***Skip the intro if you have already read any of the blogs in this series of 9. Go straight to the Title and Author information.
***This blog entry is for teachers’ (and parents’) eyes only! It is intended to help teachers learn about the books on the William Allen White nominee list for this year, and then make decisions about how they might want to use some of these books during the upcoming school year. There are 9 books on the list. This is the 4th blog in a series of 9.
The William Allen White Book Award is for kids in the state of Kansas to vote each year for their favorite from a list of nominated books. If you are a 3rd - 5th grade teacher in Kansas, this blog will hopefully be very useful. But even if you teach a grade level adjacent to these grades or teach somewhere other than Kansas, I think you will find some useful information regarding some books that have made it to the 2021-22 WAW nominated list.
Title: Bernice Buttman, Model Citizen
Author: Niki Lenz
Format: Chapter Book, 240 pages (available in paperback)
Bernice has been a bully all her life. She has a chance to start over when she moves to a small town in Missouri to live with her aunt, who is a Catholic nun. This is a 1st person narrative and is very funny. There is some “farts and boogers” style of humor, but the story is also very heart-warming.
This could be a fun read-aloud as long as the teacher is comfortable reading about the butts, farts, and boogers. I can promise you that most 9, 10, and 11 year olds will find it hilarious when you read those parts out loud! If that’s not your style, then you might steer clear of this one and encourage your students to read it on their own.
Either way, this book is deeper than the superficial humor. Kids might actually empathize with the bully and why she acts in a certain way. The 1st person narrative gives the reader a unique perspective, and before you know it, you are rooting for Bernice all the way.
There are some things to keep in mind while reading this aloud or even recommending it to your students. Bernice’s mom is an awful person, but the book kind of side-steps the deeper issues of this family dynamic. I’m glad the author chose to write it this way because the story’s focus stays positive and heart-warming. It could be a story about emotional abuse, but then its audience would be more middle school-ish and the overall tone would be completely different.
The author is local (from Kansas City, MO.) She has a great author website and is obviously eager to connect with her readers as well as teachers, parents, and librarians. If you subscribe to her mailing list, she will send a free Bernice Buttman, Model Citizen comprehension guide.
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