"Hilarious. Barbara Park makes reading fun." --Dav Pilkey, author of Dog Man
Barbara Park's #1 New York Times bestselling chapter book series, Junie B. Jones, has been keeping kids laughing--and reading--for more than twenty-five years. Over 65 million copies sold!
Meet the World's Funniest Kindergartner--Junie B. Jones! It's Carnival Night, and Lucille has already won a box of fluffy cupcakes with sprinkles on them. But when Junie B. wins the Cake Walk, she chooses the bestest cake of all--the one wrapped in sparkly aluminum foil. How was she to know it was a lethal weapon? USA Today "Junie B. is the darling of the young-reader set." Publishers Weekly "Park convinces beginning readers that Junie B.--and reading--are lots of fun." Kirkus Reviews "Junie's swarms of young fans will continue to delight in her unique take on the world. . . . A hilarious, first-rate read-aloud." Time "Junie B. Jones is a feisty six-year-old with an endearing penchant for honesty."
Disclaimer: The following review contains profanity and is intended for adults/parents/teachers/etc. Parental guidance is suggested if you're letting your kids check out reviews.
I got this for my six year old niece last year because she was starting to get into chapter books. I saw that the Junie B. series was well liked and thought nothing of it. My niece also said she likes Junie B. and had read a few of them already.
Today I was watching my sister's children, and I saw this sitting on one of the end tables, so I read it while they were cleaning the playroom. (This could be accomplished in 15 minutes, but it took them two hours because they play as they go along. Fine with me; that's two hours of comparative peace where I don't have to actually watch them, and the playroom is still clean in the end. They come into the other room every five minutes to bother me about something, but it's still a good deal).
Anyway, I decided to read it to see just what I had gotten the eldest girl, and I was aghast. I can narrow my malcontent to two reasons.
Junie is a little bitch. I'm not sure I've ever been so disgusted with a leading protagonist. She grew disgusted with her friends if her friends did something better than she did (which ended up being par for the course for her, and that's good enough for the little shit as far as I'm concerned). Growing disgusted is all fine and good, but she took it out on them as well, and nobody corrected her, at least not successfully. It seems like children behaving this way without sincere parental correction has become commonplace in society, for I see it all the time when I'm out and about, but that doesn't mean I like it. Junie's parents did talk to her from time to time to point out what a horrible little beast she was being, but it seemed to have no effect, and then they let her go have more fun. Or if they didn't want her to have more fun, she just went and did it anyway, and the parents simply rolled their eyes at each other, and did nothing about it. Such disrespect from a five-year-old, and judging from some of the other reviews on here, people apparently find it cute. I don't, and that detracted from my enjoyment of this book, not that I'm part of the target audience. I find it rather alarming that this kind of behavior is presented to the target audience, though, but I could be overreacting. My niece likes these things, but I've never known her to act this way in public. I think that's because any kind of BS along those lines is nipped in the bud by the parents. She certainly isn't rewarded with doing whatever she wants to do if she doesn't shape up after her infraction with the parents just standing around with their thumbs up their asses going "Oh, that Junie. I'm not dealing with it, she is what she is." She's fucking five. Bill Cosby puts it well here: "You tell a child to come here, the child says 'no,' you go get it, and that's 'yes.'" (1-9-17 update: This kind of mentality explains some of the Cos's antics that have come out in the past couple of years... But it's still a good quote and applicable to raising children.)
Well, it looks like I'm getting a bit bent out of shape here. Let's move on to my second beef. The language. This is a matter of personal preference. I understand that the books are written from the point of view of a child, and the sentence structure, etc, reflect that. I'm okay there. I'm fine with some of the made-up words (grumpity, for example), but I draw the line at the bastardization of existing words. Case in point: 'structions for "instructions." I feel like this reinforces poor habits in children who are trying to learn how to correctly read and speak. Junie also "runned and runned" places... Oh, cut my throat and chop my liver... I can't take this much longer. The book was only 77 grade one or two reading level pages, so I finished it in half an hour or so (I'm not sure because the kids were interrupting regularly, and sometimes if things got too quiet in the other room, I felt compelled to get up and take a peek at what was going on). Still, it was a struggle to go on due to the poor grammar. Just pick a page, any page, and you'll see a "runned and runned" kind of thing for yourself somewhere on it. No wonder so many kids in school can't tell shit from Shinola. You teach them English in the classroom, then they read this. What are they to think?
So, were there any redeeming qualities in this book? Yes, there was one. I was very amused with the names of Junie's shoes: Pat and Leather. She lost one, and was stuck with just Pat and no Leather for a while. (For those of you not following this, Junie's five year old brain mistook "patent leather" for "Pat and Leather"). That was a rather ingenious touch, and there were some other examples of Amelia Bedeliaism throughout the book, but the shoe bit was my favorite.
