Junie B Jones Book Character Costumes? The 139 Latest Answer

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Cut the ribbon with scissors or sewing scissors.

This project should be done with the help of a teenager or adult. Steps that require the use of scissors or hot glue should not be attempted by a small child.

A piece of ribbon should be about the length of the wearer’s forearm – the part of your arm between your elbow and your hand. The second piece of ribbon should only be about 10 cm long.

This week is character day at school, so it’s time to come up with something quick! Storybook characters are great character day ideas, especially when they’re easily recognizable, such as a lion. B. Key characters from Harry Potter books or from classic children’s books like Curious George or a Dr. Seuss story.

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Character Day Ideas

First, think of some of your favorite children’s book characters. For example, the man in the yellow hat from Curious George is instantly recognizable, as is The Cat in the Hat from the Dr. seuss Wear yellow pants and a yellow button-down shirt, yellow patterned tie, tall brown boots, and an oversized yellow hat to mimic the yellow hat man. Wear a black romper outfit with a white front to kick off your cat-in-the-hat outfit. Add a black tail, red and white striped hat and giant red bow tie to complete the look, optionally with cat face paint.

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Cindy Lou Who from ​The Grinch Who Stole Christmas​ is a simple costume for a child, while the Grinch is a little more complicated and includes green face paint and hair color and a green outfit. Wear a pink nightgown for Cindy, tie your hair in pigtails, and use flexible pipe cleaners that are bent into odd shapes and then tied with a hair tie to create the oddly squiggly things on Cindy’s head. Add red hair clips in the form of a bow. Think of an all-green outfit for the Grinch, including green gloves for furry hands, and wear green makeup to make your face look grumpier.

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Characters for teenagers and adults

Older children and adults may enjoy imagining characters from more mature books, even the popular Harry Potter series. To dress up as Harry, find round-frame glasses, then wear black dress pants and a dress shirt with a gray sweater, over that a black cape or dress. A maroon and yellow scarf around the neck makes the figure easily recognizable. Dress up like a time traveler from H.G. Wells’ ​The Time Machine​ by wearing vintage wool pants, a brown jacket or coat and white shirt paired with vintage brown dress shoes.

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An elementary school teacher may enjoy dressing up as a character from a book that the children will recognize, such as Mrs. Frizzle from ​The Magic School Bus​. Find a red long-sleeved dress, ideally with a white collar, and decorate it by drawing planets and similar images on it. Wear a red wig if you don’t have red hair. Dress like Amelia Bedelia by wearing a dress and white maid apron and bonnet.

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Collecting costume accessories

Credit: ediebloom/E+/GettyImages

For some outfits, such as B. Harry Potter, you may already have most of the materials in your own closet. Other times, the thrift store is your best bet to find yellow dress pants, an old dress, or accent pieces like glasses, beanies, hats, or boots. Some thrift stores even have a costume section in the months leading up to Halloween; This is a great place to look for fancy dress onesie and the like. Also browse the vintage clothing section to find things like vintage wool pants and coats for a time traveler costume.

There are countless ways to celebrate Halloween. Fancy nail art. Going out to theme parties. Curl up with a spooky novel or ghost movie… but for us bibliophiles, Halloween is also the perfect opportunity to express our devotion to the art of reading by dressing up in a costume inspired by our favorite book characters.

Some of the best — and easiest — Halloween costumes for kids and adults come from popular novels like , and children’s storybooks like . Teachers can bring these works to life by dressing up as Junie B. Jones or the mouse from If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, for example, while preschool boys and girls may particularly enjoy Thing 1 and Thing 2 ” by Dr. Seuss are. Better yet, if you opt for a stylish YA character like Lara Jean from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, these costumes can be worn long after Halloween.

Without further ado, we polled bloggers and cosplayers to find the best (and easy-to-make or buy) costumes for book characters—from classic kids and toddlers to wear for character day at school to hidden gems for grown-ups .

Every year there is a certain week in the school year that causes most parents to panic… BOOK WEEK! This daunting task of designing a book character themed costume that your kids will love won’t cause you a mountain of stress when you accomplish it.

Easy Book Week costume ideas are always a winner. And it’s usually cheaper to make something at home than to buy a costume.

If you have the time! Finally, if you don’t, we have some premade costume options for you too.

