Book: Bernice Buttman, Model Citizen

I cannot stand books that rely on body humor to capture their readers.  That's what this book was for me - lots of booger picking and poop talk - and it got in the way of the story.  Read this:  if you have a good plot and well-developed characters, lowering yourself to constantly talk about belches and flatulence is completely unnecessary. I noticed in the acknowledgments that the editor was credited with cutting half of the stuff before publishing the book.  I cannot imagine where the other half of it would have gone.

From Goodreads:

Bernice Buttman is tough, crass, and hilarious, and she just might teach you a thing or two about empathy in this debut reminiscent of The Great Gilly Hopkins.

When you're a Buttman, the label "bully" comes with the territory, and Bernice lives up to her name. But life as a bully is lonely, and if there's one thing Bernice really wants (even more than becoming a Hollywood stuntwoman), it's a true friend.

After her mom skedaddles and leaves her in a new town with her aunt (who is also a real live nun), Bernice decides to mend her ways and become a model citizen. If her plan works, she just might be able to get herself to Hollywood Hills Stunt Camp! But it's hard to be kind when no one shows you kindness, so a few cheesy pranks may still be up her sleeve. . . .

Get ready to laugh out loud--and maybe even shed a tear--with this fantastic new middle-grade voice! ​

I have nothing else to say about this book.  It could have been a decent read and I could have taken it more seriously (It is a serious story.) without all of the low-dwelling humor.  I wish Niki Lenz would have respected her story enough to trust it without the gross embellishments.