The book I got my niece was a Target special twofer deal and had another book written about 10 years later as the second half. Junie was in first grade in this one, and it was something about somebody smelling, if I recall. I didn't read it because I had barely made it through the first one, was another 100 pages, and investing 45 minutes of my life into such a chore was asking too much, but I did check out four or five pages in the middle of it to see if Junie had shaped up any. She hadn't and showed all the signs of still being a terrible little urchin a whole year later. However, I did notice that she "ran" somewhere instead of "runned and runned" there in the first grade, so there's hope for progress.
I understand the attraction this kind of book has for kids. The situations and Junie's antics are humorous, and I can see how that would appeal to them, but I can't in good conscience recommend this book for anyone of that age. Brattiness aside, I feel the dumbed-down grammar in written form is too confounding at such an impressionable age. I won't be getting my niece any more of these books, but I also won't be discouraging her from reading them either. If she likes them, then she can rock on with them. I'm a fan of kids reading, but I'll spend my money on something else next time. Maybe Great Expectations by Dickens, or something.
To say that kindergarten miscreant Junie B. Jones is competitive would be a great understatement. When her school holds a Carnival Night, Junie B. imagines herself winning every one of the carnival games. It’s no spoiler to note that she’s not going to.
Many adults are horrified by Junie B.’s antics; however, in this fifth chapter book in the series, as in all of them, the 5-year-old pays the price for misbehavior and not listening. Children are smarter than their adults, and see Junie B. as a cautionary tale, not a role model. And a hilarious cautionary tale at that. Recommended for all ages.
I may be stoned for saying so, I know many good mom's who love this series for their daughters, but I just cannot stand Junie B. Jones books! The incessant baby talk, mean & rude behavior in these books makes me absolutely crazy. I have no desire to raise my daughters with the likes of this child as a literary role model. I want my daughters to have a strong voice. One that commands respect, gives respect to others and acknowledges their intelligence. While I am a fan of similar books such as the Ramona series, I can't get past this seemingly popular character. Ramona is certainly stubborn but also witty, brave, & confident. This child is rude and has baby talked herself right onto my black list... didn't know that I had a black list for books until these came along. I cannot even bring myself to pass theses along when they somehow make their way into our home, how could I purposefully inflick this intolerable child on anyone!?! I can't & so into the trash they go!
Torn between knowing why kids like it and pushing it to get kids reading and the fact Junie is a brat who never learns a lesson. If you're a smart parent you could explain why Junie is bad. Therefore, use it as a learning tool.
her grammar reminds me of this person on dti yesterday 😭 they were getting mad at people and all they said was shut up and you bunch.. it was so funny 😭 then they started saying zaddy?? 💀 and then sent a frq..
Junie B is a brat and i hate her with my entire being. Pls Lucille punch her in the face or kill her with that stupid fruitcake. THANKS NAVYA FOR ANNOTATING IT WAS SO FCKJNG FUNNY
This is another book in Barbara Parks' Junie B. Jones series. I think this story was good, exploring the frustration when a young girl really wants to win at games, but doesn't.
I often censor her language, sometimes even correcting her grammar because it's just plain painful to me to read it aloud as written. Also, the words she chooses are often rude or not very nice, so I use that as a discussion point with our girls. We often talk about what she said and how she could've said it better or more politely.
Overall, though, these books are great introductions to chapter books and our girls really look forward to reading a chapter or two every night.
I know the Junie series is popular with kids, but I found the character of Junie to be rude and offensive and not funny in the slightest. I read this book because I wanted to see if the series might be appropriate first chapter books for some of my struggling 5th grade readers, but it is most definitely not a series I will steer those kids towards. Junie speaks with abhorrent language structure (even for a kindergartener), and I don't have time to constantly correct the syntactical damage these books will do to my students if this one book is any indication of how the character speaks in the other offerings. I'm annoyed with myself for spending money on this waste of paper.
This girl is deliberately disobedient, deliberately rude, deliberately mean to her friends, and seeks out ways to get in trouble. Wtf is the appeal? Other child characters get in trouble a lot, but seem more human. I like Calvin, and Ramona, and Clementine... but, at least in this episode, Junie is more self-centered than her baby brother!
Out of all the Junie B. Jones books that I've read so far, this was the least terrible (still pretty bad though).
Junie B. comes to terms with her competitiveness and realizes that she can't win/be the best at everything. She also learns that fruitcakes are gross - although to be fair, with a sour attitude like hers, she deserved the fruitcake, all her losses, and a terrible day at the carnival.
---------------------------------------------- Part of a personal challenge to read all of my boyfriend's and his sister's childhood books before we donate and give them away.
Junie B Jones likes fruit! But she does not know that fruitcake is different than fruit. This was a funny book and it held my attention. It was also a quick read!