EASY BOOK WEEK COSTUME IDEAS 2022

Australian Book Week has a different theme each year and takes place in August. The theme of Book Week 2022 is ‘Dreaming with eyes open…’ and is scheduled for the week of 20-26 August in Australian schools.

Book Week celebrations are a wonderful way to inspire a love of reading in children and motivate them to read more.

These book week costume ideas for girls and boys will inspire you with lots of easy to make costumes that can be made at home.

I’ve added some less traditional book character costume ideas that also fit the theme of the year. And if you don’t feel like making your own, you can buy a premade version of many of these costumes from Amazon, Amazon AU, or Spotlight stores.

This post has been updated with the new theme with fun new ideas.

Classic Book Character Costumes

There are certain books that have always remained a popular choice for book parades and disguises. You’re sure to see one or two of these at every book week parade or scrolling through ideas on Pinterest. So it seemed only right to start with book week costume ideas from these classic storybooks.

These are the stories most of us grew up with, no matter what age, and they’re always easy to spot in the crowd between the newer book characters and recent favorites.

1. Gruffalo

This wouldn’t be a proper Book Week costume list without a mention of the Gruffalo. This is a great tutorial for creating your own Gruffalo costume and mask.

> Get the book Gruffalo book

2. BFG

Roald Dahl was one of my all time favorite authors as a kid and his books are still loved by kids today. This BFG costume is pretty easy to make and inexpensive too, which is a nice bonus.

> Get the BFG book

3. Harry Potter and Friends

While it may be a modern hit, Harry Potter has easily become a classic that will be loved for generations to come. Most kids dream of getting their letter to Hogwarts, so why not have the Hogwarts robes to help them get started! They also make great book week costume ideas for boys and girls.

> Get the Harry Potter books here

4. Alice in Wonderland White Rabbit House Costume

This is a classic costume with a twist – the famous Alice in Wonderland scene set in the house of the white rabbit makes a fun twist on a traditional Alice costume. This is one that you can easily make at home using items you already have.

> Get the Alice in Wonderland book here

5. Wizard of Oz Scarecrow

The Wizard of Oz is a popular book and film that has been read for many generations. The original book by L. Frank Baum was published in 1900. This scarecrow costume would be a great option to create a Wizard of Oz scarecrow for book week.

> Get the Wizard Of Oz book here

6. Tin Man

And it wouldn’t be right to have the Scarecrow without the Tin Man. I love this non-traditional Tin Man costume if you’re looking for book week costumes for girls that are traditionally male characters. Adding a tutu gives it a feminine touch.

7. Where the wild things are

This story scares me a bit, but it makes a really cool costume for a kid…or an adult! It’s also perfect for any book week theme! What I love most about this Where The Wild Things Are DIY costume is the fact that it’s made out of a paper bag. They can’t be much cheaper than a paper bag craft costume!

> Get the Where The Wild Things book here

8. Mr. Tumnus

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and all the other books in the Narnia Chronicles are popular with older children. This Mr Tumnus faun costume is a great way to bring some of the magic of Narnia into Australian Book Week disguises.

Those fluffy pants look really warm too! After all, August is winter in Australia! Perhaps a long sleeve vest is a good choice.

> Get the Narnia Chronicles books here

9. Mr Bump

The Mr Men and Little Miss books were another collection of childhood favorites and you can easily create any of the characters from the Mr and Miss series with this simple Mr Bump tutorial. Such a simple idea!

> Get Mr. Bump’s book here

10. The lion, the witch and the wardrobe

This incredible sibling costume for the classic Narnia book The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is truly spectacular. What an impressive DIY costume using wood grain vinyl from K-Mart to make the wardrobe.

> Get the Narnia Chronicles books here

11. Miss Muppet

The nursery rhyme that many children grow up listening to, Miss Muppet is a cute costume for Book Week. If you have two kids or best friends want to dress up together, one can go as a spider!

Disney costumes

Disney classics and recent hits have also become popular books over the years. Our children have many Disney books, either based on the movie stories or as side stories featuring their favorite characters in new adventures.

Disney costumes are a popular choice for many children for World Book Day and Book Week, and they tend to be in and out of trend as well due to movie releases and sequels.

