Junie B. Jones and the Stinky Smelly Bus. Park, Barbara (author). Brunkus, Denise (illustrator). (1992). New York, NY: Random House Publishing. 69 pages. ISBN: 978-0-679-82642-2.
Fiction: Beginning Chapter Book: Ages 6 to 9
Setting:
An elementary school that is not listed by name, but could be anywhere in the United States.
Plot:
Junie B. Jones is about to start kindergarten. While she's not sure how she feels about her teacher, whom she refers to as Mrs., she is sure how she feels about riding the bus. She hates it! After a miserable trip on her way to school, where she is told she can't sit with someone who is saving a seat, and is yelled at by a grumpy boy named Jim, she realizes she has to ride the bus home again! This is made worse when she is informed that on the way home, kids dump chocolate milk on each other's heads! Junie decides she will hide out in her classroom to avoid the bus. She wanders around school until she realizes she has to use the bathroom. When she realizes the doors are locked she heads outside worried she'll have an accident! After being rescued by the school's janitor, who gets the bathroom door unlocked just in time, Junie realizes she is in a world of trouble and everyone has been looking for her!
Junie B. Jones is about to start kindergarten. While she's not sure how she feels about her teacher, whom she refers to as Mrs., she is sure how she feels about riding the bus. She hates it! After a miserable trip on her way to school, where she is told she can't sit with someone who is saving a seat, and is yelled at by a grumpy boy named Jim, she realizes she has to ride the bus home again! This is made worse when she is informed that on the way home, kids dump chocolate milk on each other's heads! Junie decides she will hide out in her classroom to avoid the bus. She wanders around school until she realizes she has to use the bathroom. When she realizes the doors are locked she heads outside worried she'll have an accident! After being rescued by the school's janitor, who gets the bathroom door unlocked just in time, Junie realizes she is in a world of trouble and everyone has been looking for her!
Author/Illustrator:
Barbara Park does a great job of making the children in the story come to life. Her writing style is similar to other successful series writers such as Beverly Cleary and Peggy Parish. She plays on words to make the characters believable, and is good at determining how children might act and feel when placed in unfamiliar circumstances. A Booklist review wrote that Parks usually writes for an older age group, and although children usually don't like to read about protagonists who are younger than them, Junie B. Jones is definitely an exception. The illustrator also does a great job of capturing the reality of elementary school kids with detailed pencil drawings. Stuck out tongues, falling down socks, and nervous expressions capture the way a child might react and behave on their first day of school. Kirkus Reviews expresses some of the same impressions: "Junie's abrupt, ungrammatical narration sounds just like the feisty young lady seen in the b&w drawings, with droopy socks, wispy hair, and spit-shined (literally--she licks them) shoes. Kids may need some persuading to read about a younger child, but they're sure to enjoy the understated humor."
Barbara Park does a great job of making the children in the story come to life. Her writing style is similar to other successful series writers such as Beverly Cleary and Peggy Parish. She plays on words to make the characters believable, and is good at determining how children might act and feel when placed in unfamiliar circumstances. A Booklist review wrote that Parks usually writes for an older age group, and although children usually don't like to read about protagonists who are younger than them, Junie B. Jones is definitely an exception. The illustrator also does a great job of capturing the reality of elementary school kids with detailed pencil drawings. Stuck out tongues, falling down socks, and nervous expressions capture the way a child might react and behave on their first day of school. Kirkus Reviews expresses some of the same impressions: "Junie's abrupt, ungrammatical narration sounds just like the feisty young lady seen in the b&w drawings, with droopy socks, wispy hair, and spit-shined (literally--she licks them) shoes. Kids may need some persuading to read about a younger child, but they're sure to enjoy the understated humor."
Classroom Tie-ins:
The Scholastic website has several ideas for ways these books can be used in the classroom. One teacher discussed that she uses them for reading groups, and leads into discussions about behavior, characters and words. Students could also discuss the title and pictures to infer what will happen during the story. Students could also write comparisons about Junie's behavior and responses and how they might act in those same situations. An example of this is when Junie first gets on the bus and a little girl says she can't sit with her. Students could be asked how they would feel,if this happened to them, and write about a similar experience or how they would act if that happened to them.
The Scholastic website has several ideas for ways these books can be used in the classroom. One teacher discussed that she uses them for reading groups, and leads into discussions about behavior, characters and words. Students could also discuss the title and pictures to infer what will happen during the story. Students could also write comparisons about Junie's behavior and responses and how they might act in those same situations. An example of this is when Junie first gets on the bus and a little girl says she can't sit with her. Students could be asked how they would feel,if this happened to them, and write about a similar experience or how they would act if that happened to them.
Personal Response:
Junie B. Jones is reminiscent of the main character in the Ramona series, which I loved as young reader. She is mischievous, opinionated, and always getting into trouble. I think the character is relatable to both boys and girls, and the humor can reach across a broad spectrum of age groups and reading levels.
Junie B. Jones is reminiscent of the main character in the Ramona series, which I loved as young reader. She is mischievous, opinionated, and always getting into trouble. I think the character is relatable to both boys and girls, and the humor can reach across a broad spectrum of age groups and reading levels.
Resources:
Booklist. (1992, December 1). [Review of the book Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Parks]. Retrieved from:
http://www.clcd.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~u9b7q8:2
Kirkus Reviews. (1992). [Review of the book Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Parks]. Retrieved from:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/barbara-park/junie-b-jones-and-the-stupid-smelly-bus/
Scholastic. (2013). Junie B. Jones Lesson Plan. Retrieved from:
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/junie-b-jones-lesson-plan
Booklist. (1992, December 1). [Review of the book Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Parks]. Retrieved from:
http://www.clcd.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~u9b7q8:2
Kirkus Reviews. (1992). [Review of the book Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus by Barbara Parks]. Retrieved from:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/barbara-park/junie-b-jones-and-the-stupid-smelly-bus/
Scholastic. (2013). Junie B. Jones Lesson Plan. Retrieved from:
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/junie-b-jones-lesson-plan
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