Bertha Speaks Out
Fran Lewis, Illustrated by Jamie Miller
Xlibris
9781436328043
Debra
5

Bertha speaks out contains several Bertha stories. The book begins by describing a car trip. No one paid any attention when Bertha reminded them that she gets car sick. Sure enough, Bertha up chucked all over the back seat and the outside of the car.
In Bertha’s next adventure she hid money in an oven. The pilot light caught the paper bags filled with money on fire. Life doesn’t get much easier when she goes to her uncle’s camp for overweight children. She manages to lose 5 pounds the first week despite her hidden stash of candy bars.
Too often adults expect respect but do not show respect. Adults forget to listen to kids. If Bertha’s parents had just listened to her they would not have had a nasty car. In the story where Bertha talks back to her teacher, I was disappointed that her mother did not listen to her before forming an opinion.
Bertha represents most girls and boys. They have a mind. They have an opinion. While they cannot make all of their own decisions as parents we need to listen to them. Not all children fit the “mold”, some of us are too short. too heavy, too slow, or too tall. I remember well the pain of kids making fun of me and sometimes adults too. My hope is Fran Lewis’ latest book Bertha Speaks Out brings light to the need to accept others and ourselves as God made us.

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