12. Bo Peep Toy Story 4

We made a Halloween costume for the Toy Story family and our youngest was Bo Peep. This adorable Disney costume turned out even better than expected and cost a fraction of what it would have cost to purchase the costume instead.

13. Rapunzel

Little girls love to have nice long hair and most of us think of Rapunzel when we talk about long hair. This is an easy yarn Rapunzel braid tutorial that pairs perfectly with a pretty dress for a princess costume.

14. Woody and Jessy

One of our favorite films this year was Toy Story 4, in which Woody the cowboy and his energetic cowgirl friend Jessy make fun costumes.

15. Toy Story Barbie

You could make any kind of Barbie out of it as the franchise has really released a lot of books over the years. For us, it was Toy Story Barbie as part of our family costume.

16. Buzz Lightyear

Woody’s sidekick Buzz Lightyear, dressed in his signature Space Ranger outfit, is a popular choice for kids who aspire to be astronauts one day. Not to mention he has some great catchphrases too. To infinity and beyond…

17. Olaf

If you have more than one child, they are welcome to dress up as different Frozen characters for fun sibling costume ideas. This Olaf costume is epic as hell and would also make an awesome Halloween or Mardi Gras costume for other events. Seriously…how awesome is that! Or if you’re not thrilled, check out these pre-made versions.

18. Peter Pan

The boy who never wanted to grow up is an easy costume, especially if you already have green clothes. An essential Disney classic and especially popular during the pirate theme of Book Week 2018. My daughter’s first Book Week parade in 2018 had some Peter Pan performances.

19. Maui

Moana’s lovable god Maui is a fun choice and not one you’d expect to see in costume parades so often. This costume was created using a Cricit cutting machine which not only created the cut out leaf shapes but also printed the tattoo designs. GREAT!

20. Minnie Mouse

Of course, Minnie should be on this list! This is a costume we’ve made before as we got our Minnie Mouse ears from our Disneyland trip a few years ago, just like the top tutorial, but you can learn how to make your own instead! Trust me… it’s a lot cheaper!

Here’s an awesome tutorial on how to make your DIY Minnie Mouse ears. Or of course Mickey Mouse ears instead!

costumes by Dr. seuss

There’s no denying when it comes to book character costumes, there are plenty of easy options featuring Dr. seuss All children have a favorite book or three by Dr. Seuss and she are often parent favorites too.

There’s no better way than to relive your childhood through some literary classics while introducing your own children to these favorite characters. Here are some great Dr. Seuss costumes:

21. Green eggs and ham

This DIY Sam I Am and his green eggs and ham make a fun, easy Dr. Seuss costume for book week. As a kid, this was one of my favorite books by Dr. seuss

> Get the Sam I Am book here

22. Thing 1 & 2

Thing 1 & Thing 2 has always been a very popular costume idea and a great idea if you have two kids who want to dress up the same way. Or maybe mum and dad want a matching costume idea…

> Get the books here

23. Lorax

I love the simplicity of this Lorax costume – an orange hoodie and sweatpants combined with some felt. So easy, especially if they already have the orange outfit!

> Get the Lorax book here

24. The snoops

It’s pretty amazing what you can do with a colored shirt and some felt. Felt crafts are among my favorites due to their simplicity and inexpensive nature. This Sneetches costume shows just that!

> Get The Sneetches book here

25. Fox in socks

Another simple Dr. Seuss costume which can be made mostly from clothes your kids may already have or some inexpensive basics from the local department store. Add some cute ears and a tail and you’re ready for Fox in Socks! These make for perfect last minute book week costumes.

> Get the Fox In Socks book here

26. Cindy Lou

My kids love watching the movie The Grinch, although we haven’t read how the Grinch stole Christmas together. This Cindy Lou Who costume has got to be the cutest thing ever. So damn adorable! You can also get a Cindy Lou wig.

> Get the Grinch book here

Superhero Costumes

While they might not first come to mind when speaking of book characters, every popular superhero has certainly made it into storybook form for younger audiences. And of course classic comics!

Inspired by Bookweek 2019’s ‘Reading Is My Superpower’ theme, these costumes offer a fun way to show off your own superpowers. Or let your kids create their own book-themed superheroes by taking inspiration from these Superhero Book Week costume ideas!

