The Berenstain Bears and the Dress Code

The Berenstain Bears

by Stan Berenstain, Jan Berenstain

Illus. in black-and-white. When Mr. Honeycomb, Bear Country School's principal, decides to take some time off, who stands in for him? Mervin "bullhorn" Grizzmeyer that's who. And much to the cubs dismay he establishes a super-strict dress code!  

Genres: Childrens, Middle Grade, Juvenile, Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published November 22, 1994

About the author

Stan and Jan Berenstain (often called The Berenstains) were American writers and illustrators best known for creating the children's book series the Berenstain Bears. Their son Mike Berenstain joined them as a creative team in the late 1980s.

Reviews

[Lindsey Gandhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great starter chapter book for kids. My son loved this book and is already dived into the next one. Cute story!! And a great message of how to work out a disagreement between kids and adults.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each year the students would change their dress styles a little bit, but this year they went further than usual. The principal was out of town for three days, leaving the vice principal in charge. He got really strict on what the students could wear to school, and sent students home, which made the cubs angry, and get even more outrages clothing. When the principal came back, he dropped the dress code, and gave the students and staff the opportunity to wear whatever they wanted on Fridays, which made the students wear more normal clothing on the other four days.

I remember a few times in high school, when the students decided to wear things that we didn't normally wear. We had a girls dance each year, and the girls would dress their best clothes. The boys decided they would all wear jeans that day. Back in my day, we didn't wear jeans to school. In retaliation, the girls spread the word, that they would all wear sweat shirts, the day of the boys day dance. The administration didn't take kindly to what we wore.

When my brother was a senior, Bermuda shorts were in fashion, and the boys spread the word, that they would all wear them on a certain date. Again the administration didn't like that idea, and came on the intercom, and told the boys not to wear them, but of course they did wear them to school.

This was a good topic for a book. Students of different time periods go through the same stages, of pushing the limits.

[Twyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Honeycomb the principal left for a month. So Mr. Grizzlymayer was the principal and made a dress code. ANd before that they wore clothes with knee-holes. My favorite part was at the end when they got to wear anything on Fridays. - Auryn 7yo

[Rosie Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Papa Bear looks cool in his bell bottoms when he is a teenager. So do Miss Glitch in miniskirt and Coach Grizzmeyer in his zoot suit.
Queenie Mc Bear gets send home for wearing a shortie mini skirt her mother worn as a cub. The mother and cubs make a big deal about it even though Papa would be right that Queenie’s mother worn that shorty; she be send home from middle school. Queenie’s mother is okay for her daughter to wear that in elementary school ? Queenie show a photo to her classmates of her mother wearing that same shortie at home. Child abuse ?

[Reese Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books were one of my favorite series of books when I was growing up. They incorporate real life situations into their books. This one in particular deals with a strict dress code. The principle of their school left for a month so Mervin "Bullhorn" Grizzmeyer fills in and creates a very strict dress code. When cubs of every social group start wearing super hip clothes as a way of speaking out against the new rules, the campus becomes a fashion battlefield. I would use this book with probably 2 or 3 grade. They understand what a dress code is and why we might follow one. I would use this book to show how students can protest something they seem to be unfair and make changes.

[Kaitlin Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

All the cubs are dressing "rad" and the teachers are getting mad. Eventually there is a debate to see who will win out the rads or the dress code people and brother bear puts up photos of parents in their crazy childhood clothes. Classic Berenstain

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for Deep in Bear Country Podcast, and I'm glad I did. This chapter book was written in 1994, but still has relevant ties to 2017. The discussion of how the dress code came to be and the resolution is fairly progressive, and I think should be read by students today.

[Alana Murray]

It looks nice

[Lexi]

My little one loves saying “rad”. These books are nostalgic for me.

[Christina Mages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. The cubs learned a lesson in how to dress at school

[Melissa -Crazy Lucky Book Nerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

"When adults get too concerned on what you wear
the more the rules oppose
the more young cubs dressed to dare"

So when Queenie bear gets sent home from because of what she was wearing it causes a huge debate among not only the Cubs at school but the adults of all of bear county. I do think that the book addresses the idea of dress code pretty well. The biggest question is should schools create a dress code that enforces students to wear certain outfits and how much creativity can students be allowed to show what they wear. One of the major things that we use to show our identities is the outfits we wear. And it is especially important for younger students who are determined to showcase this is what I wear this is what I like this is who I am. So the idea behind the dress code is that the school doesn't want kids to be wearing anything that's considered dirty, provocative or hate speech. I agree with the school idea of making sure that the office kids wear won't offend anyone. But I also agree that students should be allowed to express themselves. And if a school insists that there has to be a uniform in place then they should at least allow students to find other ways to express themselves. The compromise that the bear School in the story uses is actually a pretty good one. Students are allowed to dress however they want on a certain day and for the rest of the days they must wear according to the dress code. So overall pretty good message and lesson in this book.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one of the favorites from childhood. This book tackles some timeless themes, such as the childhood need for self-expression and autonomy from (parental/teacher) authority. I like how the ending highlights that adults forget that they too were once children.

There are some ridiculous bits in there (paraphrase "Worst news!" "They're putting up guard towers with machine guns around the school!" Uh, wat?), and I don't think parents would purposely label themselves the BOREs, but hey, kids' book and all, right?

[Samuel]

good

[mabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd time reading this book and I love it! So much excitement! I love the Berenstain Bears chapter books👍

[Shae]

MY CHILDHOOD.

Ugh, all of these books were such a Thing, but this one especially. Baby Shae learned how to exploit loopholes and vague wording to fight against an unfair system from this book.

[Alice Greene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice: 5 stars. It was good. The point was: you can try things but if the kids aren't liking it, you have to let it go, no matter what.
Jenny: 3 stars. Feels kinda dated.