Bernadette Inez O’Brian Schwartz is back with her friends Annie, Keisha, and Megan, aka The Lunch Bunch. In this third adventure, Bernadette finally gets the puppy she has been dreaming of for so long. She asks her Lunch Bunch friends to help out at her street's garage sale to raise money to save the animals of the rainforest. When school ends, the four friends decide to go to the same day camp. Bernadette discovers that she can indulge her love of science anywhere when the local frogs go missing and she and the other campers use “scientific method” to find out why.
To instill a healthy sense of self and empowerment especially in young girls along with improving language and reading skills, there is nothing like this charming series. The characters radiate genuine concern for each other and the environment, and the political correctness factor is not annoyingly obsessive, just underlying.
[Bernadette] is remarkable, yet her experience of frustration and her apprehension over trying new activities are relatable to younger audiences. Recommended. 3/4 stars.