27. Thor

The God of Thunder might be every mom’s favorite superhero when we talk about Chris Hemsworth (I’m sure some of you are nodding right now), but for a lot of kids, he’s also a pretty cool superhero.

Also, the next Thor movie will feature a female Thor, so there’s no reason little girls can’t rock the hammer this day of the book! This is an incredible Thor costume tutorial that you can make at home.

28.Batman

Whether it’s the classic Batman in his gray and black suit or the more modern, head-to-toe black costume, a Batman mask is always fun for kids! Or Batgirl as a fun alternative!

29. Captain America

See how you can cheaply make a Captain America shield and costume at home! How much fun will it be for your kids to walk through the Book Week Parade with their sign in hand, because let’s face it – kids love props!

30. Wonder Woman

The original boss, these Wonder Woman cuffs are an easy accessory if your child just wants a little superhero influence for book week, or pair them with a homemade cape for a more complete costume. DIY accessories like this paired with some items from the closet or ones you already have in your child’s dressing room make for cheap book week costumes.

31. T-shirt cape

For a frugal superhero costume, this is a fantastic tutorial on how to turn an old t-shirt into a cape. Get creative and sculpt your own superhero characters with your kids. Or create capes inspired by their favorite book superheroes instead.

32. Dog Man

Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man series from Captain Underpants is a popular read for children. Full of humor and adventure, this Dog Man costume is sure to make them proud.

> Get the Dog Man books here

33. Lady Bug & Cat Noir

While it might not come to mind when speaking of books, the Miraculous television series certainly has books in its schedule. This tutorial contains DIY costumes for Ladybug and Cat Noir. Fun for disguises at home too. Or you can skip the DIY with this premade costume.

34. DIY reading is my superpower costume

If you can’t find book week dress up ideas your kids love, maybe it’s time to swim against the tide! Who says your superhero has to be one that already exists in the pages of a book?

Let your kids dream up their very own book week superhero using this tutorial as a guide to help you create the costume of their dreams.

Australian Book Week Costumes

Australian Book Week is one of my favorite times of year to see all the incredible DIY costumes friends are sharing online. There are some seriously creative parents who put together some epic homemade costumes for their kids.

For some favorite Aussie characters, these costumes are perfect for Aussie Book Week, featuring everything from the classic May Gibbs to current favorites kids love:

35. Gumnut Babies

May Gibbs’ Gumnut Babies are iconic characters in Australian children’s literature and this tutorial is an easy option for creating a budget-friendly, adorable Australian book character costume.

36. Thelma the unicorn Like many little girls, my daughters love unicorns and they also love Thelma the unicorn. This book week costume idea came from Pinterest with no instructions, but would be easy to create with a headband and some sparkly accents! > Get Thelma The Unicorn Book here

37. Macca the Alpaca & Dharma the Llama

The popular Australian children’s book series Macca the Alpaca Costume and Dharma the Llama come to life in this epic sibling costume.

More costume ideas for book characters

These storybook costumes don’t fit well into the other categories, so get your own instead! Some of these are less traditional book characters or are book characters that do not fit under the other headings. Either way, they make great costume ideas for kids that you can mostly make at home!

With almost every character you can imagine ending up in the pages of a storybook at some point, almost anything goes for Book Week as long as it’s featured somewhere on the pages, so bring your child’s favorites to life with one of these fun costume ideas:

38. Diary of a Wimpy Kid

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has always been popular, especially now it’s making its way onto the big screen as well. This comic book themed Greg Hefly costume is easy to make, and you might even already have everything you need at home. Add these giant cartoon gloves to your fancy dress costume.

> Get the Diary of a Whimpy Kid books here

39. Shh We have a plan costumes

These super cute costumes are easily adapted for school age kids and are pretty easy overall. Perfect if Shh We Have a Plan is a favorite of your kids!

> Get the Shh We Have A Plan book here

40. Luke Skywalker

With a lightsaber and intergalactic abilities, Luke Skywalker is an exciting character to dress up as, and thankfully, an easy one too. If you have a karate outfit, you can just add a belt and lightsaber and you’re good to go!

41.R2D2

Luke Skywalker needs his robot sidekick and this R2D2 costume was too cool not to include. This is a really creative tutorial and super fun too.

