Don't Call Me Beanhead! (Beany) [Paperback]

Susan Wojciechowski (Author), Susanna Natti (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Beany

Meet Bernice Lorraine Sherwin-Hendricks, known as Beany by just about everyone except her older brother who calls her Beanhead. Beany's got 23 freckles, a bossy best friend, and a tendency to worry over just about everything. Like, for example, the time her loose tooth disappears down the drain. Will the tooth fairy still put money under her pillow—and how much? With an unfaltering touch for capturing the real concerns of a regular kid, Susan Wojciechowski presents five enormously entertaining stories about Beany's life at home and at school.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-This brief novel is a small gem filled with fresh humor. Bernice, a.k.a. Beany, is a worrywart, and her domineering friend, Carol Ann, exacerbates the problem. When Beany fails a test and has to take it home for her parents to sign, Carol Ann instructs her to sandwich it between lots of other papers with good grades so that the "F" won't be noticed. Of course her parents catch on, but respond with a refreshing combination of firmness and empathy. In the satisfying ending, Beany begins to get out from under Carol Ann's thumb by doing her own thing in the school talent show instead of playing the demeaning role her friend assigns to her. Wojciechowski captures the feelings, thoughts, and concerns of early elementary-age children in Beany's witty, honest first-person narrative. The story's moral is to stop worrying and enjoy life, a lesson conveyed with simplicity and charm. Natti's black-and-white illustrations are a perfect complement to the text.
Jacqueline Rose, Lake Oswego Public Library, OR
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. Bernice Lorraine Sherwin-Hendricks, known as Beany, might well be a descendant of Beverly Cleary's Ramona. What's special about Beany is that she is a worrywart. She worries at home as well as at school. For example, she worries so much about an ant's crawling into a pencil sharpener that she fails a science quiz. She then worries about how to get the quiz signed by her parents. In five easy-to-read stories, Wojciechowski catches Beany's own style and credibly tracks her eventual mellowing. Mary Harris Veeder --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (January 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156402587X
• ISBN-13: 978-1564025876
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,244,001 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beanie is a comical character very much like Ramona Quimby., February 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Don't Call Me Beanhead! (Hardcover)

My daughter and I read this book as part of our nightly reading ritual. I think that I loved the book as much, or maybe even more than she did. We enjoyed reading about Beany's worries and we laughed at how she solved her problems. This is a must read for any young reader.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book for boys, too!, April 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Don't Call Me Beanhead! (Beany) (Paperback)

My son (age 7) and I are currently reading this book at bedtime. He loves the book even though the main character is a girl. He identifies with Beany because he, too, is a worrywart. I would recommend this book for both boys and girls.