Writing these stories and my third book Bertha Fights Back was a challenge for me. The first two books are true stories about growing up and feeling left out of many things my sister and cousins were capable of doing. In My Name Is Bertha, which was inspired by my aunt Tova Ross who was ill at the time, I decided to write about my life as a child telling other kids that it is okay to be a klutz, it is okay to not be pretty on the outside and it is okay to speak up for yourself and not allow anyone to bully you. The title came from a funny incident that happened at lunch with my nephews. My nephew Jake knew that I had just started a diet plan of my own to lose weight. I just lost 75 pounds and have kept it off for four years. He looked at me at lunch and said I looked so sad it reminded him of a picture of my grandmother Bertha who never smiled. My sister added to the fun by saying I was even sitting like her, which was a real rub. I told her she was spoiled like my grandmothers sister our Aunt Tillie. My nephew started calling me Bertha and her Tillie-hence the characters Bertha and Tillie. The third book which is now on Xlibris.com is Bertha Fights Back and it was co-authored with my niece Dani Nicole Miller and illustrated again by my niece Jamie Miller. It deals with Face Book, My Space and UTube and real life issues that kids face in middle school today. It deals with hate crimes and teaching kids to understand their differences and embrace them. Some of the stories really happened to my niece and we added things to make the book really more realistic. Fran Lewis
Bertha Fights Back - Fran Lewis, Author
Added by Ann B. Keller on June 25, 2009 at 8:35pm
There are several elements of truth in this story and Bertha Fights Back will grow on you as it gains momentum. What begins as a narration of the cruelties inflicted upon an overweight teenager by her cousin, Penelope Mia, quickly changes into a statement of our modern society.
Unfortunately, this is a time in which teenagers somehow manage to threaten teachers and school officials with guns and knives, where fellow students are held hostage by the whims of a few overeager street toughs and learning often takes a backseat to sheer survival. Bertha herself is plunged into the midst of this conflict and is forced to prove herself, despite prejudice, other people's lack of faith and the doublts of many of those around her. Indeed, Bertha comes of age in this story, being transformed from a wounded young girl into a crusader for all that is good and honorable.
Last updated by Ann B. Keller 9 hours ago.
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