42. Poppies & Branch of Trolls

With the hit movie Trolls and subsequent Netflix series, Poppy and Branch have become popular favorites with kids in their modernized take on the classic Troll Dolls.

These easy to make troll headbands are a great way to create easy book parade ideas without needing any really crazy hair! With the new movie coming out soon, they are making popular costume ideas for book week 2020.

43. The very hungry caterpillar

Another favorite from children’s books, I love the fact that this very hungry caterpillar costume is in the shape of a butterfly instead. But there is no tutorial for that. Found on Pinterest. Or you can buy a ready-made version.

> Get The Very Hungry Caterpillar book here

44. The Ella Diaries

This adorable boxtume is perfect for Ella Diaries fans! Easy to create using large sheets of cardboard, paint and pencils. Your kids will have fun helping with the making.

45. Mo Willems pigeon costume

If your little one loves Pigeon and his adventures from the Mo Willems series, they’ll love this easy Book Week costume (and so will you)!

Buy book week costumes

Not everyone has the time or DIY inspiration to make a costume at home, and that’s okay too! Instead, there are some incredible and inexpensive costumes to buy online. They even have some great Book Week costumes for teachers.

If you don’t feel like making your own, you can buy a premade version of many of these costumes from Amazon, Amazon AU, or Spotlight stores.

For more book week costumes for kids in Australia, here are some of my favorite premade options:

46. ​​Where’s Wally?

Get the Where’s Wally costume at AMAZON | AMAZON AU | HEADLIGHTS.

47. Mad Hatter

Get the Mand Hatter Costume on AMAZON | AMAZON AU.

48. Captain’s knickers

Get the Captain Underpants costume on AMAZON | AMAZON AU.

49. Frodo – Lord of the Rings

Get the Frodo costume on AMAZON | AMAZON AU.

50. Willy Wonka Golden Ticket

Get the Wonka Chocolate Costume from AMAZON UK.

Need a last minute Halloween costume? Check out these simple ideas.

Do you have any cool book week costume ideas that you’ve tried in the past? Leave a comment below. I would like to hear it! And share this post on Pinterest via the image below! Follow me on Facebook or YouTube for more costume ideas like this!

Barbara Park, whose children’s books starring Junie B. Jones, a 6-year-old donor of bountiful opinions, Runyonesque quips and dubious syntax, have sold tens of millions of copies and delighted all but the most grammatically puritanical parents and teachers, died Friday in her home in Scottsdale, Arizona. She was 66.

The cause was ovarian cancer, her publisher, Random House Children’s Books, said.

The Junie B. series is aimed at beginning readers and was illustrated by Denise Brunkus and comprises almost 30 titles. According to Random House, the books have sold more than 55 million copies in North America and have been translated into a dozen languages.

If almost any of Ginger Rogers’ tough girl characters had been portrayed as a child, she would have looked a lot like Junie B. In the very first book of the series, Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus (1992), Ms. Park’s young heroine bursts full and irrepressibly formed onto the page:

“My name is Junie B. Jones,” she explains in the opening sentence. “The B stands for Beatrice. Except I don’t like Beatrice. I just like B and that’s all.”

Junie B. Jones is a children’s book series written by Barbara Park and illustrated by Denise Brunkus. Published by Random House from 1992 to 2013, the story revolves around “nearly six-year-old” Junie B. Jones and her adventures in kindergarten and first grade.[1]

books [edit]

A total of 31 books by Junie B. Jones have been published since the original book was published by Random House in 1992. 28 are stories set in the Junie B. Jones series and three are activity books entitled Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide, Top-Secret Personal Beeswax: A Journal by Junie B. (and me!) and Junie B. These riddles hurt my brain! A book. Several box sets, several bookbindings, and a Valentine’s Day card collection were also released. The series has been translated into Spanish, Italian and French.

Reception [edit]

The Junie B. Jones series was ranked #71 on the American Library Association’s list of the top 100 banned or challenged books from 2000 to 2009.[2] The reasons given are “poor social values ​​taught by the books and Junie B. Jones not being considered a good role model due to her vernacular, bad spelling and grammar”.

