As a blogger, book lover, mom, and teacher I started to compile a fresh reading list of high interest books in multiple grade levels so that I could develop content for my TPT Store. Since I remembered a 4th grader telling me that she loved Junie B. Jones, it was an easy add when I was racking up books at Goodwill for my project. What I expected was to learn why these books were high interest for little kids. What I did not expect was the way I was about to binge read the series and start recommending it to my grown friends. I have to give major kudos to Barbara Park as she is a hilarious writer who has also written comical books for middle grade students.
Junie B. Jones is a hyperbole for all little kids. She has no filter. For example:
“Then Mrs. confiscated my shiny glitter jar. Confiscate is the school word for yanked it right out of my hand.”
― Barbara Park, Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business
“Our nannas are losers.”
― Barbara Park, Junie B. Jones Is a Party Animal
“Okay, here is the problem,” I said. “Assignment means schoolwork, and Hawaii means vacation. And children do not actually like to mix those two items.”
― Barbara Park, Junie B., First Grader: Aloha-ha-ha!
As I sit here trying to write my article this week, my toddler is clanking away at a toy in her room pretending to nap. Parenting is hard, and little ones push your buttons. You train them in the ways they should behave but in spite of your best intentions, they say and do things that are embarrassing. Sort of like when I teach my daughter manners at home and then when we go in public and the first person who greets us at the store gets a scowl and a loud "NO!!!!!!" out of my normally mellow child. What on earth is going on inside their heads?
Then I read Barbara Park's writing in which the story's narrator is a sassy six year old and I get a glimpse at the inner workings of that little mind. It is a great source of comic relief. You can't help but giggle when you think of a small child recounting how grandpa took his teeth right out of his head, or when she gets so excited she has to yell and her mom reaches for an aspirin because she has a "my crane", or when she sees her teacher at the store and it's weird because teachers aren't normal people, or the way she calls her teacher "Mrs." because she just likes "Mrs." and that's all.
Then there are those passionate altruism moments that make you smile. One such moment would be when the meanie Jim tells Junie B. she can't do something because she's a girl and she says,
So if you have or teach young children, get some Junie B. Jones books because they are as much a treasured read for you as they are for them! Barbara Park once said: "There are those who believe that the value of a children’s book can be measured only in terms of the moral lessons it tries to impose or the perfect role models it offers. Personally, I happen to think that a book is of extraordinary value if it gives the reader nothing more than a smile or two. In fact, I happen to think that’s huge (Juniebjones.com)". I think so too.
