Laughing Out Loud with Junie B.
One of my favorite childhood books was the “Junie B. Jones” series. I had an old copy of “Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus” by Barbara Park at home, and when I had no other books to read from school, I came upon this copy. The series became one of my favorites because it made me laugh out loud. I remember this to be one of the first books that actually made me physically laugh. There was nothing fancy to the book or the story, but it captured me as a young reader. I felt so connected to Junie B. and what she was going through.
As an adult, I was not expecting to enjoy “Junie B. Jones” as much. I thought that my humor had grown from the simple, blatant words of young Junie B. Oh, I was wrong! This is still one of the few books that can make me laugh aloud while I am reading it. Junie B. says the things on her mind, with absolutely no filter. As a future elementary teacher, it may be even funnier to me because I can now see myself having moments with my own Junie B.’s. Some may not consider Junie B. Jones to be high quality children’s literature; it does not have complex storylines or thoughtful lessons. However, it does reach people and make readers laugh. Its simplicity connects well with so many students of different ages, which continuously makes it a popular children’s book.
As far as character representation of minority groups, the “Junie B. Jones” series do not address them. Junie B. is a typical white child, not struggling with money or a bad home life. The children in Junie B.’s class all are white kids, and diversity is not addressed. It would be interesting to see the “Junie B. Jones” series rewritten with a diversified school system, showing the child’s simple views of differences and how she overcomes them.
Park, B., & Brunkus, D. (1992). Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus. New York: Random House, Inc.
--Brooke Bockenstedt (“Blog Post #1.1: Favorite Childhood Book.” 02 February 2017)