While Barbara Park appreciated being on banned lists of writers she respected (including Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison), she stopped reading information about her books because the comments were “too hurtful.”[4] She once wrote: “Some people believe that the value of a children’s book can only be measured by the moral lessons it seeks to convey or the perfect role models it offers. I personally think that a book is of extraordinary value , if it gives the reader no more than a smile or two. In fact, I think it’s huge.”[5]

Customizations[ edit ]

plays [edit]

Junie B. Jones the Musical, theatrical adaptation by Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich, Theaterworks USA [6] [7]

, theatrical adaptation by Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich, Theaterworks USA Junie B. Jones the Musical JR , adaptation of Junie B. Jones the Musical for young actors

, adaptation of Junie B. Jones the musical intended to be performed by young actors Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business, theatrical adaptation by Joan Cushing

, theatrical adaptation of Joan Cushing Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus Tour , Random House, [8] Tour by Momentum Worldwide

, Random House, Tour of Momentum Worldwide Tour 2008 – Caitlin Thurnauer as Junie B. Jones, Jay Paranada as Mr. Woo; Tour management by Michael Barth

Junie B. Jones: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, theatrical adaptation by Allison Gregory; Music composed by Rob Witmer

, theatrical adaptation by Allison Gregory; Music composed by Rob Witmer Junie B. Jones: First Grader: Shipwrecked, theatrical adaptation by Allison Gregory

, theatrical adaptation by Allison Gregory Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business, theatrical adaptation performed at the B Street Theatre

video games[edit]

Junie B. Jones Top-Secret Personal Beeswax educational video game for the LeapFrog Leapster Learning System

movie [edit]

When asked about the subject of a feature-length film adaptation of the books, Barbara Park said in an interview that “Junie B. has already lived quite successfully in readers’ imaginations, so I’m happy with that.”[9]

television [edit]

On June 14, 2022, it was announced that Nickelodeon was developing an adaptation of the books.[10]

The Junie B. Jones book series is popular with new and aspiring readers, largely because of the bold personality of the title character. Parents and teachers like the books because they present important character traits in an accessible way.

Junie B. Jones Character Traits Her middle name is Beatrice, which she hates, so she shortens it to B. Junie is an average grade school student who has to deal with everyday drama and obstacles. For example, Junie has to deal with her fear of losing her first tooth, overcome her fear of the “stupid smelly” school bus and make new friends. Unlike many children, Junie B. faces every obstacle with courage and tenacity. Junie’s character is a realistic child character with many features including: Funny

mischievous

strong willed

bluntly

Curious

resourceful

Uses bad grammar

prone to accidents

active

Emotionally

About the Books The books by Junie B. Jones are early chapter books aimed at children from kindergarten through third grade. There are currently 30 books available in the series, with many more planned. Books can be read in order, but each book can also stand on its own.

About the Author Barbara Park created and wrote the books of Junie B. Jones from 1992 until her death in 2013. Originally from Mount Holly, New Jersey, she wanted to be a high school history teacher before becoming an author. Barbara has published more than 50 picture books and junior high school books.

About the Illustrator Denise Brunkus is a professional children’s book illustrator who has created the images for more than 60 books. She has illustrated all of Junie B. Jones’ books.

Reading Levels Each book may have a slightly different reading level, but generally books fit these reading levels: AR Levels – 2.6 to 3.1

GLE levels – 1.8 to 3.2

F&P/CRL Level – M

DRA level – 24 to 30

Lexile Dimension – 330L to 560L

Supporting Characters The entire book series is filled with well-known characters, including Junie’s family, friends, and teachers. Daddy – Robert “Bob” Jones is a fun, goofy, loving dad to Junie.

Mother – Susan Jones is Junie’s overprotective mother.

Ollie – Junie’s little brother.

Grampa and Grandma Miller – Junie’s grandparents who sometimes babysit her.

Lucille – Junie’s best friend in kindergarten who is rich and a bit spoiled.

Grace – Junie’s best friend in kindergarten who is athletic.

Herb, Lennie and Jose – Junie’s best friends in first grade.

Jim – Junee’s kindergarten enemy.

May – Junie’s first year enemy.

Popular Titles Every reader will find the book that speaks to them the most, but here are some universal favorites: Junie B. Jones and Meanie Jim’s Birthday – Junie is upset when a kindergarten classmate doesn’t invite her to his birthday party.

