Brian Silbert’s BERTICUS: How I Survived School! And Bullies! And Farley Finnigan! is a pitch-perfect middle-grade novel that chronicles the oft-hilarious, always relatable misadventures of Gilbert “Berticus” Icusberwitz as he navigates the fifth grade. From the boy’s opening daydream about race car glory to his disastrous campaign for class president, Silbert successfully channels the frenetic mind of an easily distracted eleven-year-old boy.
The story centers on a year in the life and times of Gilbert “Berticus” Icusberwitz, a daydreamer whose fifth-grade experience is a series of comedic mishaps and wild schemes. Whether he’s attempting to grow a beard, starting a “super-secret club,” or navigating his first crush on classmate Amy Appleton, Berticus’s approach is typically boundless creativity fueled by questionable logic. Through it all, his friendship with the equally eccentric Thatch is the beating heart of this book. Silbert balances slapstick humor with moments of genuine growth as the story builds toward the inevitable fifth-grade graduation and Berticus gradually learns to channel his energy more productively (while staying true to who he is).
Silbert’s talent for capturing authentic “kid-logic” shines throughout. When forced to use the bathroom at school and causing a flood, Berticus transforms potential humiliation into a personal triumph of sorts: “I had removed the lid from the back of the toilet and flipped it over on the floor. I had also removed my socks and shoes, and I was standing on the lid with my pants rolled up to my knees […] I was using the broom handle like an oar as I paddled in the middle of the flooded bathroom and loudly started to sing.”
The supporting cast (featuring the likes of sweaty Artie Calhoon and the nose-whistling Mary M’Gerkin) admittedly leans more toward caricature, but this approach actually serves the story well. After all, this is the world through the exaggerated lens of an adolescent boy’s perspective, where classmates often become defined by their most prominent (and usually embarrassing) characteristics.
Perfect for middle-grade readers and parents alike, the book’s brisk pace and episodic structure make the world of Berticus easy to digest. While readers seeking a more contemporary setting may notice the absence of social media-related drama, this choice ultimately lends the story a timeless quality. To that point, classic social dynamics and expressions like “Holy cow!” and “Sheesh!” give the story a narrative voice that feels both fresh and nostalgic.
Perfectly paced and full of genuine laughs, Brian Silbert’s BERTICUS: How I Survived School! And Bullies! And Farley Finnigan! will remind readers of all ages that being the odd kid out—for all its mishaps—can be the greatest adventure of all.
~James Weiskittel for IndieReader