carry out a project of cleaning and beautifying an elderly neighbor's yard. When Bernadette realizes how much she values these new friends—especially Keisha, who seems the most upset—she comes up with the perfect lunch strategy to make things right. In this sequel to Bernadette and the Lunch Bunch (2009), Glickman again portrays elementary-school life realistically. Bernadette's difficulties juggling her friendships, her longing for a puppy of her own and her discomfort when her classmates think she's responsible for the month-long Healthy Food Challenge will feel familiar. The relatively long, mostly un-illustrated chapters are best suited for the most able chapter-book readers, who will appreciate the challenge and are less often served by material appropriate to their lives and experiences.

A satisfying sequel leaving room for more. (Fiction. 7-9)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

January 1, 2012

Gr 1-3-Third-grader Bernadette Inez O'Brian Schwartz wants a puppy. As this installment opens, she and her friends offer to help an elderly woman who has a dog keep her yard neat and are invited back. Then the plot quickly focuses on winter vacation and the visit of Bernadette's best friend, Jasmine, who has moved away. Predictably, Bernadette ignores her new friends, the Lunch Bunch, and alienates two of them when she declines their invitations. The girls are a comfy group, but the theme isn't particularly fresh. The story comes full circle with Mrs. Marsh planting in the spring-and the birth of puppies. On the last page, Bernadette's mother says "Maybe" to getting a dog. Black-and-white illustrations are scattered throughout. This is an accessible chapter book, but nothing sets it apart from other titles about girls and their friendships.-Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.