Junie B. Jones

I was thinking today about how much I miss my time in the bookstore. Spending all that time there helped me to develop a fine sense of children's stories. I don't care if I am an adult, children's books are the best
Junie B. Jones is another book brought to me courtesy of my niece Christina.  While babysitting them one night she brought me over to book to read, and I was instantly hooked.  Not because Junie B. is sweet and has exciting adventures. Far from it. Junie B. Jones is a brat.  She is loud, has poor impulse control, and is a very literal thinker. And I love little girls like that. I love them because they grow up to be strong women who aren't afraid to fight for what they believe is important. They don't look for life to hand them anything, they work for it instead.
Junie B. Jones shares her world with us through her adventures in kindergarten and first grade. Her trials include being the only person not invited to a classmate's birthday party,  dealing with a new baby, coping with her best friends who alternate between Junie and other children, and the adults who simply don't understand her no matter how loudly she tries to explain things.
When I read about Junie B. I think about all the people in restaurants, or church, whose child is loud emphatic and frustrated. Those who've raised Junie B's know what wonderful women they can become if they are taught to temper an iron hand with a velvet glove.
Little girls all the way up to fifth grade still enjoy Junie B.  They start enjoying them at around 4 or so. As their ability to read on their own improves, the adventures of Junie B will most likely be a regular purchase or library trip.  Don't be surprised if you wind up with all 28 <and counting> of Junie B Jones!
Barbara Parks, who wrote the Junie B series, was born and raised in New Jersey. She attended Rider when it was a College and not a University. In addition to the Junie B series, she has written other books, including picture books and middle schoolers stories. She lives with her husband in Arizona, and has two adult sons.