Junie B. Jones Cheater Pants – Junie copies another student’s work and then has to deal with the repercussions. Ultimately, Junie confesses to her teacher, teaching such young readers the importance of honesty and integrity.

Junie B. Jones One-Man Band – Junie’s excitement about a kickball tournament is short-lived as a minor injury prevents her from playing. Junie never sinks into self-pity for long and puts on a halftime show.

Lessons Presented in the Books At first glance, Junie B. Jones’ books are simply about a brave, bright child. However, upon reflection, the books contain many valuable lessons for young children. Children can identify with Junie B. She’s not the smartest kid, or the prettiest kid, or even the most polite. She’s just a normal, average girl. That’s the attraction for many. Her problems are not outrageous, but they are outrageous to her. Lessons presented in the books, albeit subtly, include: Honesty

respect

diversity

Would

persistence

friendliness

courage

citizenship

Discussing Junie B. Jones While June B. Jones books are great for children’s independent reading, they can be even better when accompanied by group discussions. As you read and discuss the books, ask open-ended questions to test your child’s understanding. Answering these types of questions will also help your child experiment with public speaking, storytelling, and logical thinking. Some example questions are: Why do you think he/she did that?

How do you think he/she felt about it?

Would you have done/said/felt that?

What would you have done?

Has this ever happened to you?

What do you think will happen next?

Questionable Language Warning Parents should note that some of Junie’s language may be objectionable to some families. For example, she regularly uses words and phrases like “shut up” and “stupid”. This will be a departure for some parents, but many choose to use it as a learning opportunity. If this language goes against your family rules, just discuss it with your child. You can point out the offensive language and ask your child to offer more appropriate alternatives.

Educational Books Whether you are a family looking to add Junie B. Jones to your homeschool curriculum or want to use the books to supplement your child’s existing education, the Junie B. Jones website can help. Complete teacher guides are offered for each book when you sign up for the Teacher’s Club. If you prefer to teach based on Junie B Jones character traits, there is a helpful guide called Build Character with Junie B. More detailed planners for classroom teachers are also included.

Classroom Lesson Plan Tips Each book addresses a different but common problem children face and provides specific moral lessons. Use each book or the exercises within it to shape your lesson plans. Ask students to rewrite the end of the story.

Challenge groups or the whole class to find a way to show athletic behavior to another group during the gym or recess without actually playing the game like Junie did in One-Man Band.

Give students time to take photos throughout the school day, and then share how the imperfections make them special when reading Aloha-ha-ha.

Have students create word bubbles filled with the inappropriate language from the book. Children can then easily cross out each negative word or phrase and write over it a better word or phrase that could have been used.

Offer both group and individual activities for each book. For example, you could read it aloud together and discuss it, and then send the children off to do a task related to the plot.

About Barbara Park

Barbara Park is best known as the creator and writer of the New York Times bestselling series Junie B. Jones, the stories of an incredibly funny preschooler-turned-first-grader that made kids (and their adults) laugh — and read — for more than two decades. The series was a consistent New York Times #1 bestseller, spending more than 180 weeks on the list, and Barbara and her books have been featured in national media outlets such as Time, Newsweek, USA Today, The New York Times and Today.

Barbara Park came to the writing profession in a roundabout way. Before becoming a best-selling and popular children’s book author, she originally wanted to teach history and political science in high school. She finished secondary school but quickly realized that writing was her calling. After several rejections, Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers acquired her first manuscript, Operation: Dump the Chump, and two others. Don’t Make Me Smile was first published in 1981, followed by Operation: Dump the Chump and Skinnybones in 1982. She has written more than 50 books, including the picture book Ma! There’s Nothing to Do Here!, a love letter to her grandson, to middle-class novels like Skinnybones, The Kid in the Red Jacket, Mick Harte Was Here, and The Graduation of Jake Moon. Barbara has won more than 40 children’s book awards, including multiple Children’s Choice Awards.

Barbara Park was born on April 21, 1947 in Mount Holly, New Jersey and spent most of her adult life in Arizona. There she raised her two sons with her husband Richard and spent time with their two young grandsons. Park died on November 15, 2013 after heroically battling ovarian cancer for seven and a half years.

Photo Credit: Photo © Pamela Tidswell 2007