A prophetic novel of Orwellian caliber while also a simulated experiment examining the behavior of a millennial oppressed by a stalin-esque dictatorship.
"Junie B. Jones and the Yucky Blucky Friutcake" is a realistic fiction book for primary readers, written by Barbara Parker. Junie is a rambunctious kindergartner who manages to get herself into trouble without even intending to. Like many 5 year olds, Junie has a very hard time loosing. After a disappointing evening at the school Carnival Night, she finally wins a cake at the Cake Walk - an yucky, blucky friutcake.
I gave this book a 3-star rating because it was enjoyable to read. I especially liked the fact that that the book is written from the perspective of a kindergartner. The author's use of child-friendly language brings a smile to the reader's face. Like so many early-primary children, she often creates her own words to fit the situation. The other thing I love about Junie B. Jones is her propensity to act on impulse with no thought about the consequences. When she thinks it - she says it.
Reading this book has given me a quick look into the 5 year old mind, which I appreciate. I have a grandson, Noah, who is in kindergarten, and I sometimes forget that he sees the world very differently than the adults who surround him. His emotions run high, and his energy runs even higher. His words come before his thoughts, and his actions often precede his logic. And yet, he is a wonderful, sensitive, bright little boy. Junie has much to teach all of us!
Disappointing. The Ramona series by Beverly Cleary is much better, as are the Gooney Bird titles by Lois Lowry.
Maybe Junie B has a learning problem of some kind — she talks more like a 3 or 4-year old than a 5-year old. She's hyperactive (with fairly passive parents) and she intentionally misbehaves. I don't see anything to like about her. I won't be reading any more of this series.
But you know what bothered me about this volume? Everyone at the carnival was so grouchy and impatient with her. If you're going to work with kids in this fashion don't be rude about it.
I think it was a very funny book. At the end I though it was very funny because she one a fruitcake but it wasn't what she thought was. But it was actually useful for a seat because in her chair she is to short and she usually sits on a book but it hurts so at the end the fruitcake is soft and it makes taller! This is my report of the book. Hope you liked it and hope you read Junie .B. Jones and the yucky blucky fruitcake because it is a really good book!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU Barbara Park for creating the Junie B Jones books!! THE END!
Good and all, but it wasn't THAT good. She was losing and then she won something and she was ungrateful. Then she got to pick a prize and she picked - you guessed it - a fruitcake.
(My god what a dumb choice. This girl is infuriating to read about. I can't imagine she EVER graduates kindergarten.)
Her parents said not to choose the fruitcake, but she didn't listen. She thought it was rotten. Her parents told her in the car that fruitcake never rots - it just looks weird. You can give someone you hate the fruitcake for Christmas, and then the parents laughed.
(I'm starting to see where she gets her attitude from.)
When Junie B Jones got home, she sat on it and thought it'd make a good booster seat.
Super cool, should read. She's very sassy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
After a painful first three quarters, the fruitcake jokes kick in. The target audience probably won't have the life experience to actually get these jokes. However, I laughed so hard during the last two chapters, that the kids told me to stop reading because they couldn't understand me. There were tears. Then I had to read the end to my mom. Three generations of enjoyment.
I got this book from the library. Junie B. is especially obnoxious in this story and I'd probably trash it if I owned it. Still it had good talking points, but not a book we'll reread as a family.
Junie B. Jones is one of the most annoying children I've ever read about in a book. She's the brattiest brat and she does the strangest, most unorthodox things. Normally, I give books in this series two stars. This one gets a three, only because Jim took a sponge to the face. He's annoying too, so in my mind, he deserved it. If I was a parent, I'd quickly apologize to the other kid's parent, and as soon as I got away with my kid...I'd laugh like crazy. Is it wrong to do? Yes. Would a kid of mine ever do it? Probably not. If they did, would it be funny? ABSOLUTELY.
Otherwise, this book just isn't too much fun. I'm sure it gets a few laughs out of kids, but I never wanted to read them when I was a kid and they were pretty popular at the time. I wasn't in kindergarten, and chapter books are usually started by kids around 1st or 2nd grade, depending on the length, reading level, and interest of the kid. By 2nd grade when I started on major chapter books, I already would've been pretty bored by the language and characters. I was pretty different when it came to reading than my classmates though. I was a bit ahead and I'd have to say that Hank the Cowdog, Encyclopedia Brown, and Goosebumps were all way more interesting.
Because of the title, I figured this was a holiday book. Nope! It isn’t! 🤪 This series is good for young readers working on building up reading stamina and reading chapter books. 😀
I actually liked this Junie B. Jones book because she was corrected and disciplined for her behavior. I laughed when Junie makes a choice, after her mother told her not to, that she regrets. This is something my own children will do when picking something out.