Source: barnes and noble.com
Date: September 2008

rouble but triumph too
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Posted July 17, 2009, 12:35 PM EST: Can you imagine how you would feel if you were ten or eleven years old, stood taller than anyone else in your class, and weighed 160 pounds? That is the situation with a girl named Bertha, who lives in New York City with her parents and siblings. She is a good student in school and gets good grades, and she is also a good musician. But because she is overweight, she is somewhat inept at physical activities. The six stories in this book, which author Fran Lewis says are based on true events, tell about Bertha's trials with ice skating, punch ball at camp, falling into a huge pothole, a school dance, taking dancing lessons, and bowling, all the while trying to lose weight and make friends. Will she ever be able to accomplish her goals? Most of us know that there are times when kids--and adults too--can be cruel. All children who have ever been teased, tormented, or mistreated because of something that makes them different will be able to identify with Bertha and her problems. Bertha does seem to whine and complain a lot. Not only is she frustrated when her schoolmates act mean but also she is sometimes upset with her parents for not letting her be more updated and "cool." However, as the father of two sons, I can testify that children do tend to whine and complain. Parents who are concerned about society's pressure on kids to grow up too fast will want to be aware that in one story Bertha, who is just eleven, prepares for a school dance by getting her hair restyled, wearing lipstick, using some makeup, and finding a date. Fran says that she tried to write the book as if as child was expressing her opinion, but as far as the typos go, the print on demand company had to redo the book several times and they never seemed to get it right. At the same time, aside from these small criticisms, I believe that there is a benefit for children in reading My Name Is Bertha. First, it will aid in understanding the feelings of people who are in Bertha's circumstances so that we can strive to be more tolerant. Each of us needs to remember that there are things which we are good at and things which we are not so good at. It is best to accept people for who they are. Also, seeing how Bertha learns from her mistakes and seeks to share what she has learned with the reader can be instructive. And the drawings by illustrator Jamie Miller, who is the author's niece, help to portray things from a child's point of view. There is some definite trouble here to make us think, but there is some triumph too.
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franellan

Needs more readers: great First book by a new author
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Posted April 6, 2009, 11:37 AM EST: My Name is Bertha is a great example of what a new author can do when she wants to send out a positive message to all kids when dealing with bullies and family members that do not understand how it feels to have a weight problem. You need to buy this for every child that has ever had a weight problem and you need to buy her second book too Bertha Speaks Out. They are both humorous and true to life and inspirational.
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Martha-A-Cheves

A great book for children!
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Posted February 27, 2009, 6:52 PM EST: My Name is Bertha is about an overweight young girl. The teasing, name calling and problems that are associated with her weight problem are typical for a young person in her position. But the real problem isn't just her peers teasing her it's also the lack of help from some of the adults she encounters. As a child, I too was overweight, so the pain that Bertha feels through her stories in this book hit home with me. I feel this is a wonderfully written book that would be helpful not just for young people who are overweight but also for those who look at a person, no matter the age, call them names, shun them and refuse to accept them as they are. This is a great book of moral teachings for young children and even some adults.
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GabinaFS

Bertha is an inspiration to everyone: Young and Old
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Posted December 1, 2008, 1:38 PM EST: My Name is Bertha should be in every school's library. It is heartwarming, true to the problems children face today. Bertha is tenacious, she is sassy, she is funny and she is sweet. She cannot dance, or sing or even ice skate, but she is smart. She cannot do what her sister Tillie can do and she learns after a while that she does not care. Tillie is thin, pretty and is athletic. Bertha is a total klutz. Her parents figure out ways to try and help her to lose weight but they fail. Her mom thinks that dancing and ice skating lessons will make her more graceful. Instead, they only draw attention to her clumsiness and her lack of grace. Poor Bertha cannot win. She even tries to devise a way to get her parents to give her a phone of her own that she does not have to share with her sister. This plan does not work either. But, she is resourceful and she is smart. A must have and read for everyone.
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Anonymous

My Name Is Bertha
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Posted September 5, 2008, 7:41 PM EST: Bertha is special. She might not be pretty but she is clever and smart. Just the way she figured out how to get out of her dance recital using her musical skills on the piano was really ingenous. She might not be pretty on the outside but she is beautiful on the inside and that comes through loud and clear. She might not be able to dance or ice skate, but she can get all A's in school. She is spunky, she is sassy and she has a sense of humor that really helps her to deal with real life issues children face in schools and at home today. A must have and must read for teachers, parents and children of all ages.
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