But she also makes her first real friend. Unfortunately, her first day at school she unwittingly makes an enemy of the mayor’s daughter. It’s like a clean slate.” (41)Īs she settles in to her new town with the support of her aunt, Sister Marie Francis who teaches her to ride a horse, and Sister Angela-Clarence who only speaks in children’s book quotes (which actually make more sense than the two other Sisters give credit), Bernice decides that “things could be different in Halfway. Knightley advises, “Bernice, I know you may not believe what I’m about to say, but this might be the best thing that’s ever happened to you…Going to a new place is like starting over. When her mother and boyfriend leave home with their own plans for stardom, Bernice is sent to the picture-perfect town of Halfway to live with her Aunt Josephine, a nun. But Bernice has a dream-to raise enough money by any means possible so she can go to Hollywood Hills Stunt Camp and become a famous stuntwoman. Knightley, the town librarian who sees the Bernice who has possibilities.īernice lives in the Lone Star Trailer Park where she sleeps on the sofa and her brothers share one bedroom she has a mother who takes Bernice’s lunch money to have herself tattooed. She does have one person in her corner, Ms. However, being a bully is lonely and she decides she wants a friend, but the other fifth graders are scared of her, especially Oliver Stratts, the kid she has targeted for friendship. 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