Bert och bacillerna

Bert och bacillerna (Swedish: Bert and the bacilli) is a diary novel, written by Anders Jacobsson and Sören Olsson and originally published in 1997, it tells the story of Bert Ljung from 7 November to 31 December during the calendar year he turns 12 during the autumn term in the 5th grade at school in Sweden.

Book cover

The book cover depicts Bert, who lies sick in bed in his undity room, while bacilli are seen in the air.

Plot

Bert fears getting sick for Christmas. Lill-Erik and Åke celebrate their birthdays, while in December Bert's school clas hold a Saint Lucy poession, and the school a floorball tournament. On third of Advent Bert goes to church with his grandmother. Bert is still together with Nadja, bu the thinks she thinks to much on her violin.

At school, Bert's schoolteacher falls and breaks her neck. She is taken away by the ambulance, and Bert hopes the temporary teacher will be a girl from the USA in a swimsuit, but instead comes a guy called Håkan Kelinus. They cal him Adolf. Bert calls him Terrormannen (Terror man), and belive he was the one who shot Olof Palme.

During the Christmas break, Åke travels to the Canary Island. Bert gets healthy for Christmas, and his father's brother Jan from New York comes for a visit. Bert gets a train trip in a smoke-free compartment to his cousines in Bollnäs.

On 27 December Bert closes with the lines "Tack och hej – smörgåspastej". On 31 december closes with the lines "Tack och hej – leverpastej", which will become the standard closing lines for the books Berts första, vidare and ytterligare betraktelser as well as the TV series, as well as becoming characteristic for the entire Bert Universe.

References

• Bert och bacillerna, Rabén & Sjögren, 1997