Junie B., First Grader: Shipwrecked

I really liked this chapter book. In my opinion, Shipwrecked is one of the best books in the Junie B., First Grader series. Barbara Park used many techniques to make this story cute, personal, and relatable. For example, the story is told from Junie B.’s point of view. Junie B. is a quirky, rambunctious first grade girl who wants to be the star in the class play, Christopher Columbus. The language Park used to write this text is very unique because it does not follow the grammar rules of Standard English. The story is written in the colloquial speech of a first grader, which offers not only a more personal relationship with the main character, but it also makes the story fun to read. This casual language is exemplified in the journal show more entries Junie B. writes in school: “I am going to say, Land! Land! We landed on Land! Only bad news. On account of Herbert is land. And today Herbert got sick with the virus. And so NOW what am I supposed to do? Just sail around and around the whole livelong day? Without Land, explorers are nothing.” Another reason I like this book is because of the characters. Junie B., and her classroom nemesis, May, are very well-developed characters that represent the average first grader very well. Some of the other characters, like Sheldon, Jos, and Mr. Scary are also very believable, relatable characters in the story, and the amount of vivid personality Barbara Park gave her characters made reading the book so enjoyable. Additionally, the plot included discussion of conflict that would be relevant to the target audience, (K-2nd grade), and I also felt the plot was paced well for such a small chapter book, and I found myself very engaged while reading it. The final feature of “Shipwrecked” that I found very likeable is that since it is a transitional chapter book, it does include a few illustrations. The illustrations are sketched in pencil, with no color, but the drawings are detailed. Each picture, like the one of Junie B. high-fiving her classmate Jose for having gathered the same number of facts, fits the written text perfectly and provides a small glimpse of how Barbara Park and Denise Brunkus visualize Junie B. Jones and her classmates. The teacher in the story, Mr. Scary, provides an insight into the main idea of the story: “This play is not about stars or winners. It’s about teamwork.” The big idea of this book is that not everything is a race, and sometimes it is better to work as a team. show less

Junie B., First Grader, Shipwrecked by Barbara Park is the 23rd Junie B. Jones book. When my oldest was in kindergarten, he and I would read this series together. Since he's moved onto longer books, I haven't really given the series much thought. Then the recent death of Barbara Park, and my youngest receiving Shipwrecked as a hand-me-down, changed that.

Junie B. and her classmates are learning about Christopher Columbus in class. Mr. Scary decides to use the upcoming Columbus Day as an excuse to put on a class play. The children have to write the play, decide on their parts, and design the set and costumes.

As is the shtick, Junie's enthusiasm gets in the way. She wants to be the fastest ship and she wants to be the star of the show. As show more it seems Mr. Scary is incapable of maintaining order in his classroom, there's a lot of trouble with setting up the play, and the play itself is a bit of a flop because Junie can't behave or control her urges.

But Junie here is only half of the reason behind my lukewarm reception. The other is Columbus. When I was Junie's age, my school most certainly did make a big deal out of Columbus and the many other white, European or early American explorers who "discovered" bits and pieces of the "new" world.

Of course, that's all Eurocentric hogwash. Yes, Columbus's journey set into motion a whole series of events that forever changed the Western Hemisphere. But as much as I love my country and my home in California, it would be idiotic to say Columbus was universally a hero.

I'm not sure the Junie B. books with their situational comedy have the wiggle room to cover complex topics. But there seems to be a book for every holiday on the school calendar. These books are best when they cover simple things. show less

As a parent, I don’t especially like Junie B. Jones. She’s obnoxious, has poor grammar, and uses words like stupid – a bad word in our house. These are all the same reasons my first grader loves her! He’s a bit of a reluctant reader so if Junie B. gets him excited about reading, then I’m willing to tolerate her.

Shipwrecked sneaks in quite a few facts about Christopher Columbus and his voyage to America. Children won’t have any idea that they are actually learning because the story is entertaining and funny. Since this book is for first graders, it doesn’t go into the ethical issues associated with Columbus’s journey, like imperialism and genocide. It actually doesn’t say anything about what happened after Columbus show more landed – the focus is entirely on the voyage.

If your child is a Junie B. Jones fan, he or she will definitely enjoy this book. show less

Everyone in Junie B.'s class seems to be getting sick, which might cause some trouble for their Parents' Night play on Christopher Columbus.

Park's Junie B. is her same spunky self in this 23rd volume of the Junie B. First Grader series. Her straightforward talk and lack of inhibition will leave readers laughing, though her frequent use of incorrect grammar may frustrate parents and teachers. In addition to satisfying Junie B. fans with another few days of antics, Shipwrecked also gives an introduction to a few basic facts about Christopher Columbus, teaching readers in a style that won't feel like the classroom.

Recommended for any libraries with Junie B. books in their collection.

This was a fun and educational book in the series. Junie's class is putting on a play about Christopher Columbus for the Parents' Open House. This introduces a lot of facts to learn about that part of our history. There's also a virus being spread throughout school, so there was some talk about hygiene, how you catch colds and how to prevent them. Overall, it was a good book to read aloud with students or to have them read on their own. I think children will be able to relate to this book with the school play aspect very well and it's very funny. I'm a fan of the Junie B. Jones books!

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Appropriateness: K-3rd
Media: Pen?
Review/Critique:
Junie B. Jones wants to be a star, and she finally gets that chance when her class puts on a Columbus Day parade for Parent's Night at school. This book follows Junie's journey throughout this process and even the issue of many classmates being sick.

This is good realistic fiction because the classroom and characters are very similar to that of first graders we know today. The plot was relatable and the humor was amusing yet realistic.

It’s a new school year, and everything is different. Junie B. Jones has a new class, a new teacher, and even some new friends. She also has a new problem—she might need to get glasses! Will Junie B. manage to convince her parents that her eyes are just fine the way they are? How important could that blurry stuff on the chalkboard be, anyway?