Junie B. Jones: The Endearing Classic Every Kid Should Read

"My name is Junie B. Jones. The B stands for Beatrice. Except I don't like Beatrice. I just like B and that's all." This is the opening line for almost every one of the twenty-eight books in the Junie B. Jones series. It has been a staple in our family for several months. I did not realize that the series was controversial until I decided to look up the reviews. Some parents refer to Junie B. Jones as promoting poor grammar, selfish behavior and a negative attitude. They also highlighted it with things like "literary trash" and "beware of Junie B. Jones." I was honestly flabbergasted and appalled by these comments, because as someone who has worked with kids since I was nineteen years old, I think Babara Park captured the mind of a child entering kindergarten to first grade with impeccable accuracy, and for that reason, the series gets five stars from me.

Junie B. Jones is comedy gold for young readers. The story centers on "almost six-year-old" Junie B. Jones and her adventures. Junie B. Jones does not fit the mold of what little girls are taught to be. She is spirited, loud and opinionated, yet funny, friendly and overall a happy child. She constantly breaks the rules, and is allowed to course through her mistakes without there needing to be a moral of the story element. Time and time again, Junie B. Jones faulters and she is allowed to recover from her silly, childlike mistakes. Park really invites us into the mind of Junie B. Jones, the kid who doesn't always get it right, but keeps on trying. I may have enjoyed the series more than my kids, because there were so many moments of intense laughter between my girls and I. There was so much excitement to huddle into one of their twin beds to read two to three chapters a night.

This is the reason why the series has sold 65 million copies in a 25 year period. As an adult, I connected with Junie B. Jones and so did my children. It has inspired a love of reading and confidence in my children in a way that has been quite admirable. Junie B. Jones knows who she is and what she wants and isn't afraid to speak up for herself. Junie B. in my eyes is a mentor and not the menace that she is sometimes described as. There are beautiful lessons to be learned from Junie B. Jones and it is well worth the read.

Photo of Junie B. Jones/Wharton Center and Book Series/Walmart