My Brother Bernadette: Part 4

By JACQUELINE WILSON, Illustrator DAVID ROBERTS

Bernard fell off his car. He banged his head and hurt his hands. He tried not to cry but he didn"t quite manage it.

The helper picked him up and comforted him. He told Big Dan that he was big enough to know better.

"Poor little Bernard," said the helper.

"Poor little Bernard!" he said, mimicking. "You stupid sissy little baby. You"re like a girl with all that long hair. Bernadette, more like. Yeah. That"s your new name. Bernadette."

My brother didn't like his new name at all.

"My name is Bernard," he said. "Not Bernardette."

Big Dan kept on calling him Bernadette. So the other boys did too. Then the girls joined in. By going home time everyone at the summer project was calling him Bernadette.

Poor Bernard went very pink in the face.

Publisher: Mammoth, $12.95 Age group: 7 + years