Barbara Park (1947–2013)

Junie B. Jones is such a little brat, but golly does she make me laugh. I hope never to find myself in a room with someone like her, but I do enjoy reading her adventures. And this hilarious turn has her coming up with one of her most evil schemes ever when she finds herself in an unwelcome Secret Santa situation.

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Rated "Good" in our old book database by Rod and Adelia

Hadn’t opened this paperback since I was a kid, thought I’d mostly enjoy it again for nostalgia reasons, but this pleasantly surprised me with how well it holds up, strong storytelling with humor sprinkled throughout and circumstances and emotions that are universal regardless of whether you grew up in the eighties or not.

This is a slim book, under two hundred pages, so there isn’t room for going into much detail about camp activities, though there certainly were moments involving show more that, as well as a talent show performance that deserves extra points for originality. The focus here is mainly on Dinah wanting to shed her kind reputation and experience what it’s like to be popular at summer camp, only right away she’s saddled with Fern, a girl who is the antithesis of popular.

I liked that this isn’t as simple as setting the reader up to hate Dinah for prioritizing popularity, and feeling sorry for outcast, Fern, you feel for both sides of the situation.

Dinah is likeable, you see her experiencing plenty of guilt plus she’s stuck in an identifiable and emotionally complicated situation where being nice requires her to be somewhat unfair to herself. Also Fern’s quirks can be tough to be around, you can understand how even the nicest person might reach their limit, so you get why things go the way they do even if you wish they hadn’t.

Then there’s Fern, likeable, too, in her own unique way. We’re not in her POV, still from early on you have the sense that her reluctance to speak, her so quickly clinging to Dinah has to do with how she’s been received by other people, and the story takes you on this painful to watch arc with Fern, where you see her becoming more and more comfortable with these girls, mistaking Dinah’s innate kindness for friendship.

As for the ending, the realism there very much contributed to the high rating I gave this one. show less

Kindergarten hellion Junie B. Jones has met her match: That Meanie Jim, a classmate in Room 9 who gives even better than he gets. Junie B. is right that he’s mean; he’s also more astute and more rude than she. They’ve been tussling through most of the books, and now Jim wants to have the ultimate revenge: invite all of his classmates except Junie B.

Junie B. frets at the snub and spends the book trying to figure out how to save face. Move to the Small World ride at Disneyland? Host a show more competing birthday party even though her real birthday is months away? Steal someone else’s invitation?

I’ve really loved the books so far, but I’m beginning to tire of Junie B. Yes, she learns her lessons in each book, but she returns in the next as stubborn and manipulative as ever. It’s been a great ride so far, but I think I’ll be moving on. I didn’t even finish this book. show less

Barbara Park’s Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus may seem on the outside a light, humorous early chapter book, but it has meaningful themes about childhood anxiety, independence, and honesty. At its heart, the story explores a child’s fear of the unknown, specifically Junie B.’s worry about riding the school bus home. Her dramatic reactions reflect very real feelings many young children experience when facing new routines or losing a sense of control. The book also highlights show more natural consequences, Junie B.’s decision to hide at school creates an even bigger problem, gently reinforcing the importance of listening to trusted adults. Another layer is voice and authenticity. Junie B.’s imperfect grammar and strong personality mirror how many children actually think and speak. This validates early readers and helps them see themselves in books, even while adults sometimes debate the language choices. This book is funny, fast-paced, and super relatable for early readers. Junie B.’s dramatic personality can keep kids engaged, and the story shows kindergarten emotions in an honest way. If I remember correctly this was my very first chapter book I ever read when I was younger. I appreciated it in a whole new light reading it at my age now and was so excited to see such important themes explored throughout it. show less